CHAPTER XXIV.

 

THE DOOM OF ANTICHRIST.

 

 

BY the term “His Doom” we mean, not only the doom of Antichrist himself, but also the fate of his kingdom, and of all things connected therewith.  In previous chapters we have discussed his origin, developments of his kingdom, his seat and its location, his mark, and his identity; and now we come to study of the destruction that will befall his kingdom, and of the final doom that awaits him.

It is the many systems of false religions in the world that make up Babylon in mystery as she appears today.  We have already shown that these systems are headed toward a center, and that they will eventually unite with all political systems in one head, viz., Babylon.  This will be the seventh head of the beast fully developed, and will be under the control of ten kings.  These ten kings are represented by the ten horns of the beast (Rev. 17: 12).  The same ten horns are mentioned in Daniel’s prophecy (Dan. 7: 7, 8).  We are to take them, not as ten individuals alone, but as ten governments.  The “little horn” of Daniel 7: 8, is the Antichrist.  “Before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots.”  Hence, it is evident that soon after Antichrist appears he will bring three of said governments under his control, and put their rulers aside.  It further appears that later, in order to gain the other seven possibly, he enters a covenant with all the ten together to the effect that he is to become the supreme ruler of the world, while these ten kings are to be sub‑regents under him.  “These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.”—Rev. 17: 13.  Their reign, however, is of short duration.  No sooner is Antichrist on the throne than he breaks his covenant with them: and so we read that they “receive power one hour with the beast.”—Rev. 17: 12.

 

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Antichrist then appoints other sub‑regents in their stead; and these may be persons resurrected from hell like himself.  These ten kings, however, are not wholly without influence; and they hate and persecute the government and the religion of Anti­christ.  For three years and a half their persecution continues and they finally succeed in bringing down the proud city of Babylon.  “These shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.  For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and to give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.”—Rev. 17: 16, 17.

     However, before the city is destroyed, there are certain calamities that come to Antichrist and his kingdom.  These calamities we will now consider.  The first one to come is described as follows:

     “There fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which wor­shipped his image.”—Rev. 16: 2.  This sore is denoted in the Greek by the same word which describes the ailment of Laza­rus at the rich man’s gate.  It will be the Egyptian plague of ulcers intensified (Ex. 9:  8‑12).

     In Rev. 16: 3‑9, we read of farther trouble coming to his kingdom.  The sea is turned into blood, so that every living soul in the sea dies; and then the rivers and fountains of water become blood, so that the men of his kingdom have blood to drink.  The sun becomes exceedingly hot, so as to scorch men with fire.  They repent not, but blaspheme the name of God who has power over these plagues.

     The next plague is described as follows: “The fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, and blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.”—Rev. 16: 10, 11.  Here his seat itself is assailed, and his entire kingdom is filled with darkness.  This corresponds with the Egyptian darkness.

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(Ex. 10: 21‑23.)  This darkness is mentioned in several places in the Word.  “The darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people.”—Isa. 60: 2.  “A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness . . . . there hath not been even the like, neither shall be any more after it.  The sun shall be turned into darkness.”—Joel 2: 2, 31.  “Dark­ness shall pursue his enemies.”—Nah. 1: 8.  “In those days, after that tribulation the sun shall be darkened.”—Mark 13: 24.  Great will be the tortures of that darkness, for those who feel it gnaw their tongues for pain.  These words indicate the most intense anguish of pain.  Men will blaspheme God for the plague, and arrange to make war against the Lamb.

     At this time the River Euphrates dries up, and the kings of the earth, sub‑regents of Antichrist, gather from the north, from the south, from the east, and from the west into a place called Armageddon (Rev. 16: 12‑16).

     Where is Armageddon?  The word means “Mount of Megiddo,” from a root “gaddad,” to cut off, i.e., slaughter.  It is the Old Testament’s great battlefield between Israel and the various enemies of Jehovah’s people.  There it was that Jabin’s hosts were utterly overwhelmed (Josh. 11).  It was the scene of Barak’s victory over Canaan (Judges 4: 1‑24; 5: 19), of Gideon’s victory over the Midianites (Judges 7: 1), of Sam­son’s triumph over the Philistines (Jud. 15: 14‑17), of David’s victory over Goliath (1 Sam. 17: 3), and the place where Josiah was slain by Pharaoh‑Necho (2 Chron. 35: 22).  A place of slaughter Armageddon has ever been.  So we are not surprised that into this place the forces of evil are gathered for the battle of the great day of God Almighty.  Joel mentions “The Valley of Jehosaphat” (Joel 3: 2), and Isaiah, “Boz­rah” (Isa. 34: 6; 63: 1‑6), as the place where that great battle will occur.  All these places are in the vicinity of Jerusalem.  It is likely that all these localities are included, and that a line of encamped armies will extend from Megiddon on the North­west to Bozrah on the South‑east.  This line would extend

 

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just 1600 furlongs, the exact distance to which the blood will flow after the battle (Rev. 14:20).  In this valley, then, will the armies of the assembled nations lie, intent and confident in that which they are about to undertake, not knowing that they are now in the great winepress of God’s wrath.”  Multi­tudes, multitudes in the valley of threshing; for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of threshing.”—Joel 3: 14. (Margin.)  Army after army is there.  The kings, the noblemen, and the great men of the earth are there.  The False Prophet is there.  Antichrist is there.  All of these are gathered into a great slaughter pen.

Next occurs a great earthquake, “Such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake and so great. . . . And great Babylon came into remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath.”—Rev. 16: 18, 19.  Then a mighty angel came to the earth, “And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habi­tation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.”—Rev. 18: 2.  God then calls His people (probably Jews) to come out of Babylon lest they be partakers of her plagues (Rev. 18: 4).  Then comes the final overthrow of the city.  The nations assembled in the valley of Jehosaphat are spectators of the catastrophe.  We find the description of Babylon’s fall in Rev. 18.  Let us notice it.

The spectators are of three classes: 1st, kings; 2nd, mer­chants; 3rd, ship‑makers, sea‑goers, those who trade by sea, with all their helpers and crews.  The city is said to contain merchandise of the most precious and costly things of earth (Rev. 18: 12‑14).  It is stated that the city will be thrown down with violence, and that her judgment will come in one hour (Rev. 18: 19, 21).  The means by which her destruction is accomplished is made clear.  While the ten kings seem to be the ones who set the city on fire, yet they are only the istru­-

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ments used by the Lord in bringing about the catastrophe. “For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil His will.”

     “The vale of Siddim (near Sodom and Gomorrah) was full of slimepits.”—Gen. 14: 10.  When “The Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven; and he overthrew those cities, and all the plain and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground;” the fire ignited the oil springs, petroleum, slime­pits, and bituminous wells, so that “all the land of the plain glowed and burned as a furnace.”  In the place where these cities stood, there is nothing left but a Dead Sea and everlasting desolation.  The prophecy is that Babylon is to be destroyed in like manner.  Has this prophecy ever been fulfilled?  No, indeed.  It relates to the Babylon of the last days.

The land about Babylon is full of bitumen.  When Nimrod began to build that city, he did not use clay, but slime for mortar (Gen. 11: 3).  All the ground about this place is full of inflammable material.

Now we are prepared to understand the nature of the final destruction of Great Babylon.  First, her waters dry up (Rev. 16: 12), as was prophesied by Jeremiah, “I will dry up her sea, and make her springs dry.”—Jer. 51: 36.  As a conse­quence of the drying up of the waters comes death, desolation, mourning and famine (Jer. 51: 37‑39).  Then comes the fire.  It runs over her, around her, and under her, burning the parched and pitchy soil, “And sinking the whole region into a charred and igneous desolation, never again to be inhabited.”  “And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great mill stone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city of Babylon be thrown down.”  Sodom and Gomorrah sank into a sea, so likewise will Babylon be sunk into a sea.

After these things, heaven opens; and lo! the Mighty Con­queror is seen riding down from the Marriage Supper (Rev. 19: 9) on a white horse, followed by the blood‑washed throngs.  (Rev. 19: 11‑16).  This is the time when “He cometh with

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clouds; and every eye shall see him. . . . and all kindreds of the earth (forces of Antichrist) shall wail because of him.”— Rev. 1: 7.  “Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed.”—Jude 14, 15.  This will be the great and notable day of the Lord, mentioned in so many places in the Word.  Dr. Seiss vividly describes the battle as follows:

“The Great Conqueror bows the heavens and comes down.  He rides upon the cherub horse, and flies upon the wings of the wind.  Smoke goes up from his nostrils, and devouring fire out of his mouth.  He moves amid storms and darkness, from which the lightnings hurl their bolts, and hail‑stones mingled with the fire.  He roars out of Zion and utters his voice from Jerusalem, till the heavens and the earth shake.  He dashes forth in the fury of his incensed greatness amid clouds, and fire, and pillars of smoke.  The mountains melt and cleave asunder at His presence.  The hills bound from their seats and skip like lambs.  The waters are dislodged from their channels.  The sea rolls back with howling trepidation.  The sky is rent, and folds upon itself like a collapsed tent.”

The great judgment touches the leader first.  Antichrist is taken.  He is not slain, he does not die, for he, being in the resurrected body, is incapable of corporeal death.  Likewise, the False Prophet is taken, not slain.  The armies of the earth are “slain with the sword,” and all the fowls of the air are; “filled with their flesh.”  Antichrist and the False Prophet are cast into “the lake of fire burning with brimstone.”  Thus the last earthly kingdom goes down, never to rise again, and the great head of all earthly sovereignties meets his final doom.