Mark of the Beast may be only 2 1/2 years away

[Esaias]

The
Identity
of the
Biblical ANTICHRIST
REVEALED

...

For a little over 100 years, many professing Christians have thought the identity of antichrist was a "mystery". The only real mystery though is how anyone can be familiar with their Bible and NOT know the identity of antichrist! The Bible never refers to antichrist as a "mystery". It plainly identifies antichrist.

Here are all the Bible passages about antichrist:

1st John 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

1st John 2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.

1st John 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

2nd John 1:7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist

.

That's it! Four verses, all in John's epistles. Let's see if we can follow the Scriptures to identify the BIBLICAL antichrist. Because let's be honest, Hal Lindsey's antichrist or TBN's antichrist or Tim Cohen's antichrist or Hollywood's antichrist are irrelevant. The only thing that matters here is the Biblical antichrist.

1. The Christians in John's circle of influence had been told that something called "antichrist" was coming.

2. When John wrote to them, he plainly said that many antichrists HAD ALREADY ARRIVED. So, the "coming antichrist" had already showed up in the latter part of the 1st century AD. The coming of antichrist heralded the last time, and John said it was already the last time, in the latter part of the 1st century AD, proven by the arrival of the many antichrists.

3. John said there were MANY antichrists. There is no "singular antichrist" or "THE Antichrist" according to the Bible. Rather, there are MANY antichrists. So antichrist is not a single individual, but many individuals.

4. ANYONE who denies that Jesus is the Christ is antichrist. This means all Jews, atheists, and anyone else who denies that Jesus is in fact the Christ are the BIBLICAL ANTICHRISTS.

5. When ANY person prophesies, or speaks "under the anointing", or teaches, and yet denies that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is speaking from the spirit of antichrist. Which means the person so speaking is in fact the Biblical antichrist.

6. The "antichrist that should come" in the first passage is defined in the third passage as the "spirit of antichrist" speaking through these antichrist teachers. So the antichrist that the early Christians had been told was to come is NOT some individual person, but a SPIRIT that would propagate via Christ-denying DOCTRINE. The "coming antichrist" is "the spirit of antichrist", not some individual world leader or persona.

7. That spirit of antichrist, that antichrist to come, was ALREADY loose, had already arrived, when John wrote his epistle toward the end of the 1st century AD. Anyone today claiming "antichrist is soon to make his appearance" is Biblically illiterate, or else teaching heresy, because the APOSTLE already declared 2000 years ago that antichrist had arrived.

8. Those who do not confess Jesus Christ is come in the flesh are deceivers and antichrists. There are many of them already in the world, therefore antichrist is both plural, and already present on the scene, and has been for 2000 years.

9. What does it mean to confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh? Many think this is some kind of antidote to some weird gnostic teaching that Jesus only appeared to be human, or only seemed to be material and "in the flesh". But is that the case?

While it is true that anyone claiming Jesus Christ did not come "in the flesh" as a bona fide human being is obviously a heretic, and likely antichrist, yet that is not what John actually said. He is talking about those who AT THE TIME do not confess that Jesus Christ IS come in the flesh. Now think about it: Jesus Christ DID (or "was") come in the flesh, in consideration of the incarnation and His earthly life and ministry. But John is not talking PAST tense, but PRESENT tense!

What does it mean that, PRESENTLY, Jesus Christ IS (presently) "come in the flesh"? It means that Jesus Christ IS PRESENTLY "arrived" or "on the scene" IN THE FLESH. Consider that Jesus Christ did not incarnate. Rather, GOD incarnated. The term Christ means the Anointed One, it is a title applied to Jesus in recognition of His role both as son of David and heir to the throne, and His role as Priest according to the order of Melchizedek. The term Christ implies that incarnation HAS ALREADY HAPPENED. The MAN did not incarnate, that doesn't even make any sense. To incarnate means someone who is NOT human becomes human. So the very name Jesus Christ includes within itself the idea of God incarnating in flesh. So how does a MAN (who is ALREADY in the flesh) then COME IN THE FLESH?

John is referring to the identity of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is JESUS CHRIST COME IN THE FLESH. That is to say, the Holy Ghost who is presently PRESENT in the Church is none other than JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF. John is not talking about some doctrine concerning the PAST, but about the PRESENT. The only way Jesus Christ (you know, the Man From Galilee, the Son of God, the Son of David) can NOW BE COME IN THE FLESH is by the indwelling of the Holy Ghost. Because the Holy Ghost in you is CHRIST IN YOU. It is Jesus Christ "incarnated" IN YOUR FLESH, your human nature. You as a flesh and blood person having within you the very presence of JESUS CHRIST, that is what being indwelled by the Holy Ghost is all about.

John's teaching essentially identifies not only all atheist, Jewish, and other non-Christian teachers as deceivers and antichrists, but also anyone who denies that the Holy Ghost is in reality JESUS CHRIST. Sad news for trinitarians and other "-initarians". Anyone who teaches that Christians receive the indwelling of someone or something else other than Jesus Christ Himself (like those who teach that Jesus is only in Heaven while we get a third person of some divine squad coming to dwell in us) is a deceiver and an antichrist.

So, from all this, can we say King Charles, or Obama, or Trump, or what's-his-name the King of Spain, or Gorbachev, or some other popularly known figure is "antichrist"? I don't know. Is the person a teacher that teaches Jesus is not the Christ? Is he a teacher that denies Jesus Christ is currently in the flesh of His people? I don't know. Maybe. Maybe not. In any event, the Bible identifies antichrist, and using the Bible we can identify exactly who antichrist is. Or rather, who the antichrists ARE, because again, the Bible teaches MULTIPLE ANTICHRISTS.

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by Esaias

The
Identity
of the
Biblical ANTICHRIST
REVEALED

...

Which means all these churches and all these professing Christians who support the modern state of Israel "because they are God's chosen people" are literally IN LEAGUE WITH THE ANTICHRIST.

Does that shock you? Did you not expect the last days to be days of massive deception? When satan's sycophants would put on quite the show of being God's holy saints?

John 16:2 KJV
They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.


Did anyone really expect the antichrist to look like Doctor Evil or something?

[coksiw]

Originally Posted by Esaias

Which means all these churches and all these professing Christians who support the modern state of Israel "because they are God's chosen people" are literally IN LEAGUE WITH THE ANTICHRIST.

Does that shock you? Did you not expect the last days to be days of massive deception? When satan's sycophants would put on quite the show of being God's holy saints?

John 16:2 KJV
They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.


Did anyone really expect the antichrist to look like Doctor Evil or something?

That's the one million dollar question

I was always convinced that the antichrist was going to be a very strong temptation to join. Otherwise, it wouldn't be such a deception that would deceive even some elect.

22..For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
NKJV Mk 13:21–22.

[Esaias]

And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
(Rev 13:11-18)

I'm going to make a few observations here:

1. The mark is instituted by the SECOND beast, not the first beast.

2. The first beast is generally understood by most if not all historicists as representing the Roman Empire, or at least the Roman political/secular system.

3. The second beast has "two horns like a lamb", thus indicating a certain "lamb-like quality" to it. The lamb, in the Revelation, is Christ. The second beast then appears to be a sort of substitute Christ, a counterfeit, or what claims to represent Christ. Yet it "speaks as a dragon". Now, what this particularly refers to, this speaking like a dragon, I am not really getting into at the moment, but I think it is important to notice that most historicist commentators have simply assumed what a "dragon" would speak like. Or else based their ideas on medieval and Renaissance European folklore. I would simply remark that "dragon" in Scripture may not be exactly synonymous with the "dragon" of medieval folklore.

4. In any event let's look at "the mark". The mark is a sign or token, placed upon individuals, identifying them as belonging to the beast. It is placed in the right hand or in the forehead. It is distributed to all classes of persons, excepting none. It is accompanied with an ability to "buy and sell", that is, to carry on mercantile activities or trade or "business". Failure to have the mark results in an inability to buy or sell, that is, to carry on business or trade. It is identified with a name, and a number. The name and the number signify the beast, and the mark (being a representation of ownership by and allegiance to the beast) therefore is a symbol or sign of that name and number. In other words, the mark, the name of the beast, and the number of the beast are all connected, signifying the same basic thing - submission to the beast. There is however a distinction between the mark, the name, and the number: "...save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name." They all signify the same essential thing, yet they are each distinct in themselves. A person might have the mark, OR the name, OR the number of the beast.

5. The mark is connected with worship:

And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
(Rev 13:4-8)

And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
(Rev 13:12-15)

So, in summary, we have an essentially religious system being put in place, which ostracises from society, and which persecutes and even kills those who refuse to participate in it. It is a worship not only of a created "image of the (first) beast", but is also worship of that first beast itself, and in fact is worship of the dragon. This worship is primarily characterised by fear, and a sense that the object(s) of worship here is/are "unbeatable", that nobody "can make war" with them. In other words, the worship essentially consists in being resigned to the belief that resistance is futile and ineffective. This worship and obedience/allegiance is symbolised by a mark in the right hand or forehead.

Now, this is in contrast to another mark that has already been mentioned in the Revelation:

And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
(Rev 7:1-4)

And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.
(Rev 14:1)

Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
(Rev 3:12)

There are two marks in the Revelation, one identifying the servants of God and of the Lamb, and the other identifying the servants of the beast and of the dragon.

We read something very similar in Ezekiel:

And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.
(Eze 9:4-6)

In Ezekiel, a symbolic mark was placed upon those who were faithful to God and who were not in agreement with the corruption that had befallen the nation. The judgment of death that was to go through the city was to pass over those who had been marked as belonging to God. In Revelation, the same basic concept is presented, the plagues are stayed until the servants of God are marked, and thus the plagues fall upon those not so marked (as in Ezekiel).

Both marks are said to be in the forehead, although the mark of the beast can also be in the right hand. What does this signify?

Scripturally, the right hand symbolises power and activity. Christ on the right hand of God means Christ is the agent through which God operates, through whom His power is active and accomplishing things. Therefore, the right hand symbolises action and activity.

The forehead is the place in the front of the face, between the eyes. What is on the forehead represents that which is "before one's eyes", ie that which is always in remembrance and in thought, that which is in one's plain sight, and thus signifies thinking and belief and awareness and knowledge. Especially as it relates to the motives and direction one takes in life (ie one's choices):

I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.
(Psa 101:3)

So what we are seeing in the Revelation is a dichotomy, a comparison between two rival systems of worship and allegiance. God has marked His servants, and the beast has marked his.

We should keep in mind that John's vision is just that - a vision. He is seeing spiritual truths communicated to him via symbols. We should not expect a literal physical mark placed upon people's hands or foreheads, anymore than we should expect God's servants to have a literal physical mark placed upon them, or that there should be a literal seven headed monster rising from the Mediterranean Sea, followed by a large monster with lamb horns rising from the earth. Just as the beasts represent certain things, so do the marks.

(cont in next post)

[Amanah]

As far as all prophecies being fulfilled, the resurrection and millennial reign has not yet happened.

We are still waiting for the millennial reign for even though Ephesians 1 tells us all things are under Jesus feet, we have not yet been resurrected to rule and reign with Jesus.

Hebrews tells us not everything is in subjection.

Hebrews 2:
6 It has been testified somewhere, "What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him?
7 You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor,
8 putting everything in subjection under his feet."Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him.

[Nicodemus1968]

Originally Posted by Amanah

As far as all prophecies being fulfilled, the resurrection and millennial reign has not yet happened.

We are still waiting for the millennial reign for even though Ephesians 1 tells us all things are under Jesus feet, we have not yet been resurrected to rule and reign with Jesus.

Hebrews tells us not everything is in subjection.

Hebrews 2:
6 It has been testified somewhere, "What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him?
7 You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor,
8 putting everything in subjection under his feet."Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him.

Sis, you're talking about the 1000 year reign. What about....

Dueteronomy 7:9
"Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations."

Its beens said a generation is 30 or 40 years, that would mean his mercy to his followers could 30-40 thousand years. The 1000 year reign looks mighty small compared to a 1000 generations.

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by Nicodemus1968

Sis, you're talking about the 1000 year reign. What about....

Dueteronomy 7:9
"Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations."

Its beens said a generation is 30 or 40 years, that would mean his mercy to his followers could 30-40 thousand years. The 1000 year reign looks mighty small compared to a 1000 generations.

Is the thousand generations strictly literal? Or does it not mean "a very large number of generations", or in other words, for a LOOOOOOONG time?

Would that not also be the implication of the thousand years? Revelation has numerous time statements - 1260 days, 42 months, 5 months, 10 days, an hour... and "the thousand years". Which seems to imply that the thousand years represents a time period vastly exceeding the previously mentioned time periods.

In other words, "a mighty long time".

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by BroGary

Thought that you all might appreciate being aware of this urgent alert -

Why I Think the Mark of the Beast may be only 2 1/2 years away
Prophecy Newsbreak May 18, 2022
(Ken Raggio)

8 months to go?

[Nicodemus1968]

Originally Posted by Esaias

8 months to go?

We're 4 years away from 40th anniversary of "88 reasons why God is coming back in 1988!"

[Evang.Benincasa]

Originally Posted by Esaias

8 months to go?

What happens in 8 months?