CHAPTER XXIII

 

THE IDENTITY OF ANTICHRIST.

 

“He is the eighth, and is of the seven.” —

 

 

IN previous chapters much has been said concerning, Anti­christ, but nothing so far concerning his identity.  Who is Antichrist?  This is the question so often asked.  Let it be understood that I do not dogmatize at this point. I do not know who Antichrist is.  However, there are some things within the bounds of reason to be said at this point, and these things we will do well to remember.

First, Antichrist is an individual person.  Many say that he is the Pope of Rome.  That the Popes of Rome are in some sense antichrists, I do not doubt; but I am equally certain that they are only forerunners of the final Antichrist.  He does many things that the Pope of Rome has never done.  He con­tinues on the earth for just seven years, while the pope has been here for centuries.  There is no indication that we are to take this duration of time otherwise than literal.  Everything in the record concerning the final Antichrist indicates that we have here to deal with an individual person.

     Next, let me say that he is a person who once lived on the earth, died and went to hell, and who will be resurrected at the last day.  The angel said to John: “The beast that thou sawest was (did live on earth), and is not (is now dead); and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit.”—Rev. 17: 8.  So by this we may know that he is a person who once lived, died, went to hell, is now in hell; but will be resurrected during The Great Tribu­lation.

As we have before said, Antichrist has seven heads.  Six of these we identified as Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome.  We have shown also that the seventh head is now

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developing, that before Antichrist appears it will be fully de­veloped, and that he will arrive just in time to take charge of the system of things now developing, and thus he will be the eighth head.  As a farther point towards his identity, however, it is stated that “He is of the seven.”  He is necessarily a man who lived on earth before John received The Revelation, for at that time the angel said, “He was, and is not.”  He is, there­fore, a man who was in some way connected with the govern­ment of either Egypt, or Assyria, or Babylon, or Persia, or Greece, or Rome.  “He is of the seven,” that is, he was con­nected with some one of those seven heads.

Thus the subject is narrowed greatly.  Yet we are a long ways from anything definite.  Whether Antichrist be the Egyp­tian Menes, or the Assyrian Sennacherib, or the Babylonian Nebuchadnezzar, or the Persian Cyrus, or the Grecian Alex­ander, or the Roman Caesar, or either of these, without some­thing more definite, it is impossible to say.  The location of his capital city, however, should be of some weight at this point.  Since it is settled that Antichrist is of the one of these six heads, and since so much is said in this connection concerning Babylon, the only logical conclusion seems to be that he is a Babylonian.  An argument in favor of this view is that Babylon was the first of all earthly sovereignties.  In the enumeration of the seven heads, it has the third place; but this is because it arose to prominence again after Assyria; and in reality Babylon is the mother of all earthly sovereignties, because it is the first, and out of it all others sprang.  Thus in our search for the identity of Antichrist, we are narrowed down to Babylon alone.

Of all the kings of Babylon, who is most likely to be Anti­christ?  Because Babylon is the mother of all earthly sover­eignties, we take Antichrist to be a Babylonian; and for this same reason, we would take the founder of Babylonia to be the Antichrist.  Thus we are taken back to the tenth chapter of

 

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Genesis, where we find that the kingdom of Babylon was begun by Nimrod.

The position that Nimrod shall have something to do with the sovereignties of this world is strengthened by the statement, “The beginning of his kingdom was Babel.”—Gen. 10: 10.  This indicates that his kingdom was begun, but not finished.  It certainly was not finished in Nebuchadnezzar’s day.  Before reaching the climax (Gen. 11: 4) it fell (Dan. 5: 30, 31).  It certainly has not been finished yet.  In order for Nimrod’s kingdom to be finished, Nimrod will have to finish it.

Again, it is stated of Nimrod, “He began to be a mighty one in the earth.”—Gen. 10: 8.  This seems to intimate that his greatness was only begun, but not finished.  All of these things tend to identify Nimrod as the final Antichrist.

As a farther means of the identity of Nimrod and Anti­christ, let us notice that each has a mark.  Nimrod said, “Let us make us a name” (Hebrew, “Sem,” a token, a mark).—Gen. 11: 4.  “He causeth all to receive a mark.”—Rev. 13: 16.  The mark of Antichrist, as we have seen before, is both a mark and a name.  Though the outward resemblance between these two marks may be distant, yet their primary purpose is the same.  Nimrod’s mark was a literal stamp, it was both a mark and a name, an outward profession of religion, and a sign of confederation; and the mark of Antichrist is all of these.

This identity is further shown by reference to a few points given in connection with the origin of Antichrist in Chapter XVIII.  It is clear that the purpose of Nimrod in building his tower, and of Antichrist in his reign is: 1st, To counteract the religion of Christ; 2nd, To exalt self above all others; 3rd, To establish a government in connection with his religion; 4th, That the religion and governmental center be one, and be in the land of Shinar; 5th, To heap their means and labor into one place; 6th, To have world‑wide authority; and 7th, That the people of their kingdoms be united and known to all by a certain sign, badge, or mark.  Thus in many ways Antichrist

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points us back to Nimrod, and Nimrod points us forward to Antichrist.

The seven heads have been identified already; and yet there is something connected with the record to indicate the re‑estab­lishment of all these ancient sovereignties.  It has been said already that Antichrist himself will be the embodiment and consummation of all earthly sovereignties, from beginning to end, summed up in one person.  John saw him coming up out of the midst of peoples, and multitudes, and nations and tongues (Rev. 13: 1; 17: 15).  When he thus arises for the last time, he brings these seven heads up with him.  Who can tell but that the sovereign powers of Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome will all be re‑established and united in the sovereign power of commerce now developing?  Yea, perhaps, Menes, Sennacherib, Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus, Alexander, and Caesar themselves, with a host of others, will be resurrected, brought up from the pit of hell, endowed with the energy and strength of the devil, and given power and authority in con­federation with‑Antichrist.  “I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death.”—Rev. 13: 3.  This clause almost seems to spell “JULIUS CAESAR.”  The Greek strengthens this po­sition, for it signifies a sword wound.  Would it be a surprise to you to know that a great host of the world’s tyrants will be resurrected and reinstated to power along with Nimrod?

Another question arising in connection with Antichrist’s identity is, Who is the false prophet, or second beast?  As I said concerning Antichrist, I do not dogmatize at this point.  I do not know.  Yet, there are some points we will do well to remember.

First, The false prophet is an individual person.  He as­cends from hell just as Antichrist does.  He is a person who once lived on earth, died and went to hell, and shall ascend out of hell.  Since his work is so closely allied with Antichrist, and since Antichrist was once on earth before, it is probable that the false prophet is a person who was very closely allied to

 

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Nimrod in the construction of Babel.  It is clear that while Antichrist will be a political leader, the false prophet will be an ecclesiastical leader.  It is he that “causeth the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the beast.”—Rev. 13: 12.  He is the leading preacher or Archbishop during the reign of AntiChrist.  Some think that he is Judas Iscariot, and there are some good points in favor of this position, but I feel that it is well for us, in order to identify the false prophet, to look for some one who was closely associated with Nimrod in the con­struction of Babel.  The two will surely work together, they are now in hell together, and if we identify Antichrist to be Nimrod, we might find the false prophet to be some co‑worker of Nimrod.

Looking for Nimrod’s co‑worker or archbishop, we are somewhat disappointed at first; but by a closer examination of the record of profane history this person is revealed.  It was his wife.  Her name is said to have been Semiramis.  “Sem” is the Hebrew for “name” in Genesis 11: 4.  So it appears that the name, or mark that was to be placed above Nimrod’s tower was an image of his wife.  He was a political leader; his wife was the ecclesiastical leader.  So this “Sem” or mark was an outward profession of religion, as well as a mark of con­federation.  Semiramis’ image was the banner of the nation, the religious standard under which the army marched.  Nimrod and his wife were the two great leaders in the first of the world’s sovereign powers.

The clearest Bible type of the church is a woman.  Paul said of man and wife: “They two shall be one flesh.  This is a great mystery; but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” —Eph. 5: 31, 32.  A pure woman is a type of the pure church; a wicked woman is a type of the false church. A woman, Semiramis, was the leader of the first false church this side of the flood.  This church was united with the state, a political power.  Such a union God always terms spiritual fornication.  Of just such a union we read in Rev. 2: 20.  In the last one

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of the world’s sovereignties we find the church and the state united, with a political and ecclesiastical leader.  It need not surprise us to find the ecclesiastical leader to be a woman.

Some may raise objection here on the grounds that the false prophet is spoken of as masculine.  However, I can’t see that this would have much weight.  Jesus taught us that in the resurrection there will be neither male nor female (Matt. 22: 30), and this will be true of the wicked, as well as of the righteous.  The false prophet, as well as Antichrist, will be in the resurrected body.  Very often, when male qualities are to be considered, the Bible assigns such qualities to the mas­culine gender.  The false prophet has many mighty deeds to perform (Rev. 13: 12‑17), therefore he is spoken of as mascu­line.

If I am correct in the identity of these two, then the image of Antichrist to which the false prophet gives life (Rev. 13: 14, 15) will be the offspring of the two.  Not the natural off­spring of Nimrod, and wife, for the image is made by man; but the preternatural.  So these three form a family—Antichrist, the infernal father; the false prophet, the infernal mother; the image, the preternatural offspring. So apart from Satan him­self here is hell’s trinity in unity.

As to the image of Antichrist, there may be only one, or there may be many.  It is my opinion that there will be thous­ands of these images scattered all over the earth. Perhaps there will be an image set up in each place of worship (2 Thes. 2: 4).  This image, being the offspring of Antichrist, will be in effect the same as Antichrist.  This image speaks and teaches the people.  This will be the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel (Dan 12: 11), and also by Jesus (Matt. 24: 15).  This would be true whether there would be one image or more than one.

In conclusion, “Antichrist shall come.”  In connection with his coming there will be established a government equal to all the sovereign powers of the world combined. He will be a

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person who once before lived on earth.  Just who, we do not know.  Nimrod, perhaps.  He will ascend from hell, and will bring with him a co‑worker, and a host of sub‑regents.  Think of such a government established here, with Nimrod and Semi­ramis at its head, with Menes, Sennacherib, Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus, Alexander, Julius Caesar, together with numbers of others of the world’s greatest rulers, all resurrected and en­dowed with the power and energy of the devil, as sub‑rulers in the government,—and where is the man that will be able to resist or to stand against its laws?