A Description of the Antichrist - By Darryl Eberhart

I got this from my friend Greg Bentley of bereanbeacon.org in PDF format. Because the entire file is filled with italic font, bold letters, and underlined words, I thought it would be cool to post it without any emphasis at all. That way the Holy Spirit will put emphasis on what He wants to impress you with! What do you think? If you like, you can download and read the original article with all the emphasis.

“A Description of the Antichrist” [Note: Permission is given to copy.]

Prepared by Darryl Eberhart, Editor of ETI & TTT Newsletters // Website: www.toughissues.org A 2-Page Handout about the Antichrist // All emphasis is mine unless otherwise stated. // January 3, 2011

Many individuals have failed in their attempts to “pin the tail” on the “end-time” Antichrist. During World War II, some believed that Adolf Hitler or Benito Mussolini was the Antichrist. In more recent times, some have “nominated” the following “candidates” for the title of end-time Antichrist: Ronald Wilson Reagan, Henry Kissinger, Mikhail Gorbachev, Prince Charles, Juan Carlos of Spain, etc. Some folks have gone to great efforts – such as writing a book – to prove that their “candidate” must surely be the end-time Antichrist!

But why all of this guessing and speculating on the identity of the man whom these folks believe must surely be the end-time Antichrist, when the Holy Bible clearly identifies “the Antichrist”. Author and former Dominican priest of 22 years, Richard Bennett (Internet website: www.bereanbeacon.org), tells us:

“It [Ed.: i.e., the identity of the Antichrist] is proclaimed in Second Thessalonians [Ed.: Chapter] 2 as BOTH a system AND a person: the ‘man of sin’ and the one who would sit in the ‘temple [Ed.: Greek: “naos”] of God’ calling himself God. And the only one in the pages of history who has done this is the Pope. [Ed.: Every time the Apostle Paul used the Greek word “naos” for “temple” in his epistles – his letters – found in the New Testament, he always applied that Greek word “naos” to the body of believers in Christ – and not to a physical temple or building!] To this day the Pope calls himself ‘the holy father’, which is a title of God [Ed.: i.e., God the Father]; and he calls himself the ‘Vicar of Christ’, which is a title of the Holy Spirit [Ed.: of God]. So he [Ed.: i.e. the Pope] sits in the ‘temple of God’ [Ed: i.e., the body of believers], calling himself God…

Now the Bible believers [Ed.: of old] saw these things, and they saw that it was historically true [Ed.: that the Papacy had fulfilled the Bible prophecies concerning the Antichrist and the whore of Revelation] – unlike many Bible believers of our own day, who say they do not know who the Antichrist is – and they are looking for something to come in the future times whereby they will get implanted with a computer chip or something in their brain or some other of these wild ideas that go around. Whereby in the pages of Scripture we see these things prophesied [Ed.: about the Antichrist and the whore of Revelation], and we see them fulfilled [Ed.: in the Papacy].

…In those days [Ed.: i.e., in earlier centuries] the [Ed.: Roman Catholic] cardinals wore scarlet and [Ed.: the Roman Catholic] bishops [Ed.: wore] purple. And to this day the Roman [Ed.: Catholic] Church still boasts these two colors [Ed.: i.e., scarlet and purple, respectively, for her cardinals and bishops].

…[Ed.: These are] the real colors of [Ed.: Papal] Rome, and this is what was prophesized of her. And that’s only one of the [Ed.: prophesized] details. She [Ed.: i.e., Papal Rome] holds the golden cup [Ed.: in her hand]. She is the only system that has drunk the blood of the saints over such a long period of time. [Ed.: The monstrous “holy” Inquisition was carried out for over six centuries, and it was responsible for the murder of up to 50 million Bible-believing Christians!] This is fact! It is not something that is surmised. This can be verified on the pages of history.” (Quote is from the DVD, “The Inquisition: 605 Years of Papal Torture and Death”.)

Most of these speculators on the end-time Antichrist fail in their “identification mission” because they fail to see that the Holy Scriptures describe the Antichrist as a “man”, as an “office”, as a “religious system”, and as a “religious-secular power”. The Holy Bible gives us numerous clues as to the identity of the Antichrist through its use of such terms as the “little (or, other) horn” (Daniel 7:8, 20-21, and 24-26); “that man of sin” (II Thessalonians 2:3); “the son of perdition” (II Thessalonians 2:3); “the number of the beast” (Revelation 13:18); “the number of a man” (i.e., six hundred and sixty-six: Revelation 13:18); “the great whore” (Revelation 17:1, 15-16; and 19:2); the “mother of harlots” (Revelation 17:5); “Babylon” (Revelation 14:8; and 16:19); “Babylon the Great” (Revelation 17:5 and 18:2); “that great (or, mighty) city” (Revelation 14:8; and 18:10 and 21); and, by the term “Antichrist” itself (I John 2:18 and 22; I John 4:3; and II John 7).

Additionally, the Bible at times uses the term “beast” figuratively to refer to a “kingdom” or to an “empire”, for example: Daniel 7:7, 19, and 23; Revelation 13:1-8, and 11-18; 14:9 and 11; 15:2; 16:2, 10, and 13; 17:3, 7-8, 11-13, and 16-17; 19:19 and 20; and 20:4 and 10.

Obviously Papal Rome is not being referred to in ALL of the uses of the term “beast” mentioned in the previous paragraph. (Remember, the term “beast” is often used in the Bible to figuratively represent a “kingdom” or an “empire”.) SOME of the “beasts” mentioned in Daniel (chapters 7 and 8), and in Revelation (esp. chapters 13 through 17) obviously refer to kingdoms and empires that preceded Rome. HOWEVER, one of the four “beasts” described in the book of Revelation is clearly the Pagan Imperial Roman Empire, from whose “ashes” the proverbial “phoenix”, called the Papacy (i.e., the “little horn” of Daniel chapter 7), arose!

Here are two other major mistakes made by those who are trying to identify the “end-time” Antichrist:

1. Many of them fail to understand that the Roman Empire had at least two major phases: (a.) the PAGAN Imperial Roman Empire (which was later divided into Eastern and Western sections); and, (b.) the PAPAL “Holy” Roman Empire – a secular-ecclesiastical power (under the leadership of the Bishop of Rome – later called the Pope), which arose like the proverbial “phoenix” from the “ashes” of the Western portion of the PAGAN Imperial Roman Empire, and which eventually came to be called “PAPAL Rome”.

2. Many of them apparently fail to recognize the fact that Papal Rome is not strictly and simply a “religious” power. For many centuries Papal Rome was BOTH a religious power AND a secular power. The pope was not only the religious ruler of Western Christendom, but he was also the secular ruler – and the sovereign – of his own Papal States. Additionally, for over 1000 years the popes “ruled over” the “kings of the Earth”, crowning and dethroning European kings and emperors whenever they, for the most part, desired! Indeed, Papal Rome despotically ruled the European continent for over a thousand years! The Holy Bible also clearly shows that Papal Rome is a religious harlot/whore who is riding a “beast” (a figure of a “kingdom” or “empire”, or a composite kingdom or empire), steering that “beast” in whatever direction she desires!

To this very day the Pope is BOTH a religious ruler AND a secular ruler (i.e., ruling over Vatican City – the Vatican State – a geopolitical entity that has diplomatic relations with many of the nations of the world)! As BOTH a secular AND religious power, the Papacy can easily be found in the Holy Bible as BOTH a geopolitical “beast” (i.e., a “kingdom”) AND as a religious “whore” or “harlot”, i.e., counterfeit Christianity!

Please carefully consider the following two quotations:

“The word ‘antichrist’ literally means ‘opposed to’ or ‘in the place of’ Christ, and in its most subtle and diabolical manifestation it concerns something which [Ed.: or someone who] claims loyalty to Jesus [Ed.: Christ] while really leading away from Him.” – Steve Wohlberg (“End Time DELUSIONS: The Rapture, the Antichrist, Israel, and the End of the World”; Publisher: Treasure House; 2004; Page 89)

“Specifically, Hell’s Harlot [Ed.: as described in Revelation] has these identifiable characteristics:

[1.] She is a ‘Mother’ [Ed.: The Roman Catholic Church claims to be the mother Church.] (Revelation 17:5)

[2.] She has harlot daughters [Ed.: i.e., the Protestant denominations] (Rev. 17:5)

[3.] She sits on ‘seven mountains’ [Ed.: Rome is the famous city sitting on seven hills.] (Rev. 17:9)

[4.] Her colors are ‘purple and scarlet’ [Ed.: the colors of Roman Catholic bishops and cardinals] (Rev. 17:4)

[5.] She is extremely wealthy with lots of ‘gold’ [Ed.: Indeed, Papal Rome has “lots” of gold.] (Rev. 17:4)

[6.] She is ‘drunk with the blood of the saints’ [Ed.: via her “Holy” Inquisition, crusades, etc.] (Rev. 17:6)

[7.] She is a ‘great city’ [Ed.: i.e., Rome] (Rev. 17:18)

[8.] She has ruled ‘over the kings of the earth’ [Ed.: Popes ruled Europe for over 1000 years!] (Rev. 17:18)

[9.] She intoxicates ‘all nations’ with her ‘wine’ [Ed.: i.e., her doctrine] (Rev. 14:8)

[10.] Many of God’s own people are still inside of her (Rev. 18:4)” – Steve Wohlberg (“End Time DELUSIONS: The Rapture, the Antichrist, Israel, and the End of the World”; Treasure House; 2004; Page 186)

If a person carefully examines the book of Revelation (especially chapters 13 through 18), the book of Daniel (especially the “little horn” in chapter 7), the comments of the Apostle Paul concerning the “man of sin” and the “son of perdition”, the comments of the Apostle John concerning the “antichrist”, and the true history of Papal Rome, then how can that person come to any other conclusion than that Papal Rome is that murderous religious “harlot” and antichrist system that is clearly described on the pages of Holy Scripture?