CHAPTER XVIII.

 

THE ANTICHRIST.

 

“Ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists.”—I John 2: 18.

 

 

JOHN, writing in the first century of the Christian Era, tells us that there were many antichrists in his day, but he would have us to know that “Antichrist” was yet to come.  The fact that “many antichrists” had already come, but that “Antichrist” (in the singular) was due in the future, indicates that there would be a final Antichrist; and this, together with other Scriptures, teaches that all the antichrists of the ages would be summed up in the final Antichrist.  As the coming of the final Antichrist was in the future at the time John wrote, so we believe that his coming is still a future event.  As we proceed to the study of this subject, we shall find it convenient to consider it under the following heads:

 

     1. His Origin.

     2. Developments of His Kingdom.

     3. His Kingdom now Developing.

     4. His Seat.

     5. His Mark.

     6. His Identity.

     7. His Doom.

 

Let us look to the Lord for inspiration in studying this im­portant subject.

 

     1. His Origin.

The word “anti” means opposed to, or against.  The word “antichrist” literally means “opposed to, or set over against Christ.”  The original spirit of Antichrist does not aim directly against the Godhead, but against Christ, the second

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Person in the Godhead.  Of course, the Three Persons are so united that whatever opposes One Person necessarily op­poses the Three; but the original purpose of this spirit was to oppose Christ alone.  Hence, the term “Antichrist.”

     In order to get the very origin of the spirit of antichrist, we shall have to look back ages before the creation of man.  From Col. 1: 16, we learn that Christ created all things in heaven, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or princi­palities, or powers.  This will include all the angels, of whom he created an innumerable multitude.  (Psalm 68. 17; Heb. 12: 22.)  The angels, however, are not all of the same dignity and office.  In Rev. 8: 2, we read of seven angels who stand before God.  Jesus speaks of angels who “do always behold the face of the Father in heaven.” (Matt. 18: 10.)  The sons of God in general come before Him only at appointed times.  (Job 1: 6.)  Among the angels there is a complete organism, in which each has his prescribed sphere, in orders towering above orders, and princedoms over princedoms, in arithmetical and geometrical accuracy, till we reach the highest order of angels standing in the immediate presence of God.  What perfect order!  No discord here—everything runs in unity and harmony.  Yet, alas! there came a time when evil got in among these heavenly orders, and infected many of the “sons of God.”  The Scriptures tell us just how this sorrow­ful disaster came about.  By a close study of the Word it will be seen that self‑exaltation was the primary cause.  There is a passage which throws a great deal of light on this subject.  “And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.  And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.  Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scor­pions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.  Notwithstanding in this rejoice not that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.”—Luke 10: 17‑20.  The

 

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disciples were rejoicing because of their visible success. Such rejoicing is in itself self‑exaltation.  Jesus immediately sounded a note of warning.  He says, rejoice not because of your visible success, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven, stating that Satan fell from heaven as lightning, and implying that self‑exaltation was the cause of his fall.  While one of the brightest of the “Heavenly Host,” Satan dared to lift himself up, and instituted a revolt against his Maker.  The general idea is that this revolt was made against the Godhead, but I do not so understand it.  While, of course, the Godhead was necessarily involved, yet I believe the revolt was made directly against the second Person in the Godhead.  This revolt marks the origin of the spirit of antichrist.

Having found its starting point, let us trace the spirit of antichrist through the ages up to the final Antichrist himself.  All specimens of the spirit of antichrist sprang from the devil.  We must not suppose, however, that every act of the devil is, strictly speaking, from the spirit of antichrist.  In the spirit of antichrist we see only one special feature of the devil’s work, and this feature of his work can be easily traced through the ages of the world’s history.

     As we pursue our course we shall see that this spirit mani­fests itself chiefly along two lines viz., religious and political.  Religion and politics are two elements found in every govern­ment.  No government can exist without a religion.  More than that, the laws of any people are based upon the religious con­victions of that people.  There is a religion of the Lord Jesus Christ, and there is a religion of Antichrist.  The religion of Christ has always been in some way associated with blood; the religion of Antichrist has always been without blood.  The covering of man’s nakedness through the shedding of blood (Gen. 3: 21) was the impartation of the religion of Christ; the covering of his nakedness without the shedding of blood (Gen. 3: 7) was the religion of Antichrist.  Abel had a religion which was connected with blood (Gen. 4: 4), and hence, the religion

 

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of Christ; Cain had a religion with which was associated no blood (Gen. 4: 3), and hence, the religion of Antichrist.  Noah’s ark rose above the earth, and carried animals across the flood, that were slain in sacrifice on the other side of the flood (Gen. 8: 20), and hence, it set forth the religion of Christ; Nimrod’s tower rested on the earth (Gen. 11: 4), and had no blood in connection with it, and hence, it set forth the religion of Anti­christ.  It is in connection with Nimrod’s tower that we first notice the political element coming in connection with the re­ligious element of the spirit of Antichrist.  In fact, Nimrod was the first person who ever instituted a government this side the flood.  If there were any governments before Nimrod’s day, they surely fell at the time of the flood.  From the time of Nimrod on till we reach the final Antichrist we shall be able to trace both the religious and the political elements of this spirit together.

     Before leaving Nimrod’s tower, however, we shall jot down a few points in connection with it, and these points we wish all of our readers to bear in hind.  It is clear that Nim­rod’s purpose in building this tower was: 1st, To counteract Noah’s religion, and hence, the religion of Christ; 2nd, To exalt self above all others; 3rd, To establish a government in connection with his religion; 4th, That his religion and govern­ment should have one common center, and that this center should be in the land of Shinar; 5th, That his subjects should put their means and labor together into one place; 6th, That his authority should be world‑wide; and 7th, That all his sub­jects should be united under a certain sign, badge, or mark.  That Nimrod’s tower was intended to counteract Noah’s re­ligion is brought out by the fact that he purposed to build it so high that its top might reach to heaven.  Of course, his idea was to build a tower so high that, should there come another flood, he and his subjects could escape it by climbing to the top of the tower.  The whole thing was grounded on unbelief.  God had promised that there should not be another flood. (Gen.

 

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8: 21, 22; 9: 8‑17.)  Nimrod treated the promises of God as below his notice or respect.  As much as to say, “God had nothing to do with the flood; it was the result of a natural cause; even if God spoke to Noah and promised not to send another flood.  He knows nothing of which he speaks.  I am a man of sense; I shall provide a sure place of safety for me and my people.”  Nimrod’s plan of salvation was based on works without any blood.  That Nimrod desired to exalt himself above all others is made clear by his self‑exalted terms in Gen. 11: 4: “Let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.”  “US” a city, and a tower rising above the city, and “US” a name on top of the tower—here is “Self” going to seed.  That Nim­rod intended to establish a government in connection with his religion there can be no doubt: “The beginning of his king­dom was Babel.”—Gen. 10: 10.  That the religious and governmental centre was to be in Shinar can not be denied: “His kingdom was . . . . in the land of Shinar.”—Gen. 10: 10.  “They found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.”—Gen. 11: 2.  That his subjects put their means and labor together into one place we see from the fact that they all worked together in building a city and a tower.  That he intended to make his authority world‑wide is implied in his very name, “Nimrod,” signifying “rebel, or a rebellious pan­ther.”  “He begun to be a mighty one in the earth.  He was a mighty hunter (after men as well as beasts) before the Lord: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord.”—Gen. 10: 8, 9.  He began his kingdom at Babel, but he pushed it on through conquest to “Erech, and Accad, is no telling how far he would have pushed his authority, had and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.  He went out into Assyria, and builded Nineveh, and the streets of the city Rehoboth, and Calah, and Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city.”—Gen. 10: 10‑13. (Margin.)  There

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he not been hindered.  That all his subjects were united under a certain sign, badge, or mark is clearly brought out.  Hebrew scholars tell us that the word in Gen. 11: 4, translated “name” means token, sign, banner, ensign, or mark of confederation, fellowship, and organized unity.  These seven points in con­nection with Nimrod’s tower are well established, and should be borne in mind by each reader of these pages.

     If God had not hindered Nimrod, I believe that the king­dom of Antichrist would have been fully established at that time.  Nimrod had certainly started a government like unto that one which the Scriptures teach will be in the time of the final Antichrist.  God saw what would be the outcome, of course, and said, Now they have begun, “nothing will be re­strained from them, which they have imagined to do.”—Gen. 11: 6.  This certainly sounds like the beginning of the govern­ment of Antichrist, for it is stated that when Antichrist does come he “shall do according to his own will.”—Dan. 11: 16.  Nimrod had started out on this wise, but God, seeing what the outcome would be, defeated him in his work. (Gen. 11: 8.)

     The defeat of the kingdom of Babel, however, did not mean the final overthrow of Antichrist government.  Far front it.  The devil is very persevering.  After the dispersion of the people from Babel, the devil began to work to bring about another confederation, and to imbibe the spirit of antichrist into all the governments of the world.

     Thus we have found the starting point of the spirit of anti­christ, and have traced it until we find it taking hold, with a high hand, of the governments of the world.  What further remains to be said of the developments of his kingdom, and other points connected with the subject, we must leave for future chapters.