Thread: Do you beleive in a literal antichrist....and is it one man?
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Do you beleive in a literal antichrist....and is it one man?
Posted : 8 Oct, 2009 05:35 AM
well....the title is the question.....I would like to here many different veiws on end times.....antichrist.....ect.,And I wont argue on this one....cuz my veiws are not setteled.
Do you beleive in a literal antichrist....and is it one man?
Posted : 8 Oct, 2009 09:45 AM
Well...it's complicated, but generally speaking anything or anyone that denys Jesus's position as the sole mediator on our behalf would be in danger of being classified under "antichrist". But no, I don't think it's just one man. If you're talking about the beast in revelation and daniel, then it would be one political/religious power...and there's only one of those that fits the description. Persecuted God's saints, thinks it can change times and laws, accepts worship that is meant for God only, and receives authority from a political power.
That's a good article about what all the symbols in the bible mean with bible verses to back them up. But I'm pretty positive if you study about the beast, just about everybody will come to the same conclusion because there is only one power that fits the description if you're honest. Some people try and blow it all away in symbolism, but it just proves why God wrote it in symbols. They see, but they don't see.
Do you beleive in a literal antichrist....and is it one man?
Posted : 8 Oct, 2009 12:39 PM
*paste*
1. The beasts arise 'out of the sea', 'up from the sea' Rev. 13:1, Daniel 7:3
2. 'like unto a leopard', 'another, like a leopard' Rev. 13:2, Daniel 7:6
3. 'feet of a bear', 'like to a bear' Rev. 13:2, Daniel 7:5
4. 'mouth of a lion', 'was like a lion' Rev. 13:2, Daniel 7:4
5. 'the dragon', 'a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible' Rev. 13:2, Daniel 7:7
6. 'seven heads', (the four beasts have a total of 7 heads) Rev. 13:1, Daniel 7:4-7
7. 'ten horns', 'it had ten horns' Rev. 13:1, Daniel 7:7
Notice also that the beast and the little horn rule for the same period of time:
8. 'forty and two months', 'time, times, and dividing of time' Rev. 13:5, Daniel 7:25
The beast and the little horn have a notable leader:
9. 'number of a man', 'eyes of a man' Rev. 13:18, Daniel 7:8
The beast of Revelation 13 and the little horn do the same things:
10. 'blasphemy against God', 'speak great words' Rev. 13:5-6, Daniel 7:8, 20, 25
11.'make war with the saints', 'made war with the saints' Rev. 13:2, Daniel 7:21
Here are some additional points:
Notable power and position comes from the 'dragon':
12. 'gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority', "fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly... and it had ten horns.' Rev. 13:2, Daniel 7:7
The beast receives a deadly wound:
13. 'wounded to death' Rev. 13:3
This wound is healed and the beast regains worldwide influence and power:
14. 'and his deadly wound was healed' Rev. 13:3
The beast is a religious power that receives worship:
15. 'all the world wondered...and they worshipped the beast', "shall be diverse" Rev. 13:3-4, Daniel 7:24
Through the books of Revelation and Daniel God gives us a thorough description of the antichrist of Bible prophecy. It is important to identify the antichrist because from it will come the sign, or "mark", of it's authority. Against this mark, "the mark of the beast", or the mark of the authority of the antichrist, comes one of the Bible's strongest prohibitions.
"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, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:" Revelation 14:9-10
16. 'And he causeth all, to receive a mark', 'think to change times and laws:' Rev. 13:15-17, Daniel 7:25
(see also Romans 6:16)
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My belief is that the beasts of revelation 13 are any political/religious power that removes the separation of church and state/religious freedom in any country. The first beast is the European beast. You'll notice that it's body parts are some from the 4 beasts in Daniel 7. It's a mixture of all the major empires of Europe. It rises out of "water"(Rev. 17:15). The second beast rises out of "earth". I think it's the American beast. A beast with lamb-like horns? Buffalo anyone?:laugh: Maybe not...I just think it's coincidental. Anyway...each beast represents a powerful kingdom, and the only one that has ever risen out of sparsely populated area would be the United States. In 200 years the US has become the most powerful nation in the world. From ocean to ocean. Anyway...the second beast makes the people create an image of the first beast. A likeness. So, my belief is that someday pretty soon some Christian churches in the US are going to push for religious legislation that will remove our freedom of religion. Anyone that doesn't follow the new laws will be persecuted. Only time will tell. But those two beasts are the main "anti-Christs" everyone is worried about, and that's my view. In revelation 17, the woman riding on the beast is kind of a symbol of paganism/Christianity, but it's also another Antichrist. In the bible, a "woman" represents a church. A "beast" represents a political power/kingdom. The political power that this church is riding on is pagan Rome. The 7 heads of the beast represent the 7 hills that Rome was built on. There were also 7 kings. The beast the woman rides on, "that was, and is not, and yet is" is the 8th king. I think it's talking about how pagan Rome still exists under a form of Christianity. So I believe there are many Antichrists. Satan would be the only real literal one. Some of the other Antichrists might actually believe they're on God's side.
