The President and the Antichrist

Jim

The President and the Antichrist

Is Obama the Antichrist? This is a hot topic flying around the internet, and I think it will intensify as we get closer to 2012. There are folks using the books of Revelation, Daniel, and all kinds of Scripture in between, to come up with some kind of “fit” in Bible prophecy. There are self proclaimed prophets: prophesying the end, almost getting into a frenzy – claiming to speak “in the name of the Lord.”

I know that we all are trying to make sense of the times, and what we should do in the midst of the storm around us. Hence, all the voices. But we must be careful of the voices we listen to – and purpose ourselves to listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd.

Be careful of those who proclaim the end of the world, or the return of Jesus Christ – and then claim that they are speaking in the name of God. Whether this is the time for Jesus to come and wrap up history, is his business. Our job is to live as if He will come today, and work as if He will not.

Let me first say that Obama is not the Antichrist, as referred to in the book of Revelation. The purpose of this blog is to give a Biblical argument in identifying not only who we call the Antichrist, but also the Whore of Babylon. I am doing this for the express purpose of helping folks, not to fall in the trap of those who manipulate the Word of God: who therefore try to manipulate others.

But it doesn’t mean that President Obama doesn’t have the spirit of antichrist. There is a difference. The Apostle John tells us:

“Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.” 1JN 2:18, 19

Does President Obama have the spirit of antichrist? We will have to see. This will be the stuff of another blog.

What I will do is identify the Beast and the Whore of Babylon. But first, let me share some interesting facts or curiosities I found in my personal study of the Book of Revelation.

Did you know:

1) The name Antichrist is never mentioned.

2) The number is not six, six, six – or just three sixes in a row. The number is actually six hundred and sixty six.

3) It never mentions Christ returning to earth to set up a thousand year rule.

4) It never states Christ coming back to a throne on earth.

5) It never mentions a rapture of the saints before the tribulation.

6) It never even mentions a rapture of the saints.

My point? Read the book! I find that most of the time, people approach Revelation with preconceived ideas, and then basically force Revelation to say what they want it to say. They use it to satisfy curiosities, or try to sensationalize today’s events into “end time prophecies.” The Book of Revelation has lost it’s beauty and grandeur, and is reduced to the level of a dime store novel.

Another problem is interpretation. This book is treated differently from other books of the Bible; by using newspaper exegesis, instead of using the same standards of interpretation as the rest of the Bible.

Let’s try to agree on some things as we seek to understand the Book of Revelation.

1) The Book of Revelation is a book of the Bible. A good standard of interpretation: use the Bible to interpret the Bible. Throw the newspaper away!

2) You would be surprised how “Biblical” the Book of Revelation actually is! The theme of Scripture – creation, redemption, and sanctification run throughout the Bible, and culminates in the Book of Revelation. Also, there is so much of the Old Testament in this book, you won’t understand Revelation until you understand it’s OT themes. The NT is hidden in the OT, and the OT is revealed in the NT – including the Book of Revelation.

3) The only way to understand the imagery and symbolism in Revelation, is to understand how that imagery and symbolism is used in the Bible – starting from Genesis to Revelation.

4) Revelation was written before 70AD. (1)

5) John states that it’s events will happen soon. Actually, he states it four times.

– to show his servants what must soon take place.V1:1
– because the time is near. V.1:3
– The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show
his servants the things that must soon take place.” V22:6
– Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book
because the time is near. V22:10

Notice that the Angel instructs John not to seal the book – Revelation was to be understood by the Christians of his day. The Book of Revelation couldn’t be any clearer – it would be ridiculous to think “soon” is 2,000 years later!

Let’s use the clues John provides for us to identify the Beast and the Whore of Babylon. We will find that it is the tale of two cities.

Identification of the Beast

Most will agree the Beast is Rome. It is the city that is known for it’s seven hills. But those who hold to a dispensationalist view of Revelation look toward a future Roman Empire. But John repeatedly told the Christians of his day that the events would be soon. I seek to prove John is referring to the Rome of his day.

Let’s look at the clues John provides for us.

1) “The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits.” v 17:9

As I have already stated, this is the reference to Rome.

2) “The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because he once was, now is not, and yet will come.” V17:8

There was a time when the peoples of the earth wondered if the Roman Empire was going to survive. Check out the list below. Notice that there were five emperors in the space of two years: 68 – 69AD.

Beset with several civil wars, there really was a time of “now is not” and “wars and rumors of war.” (Matt 24).

3) They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for a little while. The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction. V 17:10,11

1. Julius Caesar 49-44 BC
2. Augustus 27 BC-14 AD
3.Tiberius 14-37 AD
4. Gaius Caligula 37-41 AD
5. Claudius 41-54 AD
6. Nero 54-68 AD
7. Galba 68-69 AD
8. Otho 69-69 AD
9. Vitellius 69-69 AD
10. Vespasian 69-79 AD

Five have fallen: notice Nero is the sixth king, the one who “is.” John then mentions the king that comes after him, and that he must remain for a little while. The seventh Caesar – Galba – only remained as Caesar for 7 months. I would say that was “a little while!”

4)”The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months…He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them.” V.13: 5-7

From Christian and Pagan sources alike – they all agree that Nero had the cruel heart of a beast. This imagery fits him well.

Nero’s persecution of the Church was the first time that the Roman Government persecuted the Christians, and it set the precedent for succeeding Caesars to do the same. Phillip Schaff described it as “the most cruel that ever occurred.” Peter and Paul were martyred and the Apostle John was exiled.

And by the way, Nero persecuted the Church for 42 months.

5) 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?”v13:4

The Emperor Cult was established before Nero, and Nero was actually worshipped. “Almighty God” and “Savoir” are found inscripted in Ephesus, coins portrayed Nero as Apollo, and even the Greeks deified him as “Zeus, Our Liberator.”

6) “This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man’s number. His number is 666.” v13:18.

Nero Caesar adds up to the number six hundred and sixty six. In Hebrew the name is “nrwn qsr”: n (50) r (200) w (6) n (50) q (100) s (60) r (200), which totals exactly 666. (2)

Rome was the Beast and was personified in Nero.

Identification of the Whore of Babylon

John uses different pictures to describe the Whore of Babylon. Let’s look at the clues John provides for us.

1) “The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.” v17:18.

The first clue John gives to us is that he calls the Harlot a woman and a city. The woman is called the “Great City.” Notice he didn’t say “a” great city, but “the” great city.

Please remember that we have thrown the newspaper away. The next step we should take then, is to first look in the Book of Revelation, to see if the same term is used again. Let’s see – yes – here it is:

Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. Rev 11:8

John identifies the “Great City” as the place where our Lord is crucified, which of course is Jerusalem. That was easy! There is nothing better in interpretation, then when the same book uses the same terms to provide the meaning.

Can I please get a witness of how easy that was? May I ask a question? How could all the so-called prophecy experts miss it?

2) “The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.” V. 17:16

The Whore of Babylon was Jerusalem, and the fall of Jerusalem in 70AD is the fall of Babylon in Revelation 18. Titus supervised the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD. They razed the city and burned it with fire.

I know this is a total shock for most folks who interpret eschatology from a dispensational point of view, and especially for those who are “Left Behind” fans. I can see the tearing of clothing and the kicking up of dirt. But please stay with me, I will further explain why John identified Jerusalem as Babylon during his time, and the significance of the Fall of Jerusalem in 70AD.

We must realize that the Jew in Palestine would never call any city, “The Great City,” except for Jerusalem! The Temple of Jerusalem was literally the center of the universe to them. This was the place where the people of God, met and fellowshipped with God.

And again: “The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.” v17:18.

The Hebrew mind could only conceive of one city that would rule over the kings of the earth – Jerusalem. This is the city of the Great King! Please read Is.2:1-5.

But why is Jerusalem identified as Babylon? Notice that in v11:8 John already identifies the Great City as Sodom and Egypt. Lot was the “righteous man” (2 Pet 2:7), who was literally dragged out of Sodom. Of course we know the times Israel wanted to return to Egypt. They prostituted themselves to their captors.

That is why he picks Babylon: he is accusing Israel of becoming the very people who took them into captivity. Read Rev. 18. It breathes the language of the Old Testament prophets – and the only city of such importance would be Jerusalem.

Now Jerusalem becomes a Harlot by joining Rome in persecuting the Church. Also notice what John says about Babylon in Revelation:

3) I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus v. 17:6
Rejoice, saints and apostles and prophets! God has judged her for the way she treated you.’ ” v. 18:20.
In her was found the blood of prophets and of the saints, and of all who have been killed on the earth.” v. 18:24

Notice v.18:20 specifically mentions the Apostles – also placing the fall of Babylon during the 1st century.

Compare this with the words of Jesus:

Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. I tell you the truth, all this will come upon this generation.” Matt 23:34-36

Jesus is specifically addressing His disciples. This would only make sense in the first century – Jesus specifically mentions the disciples going to synagogues from town to town, and actually mentioned they would be flogged in them. Notice that Jesus places the time period within “this generation.” Jesus also discusses the destruction of Jerusalem in Matt 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21.

Please remember that Revelation never mentions Jesus coming back to a throne on earth, nor a Rapture of the saints. This is not what the Book of Revelation is about.

The theme of the Book of Revelation is the giving way of the Old Covenant, to the fulfillment of the New Covenant. It takes us from the destruction of the Temple, to Jesus rising again from the dead as the New Temple of God. Then John pulls us to the future, when the Kingdom of God is fully realized – when Christ comes back at the end of history. Everything has changed: everything has been made new!

This change is so significant, that it had to be told in words, imagery, and symbolism: so that we could see and understand the truth in a more fuller sense, than just reading a definition or a synopsis.

Please understand that while Revelation clearly identifies this lady as Jerusalem, it is the Jerusalem of 2,000 years ago, not the Jerusalem of today. It is not the maddening idea of dispensationalist theology, that a future Antichrist will break an agreement with a future Israel and start destroying a future Jerusalem. Our Jewish friends need our prayers and blessings instead, along with supporting their right to exist as a nation.

Let us lift up our hearts to our Lord, pray for wisdom to get a sense of the times, seek understanding of what we are to do as the people of God – and work for His glory.

Notes

1) The dating of the Book of Revelation is hotly contested. Liberal theology will argue for a later date because the predictions are so accurate they are believed to be written after the fact. There is a denial of special revelation.
Dispensationalists need a later date to make their system of theology to work.

I recommend the book, The Day Jerusalem Fell by Kenneth Gentry. It is an excellent work defending a pre-70AD date using internal and external evidence, and has a chapter providing an impressive list of conservative scholars supporting the early date.

Do not fear non-Catholics! This is not a Catholic work.
 
2) The Day Jerusalem Fell, Kenneth Gentry

© Jim Blazsik 2009 Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.