Is the Antichrist all that unique?

[Randy Kluth]

Here's the problem with the so-called future "70th Week of Daniel."

1) The 70th Week of Daniel immediately followed the 69th Weeks of Daniel, or the "70 Weeks" prediction makes no sense. 69 Weeks + 2000 years + the 70th Week? No!

Only ancient Church Father Irenaeus and his disciple Hippolytus held to the notion of a future 70th Week, disconnected from the 69 Weeks. So it was the brainchild of Irenaeus, as far as I can tell? Or perhaps someone before him inspired this idea in him?

2) The idea of a full 70th Week of 7 years coinciding with the Reign of Antichrist tends to set that period apart from all of NT history, as if it is worse than all previous times. The idea that it will be a "great tribulation unlike any other" is falsely applied to this time period, since the "Great Tribulation was described by Jesus as applicable to the Jewish Diaspora of the NT era, which is the worst punishment in Israel's history for length of time, almost causing the Jews to cease to exist as a people.

So what really was the 3.5 years of Antichrist meant to prepare the Church for--something worse or something typical of all Christian history? In reality, antiChristianity has been around since the beginning of the Church, since the death of Christ himself.

John said that as Antichrist is coming, so already there have been many antichrists. And so, this period of time was intended to prepare the Church for the typical opposition that comes from serving Christ. It will not always be as intense an opposition as will happen when an antichrist is present. But there will always be opposition and unpopularity associated with being a Christian.

We have to be prepared for that if we are to endure to the end. There will always be antichrists in the world up until Christ comes back to defeat all opposition to his Kingdom.

 

[Gottservant]

It's actually wrong to approach the anti-christ, unless you have a faith of your own (that you can keep to yourself).

If you are near the edge of a cliff and people are falling off, but one of them turns around and says "don't come any further!" do you approach him to make it (what he said) clearer?

Just as God calls His People out of MYSTERY, He turns People away from the anti-christ.

 

[dev553344]

The anti-christ is any man or spirit that denies Jesus came in the flesh and nothing else.

 

[Gottservant]

The anti-christ is any man or spirit that denies Jesus came in the flesh and nothing else.

Yes but you will be tested for believing this, not untested?

 

[Marty fox]

The anti-christ is any man or spirit that denies Jesus came in the flesh and nothing else.

Yes and in Johns day it was apostate Israel

 

[dev553344]

Yes but you will be tested for believing this, not untested?

I have a sure testimony. All the testing can't do any good anyways.

 

[Stumpmaster]

The idea that it will be a "great tribulation unlike any other" is falsely applied to this time period, since the "Great Tribulation was described by Jesus as applicable to the Jewish Diaspora of the NT era, which is the worst punishment in Israel's history for length of time, almost causing the Jews to cease to exist as a people.

So what really was the 3.5 years of Antichrist meant to prepare the Church for--something worse or something typical of all Christian history?

95AD John is given an Apocalypse, most of which looks forward from his lifetime.

Rev 13:11-18 Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. This beast had two horns like a lamb, but spoke like a dragon. (12) And this beast exercised all the authority of the first beast and caused the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose mortal wound had been healed. (13) And the second beast performed great signs to cause even fire from heaven to come down to earth in the presence of the people. (14) Because of the signs it was given to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived those who dwell on the earth, telling them to make an image to the beast that had been wounded by the sword and yet had lived. (15) The second beast was permitted to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship it to be killed. (16) And the second beast required all people small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, (17) so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark—the name of the beast or the number of its name. (18) Here is a call for wisdom: Let the one who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and that number is 666.

 

[Randy Kluth]

95AD John is given an Apocalypse, most of which looks forward from his lifetime.

Rev 13:11-18 Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. This beast had two horns like a lamb, but spoke like a dragon. (12) And this beast exercised all the authority of the first beast and caused the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose mortal wound had been healed. (13) And the second beast performed great signs to cause even fire from heaven to come down to earth in the presence of the people. (14) Because of the signs it was given to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived those who dwell on the earth, telling them to make an image to the beast that had been wounded by the sword and yet had lived. (15) The second beast was permitted to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship it to be killed. (16) And the second beast required all people small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, (17) so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark—the name of the beast or the number of its name. (18) Here is a call for wisdom: Let the one who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and that number is 666.

Yes, but please don't misconstrue what I meant to say. I'm not saying the Antichrist is not distinct from previous antichrists. I'm just saying that he is not being presented as the worse demon in history to be avoided by resort to a Pretrib Rapture.

That's not how the Revelation presents the Antichrist, as though he is the worst thing, to be avoided at all costs. Otherwise, why would the Revelation even include prophecy of the Antichrist very early in Church history, when no Christian would ever have to see him?

On the other hand, prophecy of the Antichrist, mentioned in Dan 7, indicates that the end won't come until Christ comes back to destroy the final Antichrist. And the fact that antichrists rule in the meantime indicates that the Church must confront that reality, and not be overly idealistic with their sense of Kingdom authority. If Christ submitted to the cross, there are also many negative experiences we must submit to as well. God be merciful!

 

[Stumpmaster]

That's not how the Revelation presents the Antichrist, as though he is the worst thing, to be avoided at all costs. Otherwise, why would the Revelation even include prophecy of the Antichrist very early in Church history, when no Christian would ever have to see him?

God lets us know stuff that will happen beyond our lifetime. He told Abraham things like that.

The empire of the ultimate endtimes Antichrist has been on the rise since Satan tempted Eve, and Cain killed Abel. In the history of God's People we see Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Political Rome, and Papal Rome being prominent in their time. The final showdown occurs when there is a general global governance with complete corporate control by means of extreme executive enforcement.

Rev 13:1 Then I saw a beast with ten horns and seven heads rising out of the sea. There were ten royal crowns on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads.

Rev 13:11 Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. This beast had two horns like a lamb, but spoke like a dragon.

From the Sea of Sinful Humanity comes:

BEAST 1 = Blasphemous Empire Actualising Satanic Tyranny​

From the Earth of Evil Vanity comes:

BEAST 2 = Blasphemous Emperor Actualising Satanic Tyranny​