ANTICHRIST

by

David W. Dyer

“A GRAIN OF WHEAT” MINISTRIES

PUBLICATION
 This book is an enlargement of a
booklet first published by this author
in 1980 entitled:

Concerning the Antichrist

and His Soon Arising
 ANTICHRIST
“...in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a
man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.”
(Dan 7:8)

David W. Dyer

First Printing 2005

Second Printing 2014

Unless otherwise indicated, all quotations are

from the New King James version of the Bible.

More copies available without cost from:

www.agrainofwheat.com

Author’s email
davidwdyer@yahoo.com
 AN OBSERVATION

Many believers today confess that they

don’t understand Bible prophecy. At the same
time most also admit that they never read it.
This becomes a kind of vicious circle. We don’t
read it because we don’t understand it and we
don’t understand it because we don’t read it.
If we do not meditate on the scriptures, it is
almost certain that God cannot reveal to us
what it means. If we do not familiarize our-
selves with the prophetic passages, it is virtual-
ly impossible for Him to enlighten us about
them.
But there is a simple solution for this. When
we have our times of daily meditation in the
scriptures, we should include the prophetic
passages. Although we may not understand
them very well, at least we will become familiar
with the verses.
With the passage of time and the unfolding
of events, we will find that God begins to speak
to us about these passages as He does with the
other parts of the Bible. Soon, we will discover
that our understanding of them begins to be
fruitful.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. THE PROPHECIES
PART I: THE RAM AND THE GOAT . . . 9
PART II: A HISTORICAL PROPHECY . . 16
PART III: THE FOUR BEASTS . . . . . 24
PART IV: NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S IMAGE . 41

2. THE ANTICHRIST . . . . . . . . . 47

3. “ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT” . . . 68

4. GOD’S TIMETABLE . . . . . . . . . 83

5. BABYLON . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

6. WAR ON THE SAINTS . . . . . . . 111

7. THE MARK OF THE BEAST . . . . . 125

8. PERSECUTION . . . . . . . . . . 141

9. IMPORTANT SIGNS . . . . . . . . 153

10. WORTHY TO ESCAPE . . . . . . . 162

 PREFACE

In this book, we are going to be investigat-

ing the persons and events which surround the
end of this age. Possibly many of the ideas pre-
sented here may seem new or different from
what you have heard in the past. With this in
mind, this author would like to make one
request: Please do not simply react emotionally
to these things. Do not shut your spiritual eyes
and your mind.
Instead, search the scriptures for your-
selves. Read and reread the Bible passages.
Become familiar with them. There is no need to
take my word for anything. Weigh what is said
here for yourself. Open God’s word and open
your spirit to Him and allow Him to show you
whatever it is that you need to see.
As we approach the end of this age, it seems
logical that the Lord would be unveiling more
and more for us to understand. No doubt, as we
see the day approaching these things will
become clearer and clearer.
However, much prophetic revelation is
understood with complete clarity only after all
the events unfold or as they are unfolding. For
example, many of the prophecies concerning
the coming Messiah were understood only as
they were happening or even after His death.
Therefore, although we may be able to perceive
some of what will occur beforehand, no one
will ever have a complete understanding, in
every detail, of all future events.
Certainly God will show His servants many
things which are going to come to pass. How-
ever, the full comprehension will inevitably
come only after the fact.
As in any discussion of the future, this
author will from time to time indulge in some
conjecture. It is almost inevitable that as we
read the prophetic scriptures, we try to imagine
how they might fit into our present world situ-
ation. The result is that there is always some
degree of guesswork involved.
When what is being written is not certain or
when there is some degree of speculation being
expressed, I will indicate this by using words
such as “possibly,” “it could be,” “perhaps,”
etc. The reader must realize that when such
words are used, the author is making a kind of
educated guess about the future. Such specula-
tion should not be taken as fact.
I will make every attempt in this writing to
plainly state when the biblical record is quite
clear and when some degree of imagination is
being employed.

D.W.D.
 1.

THE PROPHECIES

PART I:

THE RAM AND THE GOAT

A number of years ago, I had a conversation

with a young woman. She, perhaps because we
had been talking about England, began telling
me about her father. Her father had been a
judge. Not long before, he had lost his wife, I
believe to cancer. He had recently retired from
the bench and decided to make a trip to visit
England, perhaps to distract his mind from his
recent loss.
There, while stepping off the curb, he
looked to the left as he usually did to check for
traffic. Seeing nothing, he proceeded into the
street where he was struck and killed by a bus
coming from the other direction.
You see, he was looking the wrong way.
Consequently, he was blind-sided. He was
9
looking left as he would have in the U.S. but not
right, as he should have done in England. The
reason for this is that the traffic in England trav-
els on the left and not the right side of the road.
Now there is a little spiritual lesson here.
Many Christians are in danger of being blind-
sided by the coming of the Antichrist and end-
time events. Why? It is because they are looking
in the wrong direction. Due to the teachings
they have received, they are focused on certain
events coming together to fulfill some prophet-
ic scriptures. But many of these teachings
appear to be mistaken. There is every possibili-
ty that these believers have been misinformed
and therefore misdirected.
Many are looking today for a “revived
Roman Empire” which will rise up to be the
kingdom of the Antichrist. Others believe that
there soon will be a “one world government”
perhaps with the U.N. taking over the world.
Still others think that the Antichrist will be a
backslidden Christian or former Jew. Many
seem to think that some kind of microchip will
be the mark of the beast. Yet as we take a care-
ful look at the prophecies concerning these
things, an entirely different picture emerges.
This book is an attempt to provide a new
viewpoint concerning the end times. Here we
will investigate from the scriptures the exact
location from which the Antichrist must arise.
Then we will look at precisely where his ten

10
kings and their kingdoms will be located. This
then will enable believers to look in the right
direction and not be taken by surprise when
these events begin to unfold.
In the church today, there is much confu-
sion and speculation about the future Man of
Sin. However, many of the scriptures concern-
ing him and his soon arising are quite clear and
easy to understand. These things are not as
mysterious and difficult as they may seem.
As we investigate together some Old and
New Testament prophecies, please do not be
intimidated by them. At first the imagery of
beasts, horns, etc. can seem a little daunting.
However, the Bible uses these images in a con-
sistent, logical manner throughout its pages.
In many cases they are almost as simple as a
children’s story, using pictures and figures such
as animals to explain the future. Once you
understand how these figures are used to typi-
fy certain kingdoms and leaders, everything
will be quite easy to understand. Although this
author does not claim to understand every
detail of every verse, the truths which we will
be looking at together are quite uncomplicated.

FROM WHERE DOES

ANTICHRIST COME?

The first thing which is strikingly clear as

we read the prophecies in the book of Daniel, is

11
where the Antichrist originates. He arises in the
Middle East. That is correct. The Antichrist does
not come from Rome, or from Europe or any
other area of the globe, but clearly arises from
the Middle East.
Please remember this fact, because it is an
important key for us to understand the events
which will unfold at the end of this age. We are
now going to look at the scriptures which teach
us this truth. If you are not intimately familiar
with them, you may find the following discus-
sion easier to understand if you take a moment
and read Daniel chapter 8 at this time.
The place of origin of the Antichrist is per-
haps most evident in the vision which we find
in Daniel chapter 8. This vision concerns two
animals: a ram which has two horns and a male
goat which has one big horn. In this vision, the
male goat attacks the ram and destroys him.
An angel explains to Daniel what these two
animals represent. He says, “The ram which
you saw, having the two horns – they are the
kings of Media and Persia” (Dan 8:20). So the
ram is the Media-Persian empire and the two
horns represent the two leaders of this empire.
This is the empire which conquered Babylon in
the days of Daniel (Dan 5:30,31).
The goat represents the empire of
Alexander the Great. The angel explains, “And
the male goat is the kingdom of Greece. The
large horn that is between its eyes is the first

12
king” (Dan 8:21). It is an historical fact that
Alexander the Great conquered the Media-
Persian empire. This then is the fulfillment of
this prophetic vision from the book of Daniel,
i.e. the male goat destroying the ram. This is
very simple and easy to understand.
Alexander’s kingdom was based in Greece.
From Greece, his kingdom spread east, through
what today is known as Turkey, Iraq, Iran,
Afghanistan – all the way to India. He also con-
quered to the south, encompassing the Middle
East and Egypt. It is worth noting here that
Alexander’s kingdom included very little of
modern-day Europe. The extent of Alexander’s
empire can be seen from the map included here.

ALEXANDER’S EMPIRE

Later in this vision it is revealed what

would happen to Alexander. He established a
tremendous empire, stretching from Greece to
India and down to Egypt, but then what hap-
pens? We see in the prophecy that the large

13
horn on the goat, representing Alexander, is
broken. This occurs after he becomes “very
great” and “strong” (Dan 8:8). In the place of
this one horn on the goat, four other horns
appear. What could this mean? This too has a
very logical and simple interpretation.
It is a historical fact that Alexander died
suddenly at the peak of his power. How he died
is still debated, whether it was in a drunken fit
or from some accident or poison is not certain.
We will probably only know this later on. But
the important thing here is that he died abrupt-
ly. After his death, his empire was divided
among four of his generals.
This too the Bible predicts by saying: “...the
large horn was broken, and in place of it four
notable ones [horns] came up towards the four
winds of heaven” (Dan 8:8). The four horns
here represent these four new leaders. So we
are informed by Daniel’s prophecy of some
events which now have become history.
Let us take a minute and do a brief summa-
ry. First we are told about the Media-Persian
empire (the “ram”). Then we are shown that it
will be destroyed by Alexander the leader of
Greece (the male goat). Next, we are told that
Alexander would die suddenly and his king-
dom would be divided into four parts which
we now know were led by four of his generals.
Why does this ancient history matter to us?
The reason is that it shows us clearly where the

14
Antichrist will come from. He will arise from
the territory of one of these four generals.
Please pay careful attention to this. The
Antichrist will come from one of the parts of
Alexander’s empire. We know this because of
the scripture which says, “...out of one of them
[referring to the four horns] came a little horn
which grew exceeding great toward the south,
towards the east and towards the Glorious
Land [which probably means Israel]” (Dan 8:9).
In the scriptures, the Antichrist is often
referred to as a “horn” or “little horn” (Dan 8:9;
7:8, 11, 20, 21). It is clear that this “little horn” is
the Antichrist because of his activities which are
described in Daniel 8:10-13 and also in the vers-
es of chapter 7 which are listed above.
Here we are explicitly told that the “little
horn,” which represents the Antichrist, will
come from some part of the world which was in
Alexander’s Empire. He will come from the ter-
ritory of one of the four “horns.” This gives a
clear direction in which to look. The vision
which Daniel saw, does not focus upon Europe
but on parts of the globe which are “east” and
“south” of Greece, i.e. the Middle East.
This is quite a good clue. But God does not
leave us here to speculate, He defines even fur-
ther for us exactly from where the man of sin
will come. He gives us an even more explicit
prophecy which we will examine in the next
section.

15
 PART II:

A “HISTORICAL PROPHECY”

In the two chapters of Daniel we will study

here, God reveals to us in detail the place of ori-
gin of the Antichrist. He traces for us a lineage,
beginning again with the Medes and the
Persians and Alexander, through their succes-
sors, and finally to the Antichrist himself. Once
again, these things are quite simple to under-
stand. As we proceed we will see the amazing
precision with which God foretells the future.
The vision of chapters 10 and 11 of Daniel is
brought by a glorious angel in answer to
Daniel’s prayers (Dan 10:5,6). He was fasting
and praying for more understanding about
what the future would bring. God heard his
prayers and sent an angel to enlighten him. But
this messenger was delayed by an evil angel
“three full weeks” (Dan 10:2) or “twenty-one
days” (Dan 10:12,13).
It may be that the understanding of this
vision has been delayed for many in these days
also. But I believe that as we are approaching
the end of this age, God is opening up the scrip-
tures and wants to give His children under-
standing of what is coming upon us.

16
 In this vision, God focuses our attention
even more specifically upon just where the
Antichrist will arise. It begins with what for us
now is ancient history.
Simply repeating the last vision, it com-
mences by telling us about the future of the
Media-Persian Empire. This is where Daniel
was living at that time. Next, we are again told
about Alexander the Great (Dan 11:3) and of his
four generals who divide his empire (Dan 11:4).

PTOLEMY AND SELEUCUS

Then the vision focuses upon two of these

four generals. This part about the two generals
is new, so please follow along carefully. One
general is called the “King of the South” (Dan
11:5). Historically, this king was a general
named Ptolemy who assumed control of Egypt
after Alexander’s death. Since Egypt is south of
Israel, calling him the “King of the South”
makes perfect sense for an Israelite such as
Daniel.
The other king is “King of the North” (Dan
11:6). The general who took control of the area
north of Egypt was someone named Seleucus.
He took command of what today is known as
the Middle East.
As we go along, it will become clear that the
Antichrist arises out of the territory of one of
these two generals. Therefore, we have now

17
 KINGS KINGS
OF THE NORTH OF THE SOUTH

Seleucus I Nicator Ptolemy I Soter

312-281 B.C. 323-285 B.C.
(“one of his princes” vs 5) (“king of the South” vs 5)

Antiochus I Soter
281-261 B.C.
(not mentioned) Ptolemy II Philadelphus
285-246 B.C.
Antiochus I Theos (”king of South” vs 6)
261-246 B.C.
(“him who
strengthened her” vs 6)

Seleucus Callinicus Ptolemy III Euergetes

247-226 B.C. 246-221 B.C.
(“king of the North” vs 7) (“one shall arise in his
place” vs 7)
Seleucus III
226-223 B.C. & Ptolemy Philipator
Antiochus III The Great 221-203 B.C.
223-187 B.C. (“king of the South” vs 11)
(“his sons” vs 10)
Ptolemy V Epiphanes
Seleucus Philipator 203-? B.C.
187-175 B.C. (last “him” vs 17)
(“imposes taxes” vs 20)

Antiochus IV Epiphanes (succeeding “kings of

175-164 B.C. South not clear)
(verses 21-35?)

ANTICHRIST

18
narrowed down the area at which we must
look. Instead of the four horns, now we have
only two left. Which one of these horns is the
“one horn” will become clear as we proceed.
The next passages of this chapter deal with
the relationships between these two kings and
their successors. It is a history which covers sev-
eral hundred years and involves various rulers
who came after the “King of the North” and the
“King of the South.”
As you read this passage you will notice a
series of wars, intrigues, marriages, and interac-
tions between these two kingdoms. These are
historical events which were predicted before-
hand by God and, up until verse 35, have
already happened.
At left we have a chart of two of Alexan-
der’s generals and their successors. This should
help the reader have a more visual image of this
prophecy. This abbreviated list will give the
reader an idea of how and when all these events
took place. These kings are represented by two
of the four “horns” in Daniel 8:8.
It is not essential for everyone to remember
all these kings and their deeds in these two
columns. What is important is to realize that it
is the “Kings of the North” side which eventu-
ally gives rise to the Antichrist. This points us in
a very specific, clear direction.
If you are interested in a more detailed
study of this subject, I would like to recom-

19
mend to you a book entitled, Daniel, the Key to
Prophetic Revelation by John F. Walvoord, pub-
lished by Moody Press. According to Mr.
Walvoord, this vision of Daniel, chapter 11 up
until verse 35, contains 135 statements which
have already been literally fulfilled.

ANTIOCHUS IV EPIPHANES

Our investigation will now continue by

focusing on someone named Antiochus
Epiphanes. He is the last historical ruler on our
“King of the North” list. He is the last successor
of one of Alexander’s generals mentioned in the
Bible. Walvoord states: “The title Epiphanes,
meaning ‘glorious,’ was a title which Antiochus
gave himself, in keeping with his desire to be
regarded as god.”
This ruler is called a “vile person” (Dan
11:21). He was not a legitimate heir to the
throne of the Syrian kingdom. But it appears
that he was a very shrewd operator. He man-
aged to take control of the kingdom through
“intrigue.” Perhaps because of this he was not
given “the honor of royalty” (Dan 11:21). It
appears that Antiochus was power hungry,
sneaky, and violent. “Vile” seems to a very
accurate description of him.
After consolidating his power, he began to
persecute the Jewish people. He worked to
force them to change their laws, including stop-

20
ping their sacrifices. He is reported to have sac-
rificed a sow on their sacred altar in the temple
and even set up an idol there. This was an act of
desecration. The Jewish people regard pigs as
unclean. Also, their sacrifices were always done
with male animals. So the sacrifice of a female
pig was an attempt to pollute and dishonor the
Jewish religion.
This is the event which the Jews of that time
called “the abomination of desolation.” It seems
that Antiochus Epiphanes had a hatred for the
Jews. He tried to do whatever he could to
destroy their religion, including favoring any
who would turn their back on the law and work
along with him to defile the Jewish nation.

ANTIOCHUS – ANTICHRIST

Antiochus is important to us in our discus-

sion for the following reason. As this prophecy
in chapter 11 of Daniel progresses, Antiochus
morphs or changes into the Antichrist. Up until
a certain point, the prophecy is very easily ver-
ified historically. The different actions, wars,
etc. predicted by God through Daniel, actually
happened.
But around verse 35, a peculiar thing hap-
pens. The prophecy ceases to have any histori-
cal fulfillment. It seems as if the sacred writing
takes a great leap through history, from
Antiochus Ephiphanes to the Antichrist. It is as

21
if Antiochus “becomes” the Antichrist (in a
manner of speaking) during the prophecy.
It seems very clear that God is demonstrat-
ing for us something important. Our Lord is
showing us the exact location from which the
Antichrist will come. This “leap of history” is
not just some kind of prophetic accident.
Instead it is God’s way of revealing to us the
origin of the future enemy of His people. This
prophetic vision is a wonderful example of how
God shows His servants future events so that
they can be prepared.
There is no other logical reason for God to
spend so much time explaining to us, in such
detail, about the “Kings of the North” and their
activities. If this kingdom is of no importance to
us in understanding the origins of the coming
Antichrist, why would God dwell on this
theme? Why would Antiochus and the
Antichrist be connected in the scriptures in this
way?
Clearly, God is revealing to us the exact area
of the world from which the Antichrist will
arise. Beginning with the Babylonian Empire,
following on through the Media-Persian reign,
Alexander the Great, his four generals and their
successors right on down to Antiochus, the
Bible focuses us down to exactly the point of
origin of the Antichrist. Although this is ancient
history, it is really not very difficult to under-
stand.

22
 THE BEAST WHO “WAS AND IS NOT”

In the book of Revelation we also read about

the Antichrist, or the “Beast.” But here a myste-
rious fact is mentioned. It almost looks like this
antichrist figure has been on the earth before.
During the end times, this beast seems to be
resurrected from the bottomless pit. We read:
“The beast that you saw was, and is not, and
will ascend out of the bottomless pit and [then]
go to perdition. And those who dwell on the
earth will marvel, whose names are not written
in the Book of Life from the foundation of the
world, when they see the beast that was, and is
not, and yet is {or, shall be present}” (Rev 17:8).
It is possible that this beast which reappears
is Antiochus Epiphanes. Perhaps it is not the lit-
eral person. But just as John the Baptist came in
“the spirit and power of Elijah” (Lk 1:17), so too
the spirit of this “vile person” reappears again
to persecute God’s people.
Certainly the same spirit of hatred for and
persecution of God’s people that seemed to pos-
sess Antiochus will be upon the end-times
Beast. This would fit very well with what we
have been seeing about Antiochus “turning
into” the Antichrist in the Daniel prophecy.
So here we have laid out clearly for us the
exact origin of the Antichrist. He will come out
of the Seleucid Empire and from that portion of

23
the globe which Antiochus Epiphanes gov-
erned. He will originate from and rule over the
Middle East. So far two prophetic visions have
confirmed this. We will now investigate still
another revelation which says the same thing.

PART III:

THE FOUR BEASTS

We have studied two prophecies which

point us to the origins of the Antichrist, but
there is still more. Yet another prophecy in the
book of Daniel confirms what we have been
seeing. This vision, too, shows us where the
empire of the Beast will be situated. Not only
have we been shown where the Antichrist
comes from, but God also reveals where the ten
nations over which he rules will be. His king-
dom will also be located in the Middle East.
The prophecy concerning the four beasts is
found in Daniel chapter 7. It is of special impor-
tance to us since it is so clear and speaks to us
so much. Therefore, we will examine this vision
at some length to extract the maximum benefit
from it. Here, four beasts or animal figures are
seen by Daniel. They are: a lion, a bear, a leop-
ard, and a fierce looking beast that is not

24
likened to any specific animal. These four
“beasts” represent kingdoms which are of some
importance in the world.
Most Bible teachers have taught that these
kingdoms are simply a repetition of what we
have just studied. They teach that: 1) the Lion =
the Babylonian Empire, 2) the Bear = the Media-
Persians, 3) the Leopard = Alexander the Great,
4) the “Dreadful” = the Roman Empire (which
conquered the Middle East after Antiochus)
and then, 5) the Antichrist.
Well, now you might say, “Wait a minute,
the scriptures only mention four beasts but you
have listed five empires.” The explanation for
this is quite simple. The Bible explains to us that
the Antichrist’s empire (symbolized by ten
horns) arises out of the remnants of the fourth
beast kingdom. Therefore the last empire is
“revived” so to speak, turning four beasts into
five kingdoms.
We read concerning the fourth beast: “The
ten horns [of the Antichrist empire] are ten
kings who shall arise from this [fourth] king-
dom” (Dan 7:24). This is a very important clue
for us. The ten kings and their kingdoms, who
comprise the empire of the Antichrist, arise out
of the remnants of this fourth kingdom.
Therefore, it is very important for us to identify
this fourth, “dreadful and terrible” beast.
As we have mentioned, many Bible exposi-
tors have identified this fourth animal or beast

25
as the Roman empire. Perhaps you have heard
that there will be a “revived Roman Empire”
which will be the kingdom of the Antichrist.
This passage is the origin of this teaching. So, let
us take a further look at it together.

THEIR LIVES WERE PROLONGED

Upon careful examination, a few problems

arise with this understanding. The most notable
difficulty is that when we read these verses
carefully, it becomes clear that each of these
four beasts exists when Jesus returns to this
earth. The rulers of these nations are alive and
well when our Lord comes to judge the nations!
Therefore, they cannot be these ancient, his-
torical kingdoms. They must be nations which
are contemporaries of the Antichrist. They must
be countries which we can identify today.
How can I make such a statement? Let us
look together at Daniel 7, verses 9-12. In verses
9 and 10, Jesus is sitting on His throne. His
description matches the one of His appearance
in the first part of the book of Revelation. He is
preparing to judge the nations. But in verse 11,
the Antichrist comes to His attention due to the
sound of his great, pompous words. At this
point, the Beast/Antichrist is killed.
But the other beasts, the Lion, the Bear, and
the Leopard, (referring to the rulers of these
nations) receive a different fate. They lose their

26
kingdoms, but are allowed to remain alive for a
while longer. We read in verse 11, “As for the
rest of the beasts [the other three], they had
their dominion taken away, yet their lives were
prolonged for a season and a time.”
In order for this verse to make any sense,
these other empires must exist at the time of the
Antichrist. They cannot be ancient kingdoms.
For example, the Kingdom of Babylon was
destroyed by the Medes and the Persians. Of
course you remember what happened to the
ruler. The handwriting was on the wall. “That
very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans
[Babylonians], was slain” (Dan 5:30). His king-
dom certainly was taken away, but his life was
not prolonged.
The same is true of Alexander the Great. As
we have studied, he died unexpectedly at the
peak of his power. His kingdom was taken
away too, but his life was not prolonged for any
“season” or any “time.” Furthermore, the
deaths of these rulers was not something that
occurred when Christ returned and sat on His
throne of judgment. These scriptures do not fit
with a historical interpretation.
Therefore, these kingdoms cannot be
Babylon, the Medes and the Persians,
Alexander the Great and Rome. So for a better
interpretation, we must look in another direc-
tion which will be discussed further as we pro-
ceed.

27
 “SHALL ARISE”

In the scriptures we find even more difficul-

ty with the “revived Roman Empire” idea. Let
us now turn to verse 17 of chapter 7. Here we
read that, “Those great beasts, which are four,
are four kings [representing their kingdoms]
which shall arise out of the earth.”
I include the word “shall” here following
the translations of the Septuagint, the King
James Version, the New American Standard
Bible, the American Standard of 1901, John
Darby in his New Translation, and possibly
others.
You see, here we have a problem. This
vision was given to Daniel “In the first year of
Belshazzar king of Babylon” (Dan 7:1). He was
the last ruler of Babylon. So this vision is given
very near the end of the Babylonian Empire.
But we hear the angel explaining that four
beasts “shall arise,” meaning sometime in the
future. Therefore, this cannot include Babylon,
since it had already arisen long ago.
If then Babylon is not the Lion, the other
beasts cannot follow the traditional interpreta-
tion either. The only logical conclusion we can
draw is that the angel is not referring to what
we know as four historical kingdoms, but of
future ones – kingdoms which will exist at the
same time as the Antichrist. Consequently, we

28
should not view this prophecy as a simple rep-
etition of the one before it, but a new revelation
about the last days.
The conclusion of all this is that the Bible is
not teaching us here about a “revived Roman
Empire.” An honest, unbiased examination of
the verses at hand do not lead us to this conclu-
sion. Therefore, Europe, the Common Market,
the Pope as the Antichrist, and other such
teachings based on the “revived Roman
Empire” theory must be discarded.

THE SEVEN MOUNTAINS

Another passage which many teachers often

cite to support a revived Roman Empire teach-
ing is found in Revelation 17:9,10. We have
already studied these verses about seven moun-
tains in the book Babylon which is the first part
of this end-times series. In the previous book we
learned that the seven mountains also do not
point to Rome as a source of the Antichrist
empire. If you have any doubts about this,
please review note at the end of chapter 7 of that
book about: “Mountains, Heads and Kings.”
What we studied in the book Babylon is that
even in John’s day there were no longer seven
prophetic mountains. Five of them had already
fallen (Rev 17:10). This left only two. Therefore,
this cannot be and is not a secret reference to
Rome. Consequently, the revived Roman

29
Empire is not in view. Also, nowhere in the
Bible is Rome referred to as “the city on seven
hills” or any similar thing. We cannot take our
inspiration from secular literature such as the
story of Romulus and Remus, but only the
word of God.

WHO ARE THE FOUR BEASTS?

We have been discussing the four beasts,

the Lion, the Bear, the Leopard, and the
“Terrible.” We have been seeing that these can-
not be: Babylon, Media-Persia, Alexander, and
Rome. But if then the fourth beast is not Rome
and the other beasts are more contemporary
kingdoms, who could they be?
Seeing who these beasts might be, will
greatly help us in knowing where the Antichrist
empire will arise. Identifying these countries
will of course involve a little bit of speculation.
The meanings of these animals, representing
kingdoms, are impossible to determine with
total certainty. So, please bear with me as we
consider the possibilities together.
Remember that we are looking for empires
which can still be identified today. The fourth
one of these kingdoms, although it still exists,
will have largely disintegrated. It is from the
remnants of this kingdom that the ten horns of
the Antichrist empire emerge (Dan 7:24). These
beasts rise up from “the great sea,” which is

30
usually identified as the Mediterranean. Their
arising from the sea is precipitated by a violent
storm caused by the “four winds of heaven”
(Dan 7:2). This could indicate that these four
empires are, over a period of time, in conflict
with each other for control of and/or influence
in the Mediterranean region. This would
include countries in the regions of Europe,
North Africa and the Middle East.
The first beast is a lion which has wings like
an eagle. As Daniel watches this vision, the
wings are plucked off and the Lion is made to
stand up on two feet like a man and its own
heart is replaced with a human one (Dan 7:4).
The two wings might represent rapidity of
movement or expansion of the empire. This
conclusion would come from the fact that of all
the animals, birds are certainly the fastest and
travel further (Deut 28:49; II Sam 1:23).
If we accept this interpretation, having the
wings removed would signal an end to rapid
expansion. Standing on its feet like a man and
receiving a man’s heart seems to show that
what was once a mighty, warlike kingdom
would become somewhat weak and human.
One country which might fit this descrip-
tion today would be Great Britain. Once, the
sun never set on her empire. At one time, she
expanded her influence and holdings rapidly
over the entire globe. But today, things have
changed. Now Great Britain is much less signif-

31
icant on the world scene. Her empire is in
pieces. She has become much less lion-like and
much more human. Interestingly, the symbol
for this nation is a lion. Over the last few cen-
turies, she has been directly involved in con-
flicts for control of the Mediterranean region.
The next beast we see is a bear. It “was
raised up on one side” (Dan 7:5). Some Bible
translators say that this could mean that it
“established for itself one dominion” which
seems to be a more logical translation. The Bear
has three ribs in its mouth. It is told, “Arise,
devour much flesh.”
Meditating on the Bear, Russia or the old
Soviet Union comes to mind. Certainly, her his-
tory is a very bloody one with countless mil-
lions of her own people being killed for one rea-
son or another, especially under Communist
domination. This would fulfill the “devour
much flesh” part of the vision.
If Russia is the Bear, then the three ribs
could represent the countries of Estonia, Latvia
and Lithuania which it first gobbled up when
expanding its territory. Russia too has been
involved through the years in conflicts over the
part of the world which we have mentioned.

ABOUT HEADS AND HORNS

Before we proceed, we must study an

important clue to understanding Bible prophe-

32
cy. Please remember this because we will refer
to it again in our later discussions. Many beasts
which appear in prophetic visions have several
heads and/or multiple horns. What does this
mean?
When a prophetic animal has several heads,
this refers to a succession of rulers. From our
detailed discussion of Revelation 17:9,10 in the
previous book Babylon, this progression of
seven heads/kings is quite evident. This suc-
cession does not need to be immediate, but, as
the case of Babylon, these rulers can be separat-
ed by hundreds, if not thousands of years.
On the other hand, when the animal has
multiple horns, this indicates simultaneous
rulers. We can see this by looking at the
Antichrist empire. There we find ten horns,
indicating the ten rulers who hold power
together with him, all at the same time.
So we have a simple formula: multiple
prophetic heads = a succession of rulers; multi-
ple prophetic horns = simultaneous rulers. Using
this formula, we can now proceed.

THE LEOPARD

The third beast is a leopard. Its notable fea-

tures are four heads and four wings. Not much
more is said about it except that “dominion is
given to it.” Applying our “multiple heads” for-
mula to the Leopard, we would then need to

33
look for an empire in the region which we have
described, which has had or will have a promi-
nent progression of four rulers. The four wings
might mean that each of these rulers rises up
rapidly to power.
By the way, our “several horns” under-
standing discounts the Leopard beast from
being Alexander’s empire and his four generals.
Four simultaneous rulers should be represent-
ed by four horns (as they certainly are in the
vision of the Ram and male Goat) not by four
heads which appear on the Leopard.
This beast is not so easy to identify. We must
look for a nation which has been prominently
involved in the conflicts in the Mediterranean
region which also would be a contemporary of
Russia and England. No nation springs to mind
in this area which has the national symbol of a
leopard. However, there is one country which
has had a notable succession of rulers and has
been much involved in the conflicts of that area.
It is Germany of which I speak.
When Adolph Hitler came to power, he
claimed that his kingdom was the third reich.
Reich means “kingdom” in the German lan-
guage. He identified his rule as being the third
in a series of important rulers. Perhaps the ear-
lier Otto von Bismarck and Kaiser Wilhelm
could be the two previous ones which he was
recognizing. Although I do not know the histo-
ry of these two earlier rulers, certainly Hitler’s

34
rise to power was startlingly rapid. This would
fit with the four wings.
(Someone else has suggested the Holy
Roman Empire [900-1806 A.D.] and the German
Empire [1870-1918 A.D.] as being the first two
“reichs” or kingdoms.)
If this is the correct identification of the
Leopard, then we should soon see another
strong, charismatic leader quickly rising up to
power in Germany. Such a ruler does not need
to be a Nazi. He (or she) only needs to be some-
one who captures the hearts of the German peo-
ple and galvanizes the population to some end.
Therefore, the readers should keep their
eyes open for a popular leader rising up in
Germany who would lead this nation to a posi-
tion of greater world prominence.
Our identification of this third “beast” is
somewhat tentative. The weak points seem to
be that the national symbol of Germany is not a
leopard and it has had only three “heads.”
However, this third beast certainly must be
some nation which we can identify today. It
needs to be a country in the region which we
have been discussing. Furthermore, it must
have had or will have a prominent succession of
four rulers. So, let us keep our hearts and minds
open to the Holy Spirit for any further revela-
tion which He might give to us. If Germany is
not the right choice, God will certainly reveal
this as time goes on.

35
 THE FOURTH BEAST

The fourth beast is not described in the

same way the others are. That is to say it is not
compared to some kind of animal which we
could recognize. We are only told that this beast
has large iron teeth and bronze claws (Dan
7:7,19). It is further described as being “dread-
ful and terrible, exceedingly strong.” Signify-
cantly, it is “different from the beasts that were
before it.” This beast decisively smashes all
opposition wherever it goes.
For the identity of this beast, I would like to
select the Ottoman Empire or the Ottoman
Turks. The reason I choose this empire is that it
was located in the exact spot which the other
prophecies indicate. Also, it was a huge king-
dom which was extremely powerful but now
has disintegrated. This empire was intimately
involved in the struggle for control of Europe,
North Africa and the Middle East.
Most Westerners know little about this
empire. Some have never even heard of it. Yet it
was a dominant, overwhelming force in the
region about which we speak for hundreds of
years, right up until after the First World War.
The reason for this kingdom being “differ-
ent” from the other three would be that the oth-
ers were secular, political empires. This fourth
beast kingdom was a religious one. In recent

36
years, this kingdom has fallen into pieces. What
remains is the country of Turkey.
Yet, it will be out of this disintegrated
empire that the ten nations of the Antichrist
alliance will appear. Remember that we read:
“The ten horns are ten kings who shall arise
from this [fourth beast] kingdom” (Dan 7:24).
As we have already studied, it is this area of
the world, the Middle East, from which the
Antichrist and his ten nations will come.
Perhaps it would benefit all the readers to
take a little time and review just what the
Ottoman Empire was all about. Here I am quot-
ing excerpts from the website:
www.wsu.edu:8080 /~dee /OTTOMAN / OTTOMAN1.HTM

“The Ottomans are one of the greatest and most

powerful civilizations of the modern period. The
empire they built was the largest and most influential
of the Muslim empires of the modern period, and
their culture and military expansion crossed over
into Europe. Not since the expansion of Islam into
Spain in the eighth century had Islam seemed poised
to establish a European presence as it did in the six-
teenth and seventeenth centuries.
Like that earlier expansion, the Ottomans estab-
lished an empire over European territory and estab-
lished Islamic traditions and culture that last to the
current day (the Muslims in Bosnia are the last
descendants of the Ottoman presence in Europe).
The Ottoman empire lasted until the twentieth
century. While historians like to talk about empires

37
in terms of growth and decline, the Ottomans were a
force to be reckoned with, militarily and culturally,
right up until the breakup of the empire in the first
decades of this century.
We will start with the greatest figure of Ottoman
history, the Sultan Suleyman, who built from the
conquests of his father a great city, military machine,
empire, and culture.
The Ottomans arose from the obscure reaches of
Anatolia in the west of Turkey; these Western Turks
were called the Oghuz. Some of them were warriors to
the Islamic faith carrying out jihad, or "holy strug-
gle," to spread the faith among hostile unbelievers.
In 1402, the Ottomans moved their capital to
Edirne in Europe where they threatened
Constantinople. The city seemed to defy the great
expansion of Islam. No matter how much territory
fell to the Muslims, Constantinople resisted every
siege and every invasion. The Ottomans wanted to
break this cycle. Not only would the seizure of
Constantinople represent a powerful symbol of
Ottoman power, but it would make the Ottomans
master of east-west trade. In 1453, Sultan Mehmed
(1451-1481), who was called "The Conqueror," final-
ly took this one last remnant of Byzantium and
renamed it, Istanbul. From that point onwards, the
capital of the Ottoman Europe would remain fixed in
Istanbul and, under the patronage of the Ottoman
sultans, become one of the wealthiest and most cul-
tured cities of the early modern world.
The Ottoman Empire had been started. It
expanded greatly under Sultan Selim I (1512-1520),

38
but it was under his son, Sultan Suleyman (1520-1566),
called "The Lawmaker" in Islamic history and "The
Magnificent" in Europe, that the empire would reach its
greatest expansion over Asia and Europe.”

This empire was divided up after World

War II. The Ottomans sided with the Germans
and were defeated. Then their holdings were
parceled out between several European nations.
Many territorial boundaries were redrawn. This
conquest and subjugation of the Islamic world
by the European powers after hundreds of
years of prosperity and dominance is the source
of much of the hatred against the West you will
find among Muslims today.
One great hope for many Muslims is that
their empire and culture will some day be
restored to its former prominence and great-
ness. It is worth noting in the above article how
they are especially proud when Islam conquers
and takes root in Europe.

39
 You see, this empire was really “different”
from all the others. The leaders and even citi-
zens were trying to prove something. They
were attempting to establish a religious empire
and demonstrate that their religious society
was superior in every respect – culturally, mili-
tarily, economically, and politically – to that of
those they fought against.
For them, Western civilization was a
“Christian” culture. They were, in many
respects, anti-Christian. If you speak to any
Muslims today, they will know all about the his-
tory of the Ottoman Empire. Certainly it con-
quered, smashed, “trampled,” “broke in
pieces,” and “devoured” much of the civilized
world of its day. This empire fits very nicely into
the picture of what we are calling the fourth
beast because of its activities and location.
It is from the territory once held by this
fourth beast that the ten horns of the Antichrist
empire come. From this general area arise (and
probably have already arisen) ten nations.
This author does not insist that the coming
Antichrist kingdom will be a strict “revival” of
the old Ottoman empire. It is possible that some
of the older empire will be left out. It is even
conceivable that some neighboring lands, which
were not governed directly by the Ottomans but
were dominated by Muslim authority, could be
included in the ten. This will probably only
become clear as time goes on.

40
 There are probably more than ten countries
today which occupy the territory once ruled by
the Ottomans. This does not change our under-
standing. What is necessary is that the ten
nations which will form the Antichrist empire
will come from the general area of former
Ottoman rule and/or influence. Thus, this
vision too dovetails perfectly with the other
prophecies which we have been studying.

PART IV:

NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S IMAGE

King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream, a very

troubling dream. In this dream, he sees what
will happen in the future. He views a succes-
sion of empires, beginning with his own and
then continuing on through four more. The last
empire which formed part of this huge image is
the reign of the Antichrist.
During his dream, a stone is cut out of some
location without human hands. This certainly is
a supernatural stone. It then smashes the feet of
this image. Not only the feet are destroyed, but
all the other parts of the image were also
“crushed together” and blown away “like
chaff” (Dan 2:35).

41
 This stone represents the coming kingdom
of Jesus Christ. Our Lord Jesus will return to
earth, smash the Antichrist empire and extend
His authority over all the inhabited earth (Dan
2:44,45).
In this image, we are presented with a pro-
gression of kingdoms. Beginning with Babylon
(the head of gold), we then pass through the
Media-Persians (chest and arms of silver),
Alexander the Great (belly and thighs of
bronze), the Roman Empire (legs of iron), and
finally the Antichrist kingdom (feet of iron and
clay) (Dan 2:31-43).
During the period of time represented by
this image, there were no doubt many other
great kingdoms on the earth. China certainly
had its magnificent dynasties for thousands of
years. Egypt has often been a dominant force on
the world scene. There have been great empires
of the Aztecs in what is now Mexico, the Incas
in South America and others in Africa.
Yet none of these kingdoms have a part in
this image which Nebuchadnezzar saw. Why
not? What is it about these particular kingdoms
which make up the image that makes them spe-
cial? The answer is that all the empires which
constitute this image have one thing in common
– they all conquered the Middle East. They all
had influence over the holy land, Israel.
Israel has been and always will be the focus
of God’s attention. When and if any other

42
nation begins to gain control or influence over
this part of the world, God takes notice. This is
the glue that holds all the parts of Nebuchad-
nezzar’s image together. Each one, at some
time, took control over the holy land.

NOT A “REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE”

Some theologians, noticing that the Roman

Empire in this vision is succeeded by the
Antichrist, then have mistakenly used this to
support a revived Roman Empire theory. From
there, they go on to teach about the European
Common Market being the kingdom of the
coming Beast. However, nothing in this revela-
tion suggests this. No verse would give rise to
such an interpretation.
Each of these kingdoms was not a “revival”
of the former one. They did not all cover the
same parts of the globe. Also, each did not come
in an unbroken succession to the previous one.
For example, the Roman Empire did not con-
quer Alexander the Great. It was not until hun-
dreds of years after his death that Rome con-
quered the Middle East.
These nations in the image are merely a
series of notable empires which touched upon
God’s people, the Jews. The last kingdom, that
of the Antichrist, is simply the final one which
will dominate the land of Israel. It is true that
the coming beast will control part of the world

43
(the Middle East) which was once ruled by
Rome. It will assume authority over that partic-
ular part of the old Roman Empire. This much is
biblical and clear.
Yet this empire, coming from and centered
in the Middle East, as all the other prophecies
clearly show, could not be considered a revival
of the Roman Empire. It would only qualify for
this if it was centered in Italy and conquered
much of Europe also, therefore encompassing
much of the same territory as Rome did. This is
very, very unlikely.
Further, and extremely importantly, the
empire which is “revived” cannot be an ancient
one but must be a modern one, to fulfill the
scriptures we have already studied (Dan 7:24).

ROMAN EMPIRE

Here we have two maps of the territory of

the Roman Empire compared with Alexander’s
Empire. The boxes mark the approximate over-

44
lapping areas of these two kingdoms. Clearly,
they shared little of the same geographical
areas. Rome conquered to the west. Alexander
spread to the east. Basically, what is known
today as the Middle East is common to both.
In fact, of all the other kingdoms included in
Nebuchanezzar’s image, only the Roman
Empire embraces much of modern Europe. All
the others were situated to the east and south of
Greece, approximating more closely the con-
quests of Alexander.
ALEXANDER’S EMPIRE

In short, the only strong basis for a revival

of Rome is the fact that so many insist that it
must be so. There are no clear verses which
mandate this conclusion. If we can lay aside tra-
dition and the general clamor of those who
have not really studied these things thoroughly
and honestly, we will be led to a more logical
and biblical understanding.

45
 THE COHESIVE PART OF THE IMAGE

As we have mentioned, the cohesive part of

this image is that all these kingdoms ruled the
Middle East. This is the part of the world that
they all conquered, making them part of
Nebuchanezzar’s image. In order for any com-
ing empire to be included in this list, it too must
conquer and dominate the Middle East and the
land of Israel. (By the way, the possibility of the
Common Market doing so is extremely remote.)
Therefore, this dream also completely sup-
ports our thesis. The coming Antichrist must
have, as part of his kingdom, the Middle East.
He must eventually dominate the land of Israel.
This is the message of Nebuchadnezzar’s
image.
This conclusion very strongly supports our
thesis of a “revived” Ottoman Empire with all
its Muslim roots. Interestingly, this too fits very
nicely with our present-day geopolitical situa-
tion.

46
 2.

THE ANTICHRIST

As a prelude to this discussion, I would like

to take a moment and return to the prophecy of
Daniel chapter 11. You may remember that in
verses 21-35, most Bible expositors see a
description of Antiochus Epiphanes and his evil
deeds. Furthermore, we have stated how
Antiochus morphs or changes into the
Antichrist as the chapter progresses. Then, after
verse 35, the passage seems to be speaking only
about the Antichrist.
What I would like to suggest here is that
some of the earlier verses, i.e. verses 21-35,
could and probably do describe both Antiochus
and the Antichrist. I believe it is very possible
that two people could fulfill the prophetic
words uttered here. These verses could very
easily apply to both the past and the future
Antichrist. As proof for this idea, let us consid-
er verse 31. Here we read: “...then they shall
take away the daily sacrifices, and place there
the abomination of desolation.”

47
 The Jews from the time of Antiochus had
referred to this event – the one in which he sac-
rificed a pig and set up an image in the temple
– as “the abomination of desolation.” Perhaps
even today, they still believe this to be the ful-
fillment of Daniel’s prophecy. Certainly the
Jews of Jesus’ day held this belief.
But Jesus blew their mind. He rattled their
concepts. He said: “Therefore when you see the
‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by
Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy
place...” (Mt 24:15). In essence He was saying:
“You think that you know what this abomina-
tion was. You think it has already happened.
But the one of which Daniel spoke has not yet
taken place. It is still in the future!”
Returning to our discussion, verse 31 of
Daniel 11 is part of the passage which histori-
cally speaks about Antiochus. Yet we know
from Jesus’ words that it is the actions of the
future Antichrist which will be the true or final
realization of this verse. So this verse must refer
to both men.
Therefore, it is not too far-fetched to think
that some of the other verses of this section will
also have a double fulfillment in both
Antiochus and the Antichrist. With this in
mind, we will now take a closer look at the
character and activities of the Antichrist.
Many believers are expecting the Antichrist
to be a famous, worldly politician. They imag-

48
ine an urbane, popular, glad-handing, back-
slapping, probably immoral political animal,
perhaps something like a Bill Clinton, running
the U.N. Yet this is not the image which the
Bible portrays.
To begin, the scriptures call the Antichrist
“a little horn” (Dan 7:8; 8:9). This indicates that
he is a relatively insignificant figure until he
gains control. In contrast to this, the horn which
represents Alexander the Great is described as
“notable” and “large” (Dan 8:5,8). He was a
strong, able conqueror. He had world-wide
fame. The horns representing the four generals
who succeeded Alexander are also labeled
“notable” (Dan 8:8). These were well-known
people.
But, at least in the beginning, the Antichrist
“horn” is “little.” In fact, of all the “horns”
which appear in Bible prophecy, he is the small-
est and lest impressive. Therefore, we can know
that before he assumes power on the world
scene, he will be a small, despised individual
whom no one ever imagines could rise up and
become what he eventually becomes. This is an
important fact of which we should be aware.
Drawing from our Antiochus/Antichrist
verses of Daniel chapter 11 we learn even more.
We are led to believe that he is a liar (vs. 11:27).
He will act “deceitfully” (vs. 11:23). “Through
his cunning he shall cause deceit to prosper
under his hand” (Dan 8:25). He comes to power

49
in a devious manner, using flattery and deceit
(Dan 11: 21).
One of the things, therefore, which we can
use to identify the Antichrist will be this ability
to deceive people through his words. He will
corrupt many through “flattery” (Dan 11:32).
In fact, one of the most striking features of
the Antichrist is his mouth. Right in the middle
of this little horn is a big mouth. We are shown
“a mouth speaking great things” (Rev 13:5).
Also in Daniel we read about “a mouth
which spoke pompous words” (Dan 7:20) and
“in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man,
and a mouth speaking pompous words” (Dan
7:8). This horn has prominent eyes and does a
lot of boastful talking.
Surprisingly, the popularity of the Anti-
christ is not great, since he will “become strong
with a small number of people” (11:23). Please
pay careful attention this. Contrary to popular
belief, he will not be well known and popular!
He will be looked upon by many as being a
“vile person” (vs 21).
No cheering crowds crown him king. They
do not give him “the honor of royalty” (vs 21).
Therefore, we should not be looking for some-
one who is well liked and universally popular.
This is a mistake which many make.
Initially, the Antichrist will not be an out-
standing figure on the world stage. In fact, he
will be hated by many. The coming man of sin

50
will, in the beginning, be a rather unknown and
disliked person who likes to brag about what he
will do.

THE MAN OF THE SIN

Many have supposed that since the Beast is

called the “man of sin” that he would be an
notably immoral, man-of-the-world sort of per-
son. There is nothing in the scriptures which
supports this.
While other world leaders and famous peo-
ple have become renowned for their sexual
exploits, lovers, different wives, etc. nothing of
this nature is said about the Antichrist. His sin
is his claiming to be deity.
In my recent effort to translate the New
Testament, I discovered an interesting fact. The
coming Antichrist is not really the “man of sin.”
This is a faulty translation. Instead, he is the
“man of the sin.”
That’s right. There is a definite article in
front of the word “sin” in the Greek text. This
means that instead of being the man full of all
sorts of sin, which is implied by “the man of
sin” translation, this is not what the scripture
says. There is just one particular sin which qual-
ifies him to the enemy of God.
What then is then the “sin” which qualifies
him? The scriptures are clear. He “opposes and
exalts himself above all that is called God or

51
that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the
temple of God, showing himself that he is God”
(II Thess 2:4). This is the sin which sets this man
up for his confrontation with the Most High.

SEVERE ASCETICISM

So we see that the Antichrist will probably

not be a womanizer or an immoral person from
a perspective of sexual impurity. In fact, it may
be that he will preach his own brand of morali-
ty. We read that he will not regard “...the desire
of women” (Dan 11:37). It is possible that he
will be a severe ascetic, priding himself in his
extreme self-denial in the area of sexual rela-
tions.
This fact would not discount the possibility
that he might be married. Yet it is probable that
the religion which he ultimately adopts will
involve an extremely strong position of denial
with regard to sexual involvement of men with
women.
Bible scholars differ widely on the interpre-
tation of this phrase “the desire of women.”
Many and various opinions have been offered.
Some have seen a rejection of the worship of
various goddesses.
Others synthesize a denial of Christ, think-
ing that the “desire of women” is Jesus. Still
others postulate that this “desire of women” is
to have children and that the Antichrist will be

52
against this. However, none of this really rings
true.
Now that we have clearly identified the area
of the world from which the Antichrist will
come, it is not at all difficult to imagine that he
will espouse some form of religious asceticism.
It might be that he would be involved in, or
be a leader of, the current movement among
some Muslims of radical, religious self-denial.
It may be that his attitude toward women and
their natural, human desires for self-expression
and satisfaction is severe and repressive.
This group already has today an almost
vicious reaction toward women and any sort of
male/female interaction. Women are often
treated as subhuman. Women’s desires, includ-
ing the wish to be seen as attractive, to be edu-
cated, and to have places of importance and
responsibility in society are countered with the
utmost ferocity by Islamic radicals.
The idea that this phrase refers to such a
severe religious tendency gains a lot of support
when we remember that it is the Antichrist and
his ten nations who destroy Babylon. They hate
her because of her rampant immorality, sensu-
ality, and self-indulgence (Rev 17:16,17).
We will explore these things in more detail
later, but for now I believe it is a good bet that
he will be a prominent leader in an extreme,
anti-Christian religious movement. This reli-
gion will probably be some form of Islam.

53
 Some might argue that Islam is not anti-
Christian. Well, certainly we must be able to
agree that it is not pro-Christian. I am told that
inside every mosque is a prominent sign which
reads: “God has no son.” Of course, since it is
written Arabic, few outsiders can read it. This
can only be considered anti-Christian, since the
foundation of the Christian church is the pro-
fession that God indeed does have a Son. It is
significant how much John emphasizes this
truth in the epistle we know as I John.
Here I am not teaching any kind of hate
against Muslims. Certainly God’s attitude, and
ours also, must be one of love for every man.
However, it is obvious that the basic tenets of
Mohammedism and real Christianity are in
opposition to one another. There is no way to
reconcile the two.
Although Muslims concede that Jesus was a
prophet, they deny that He was God’s only
begotten Son. This then puts them firmly in a
position of being against New Testament truth
which is that Jesus was much more than anoth-
er prophet. He was God’s Son.
The conflict of Islam with God’s people –
both the Jews and the Christians – is long stand-
ing. Certainly Islam is a religious substitute for
the true worship of the true God. It should be
no surprise to discover that this false religion
could play a prominent role in the rise and
reign of the coming Antichrist.

54
 THE MYSTERY OF INIQUITY

In II Thessalonians 2:7 we read about some-

thing called “the mystery of iniquity,” or “the
mystery of lawlessness.” What could this be?
The Greek word “mystery” here is not referring
to a mystery as we know it – i.e. something real-
ly difficult to understand – but rather to a
secret. These “mysteries” are secrets known
only to a few insiders, such as the secrets of dif-
ferent fraternal lodges, secret societies, or cults.
In this case, it is one of Satan’s secrets. He
has a plan, a secret plan he has been wanting to
put into operation for a long time, but some-
thing has been hindering him.
His desire is to radically eliminate from the
earth all men and women who do not harmo-
nize with who and what he is. He would prob-
ably even like to destroy all of mankind. But he
can’t. You see, God won’t let him.
The devil is limited by God. There are
things He won’t let him do. For example, Satan
cannot just kill millions of human beings out-
right. God won’t allow him to do it.
But there is a “loophole” here in God’s lim-
itation which the devil knows about. Although
he is limited by God, men aren’t so limited. The
Most High does not always and immediately
stop evil men from destroying others. Adolf
Hitler, Idi Amin, Muammar al-Gaddafi, Joseph

55
Stalin etc. were good examples of some men
who annihilated many others.
So, the loophole is that if Satan can get con-
trol of a man, he can work through that man to
do many things he is not allowed to do by him-
self. Once he dominates an evil man, he can
work through that man to carry out his plans.
The “mystery” or secret plan then is that the
devil would like to find a man he can control
and then use his power to give that man domi-
nation over the entire world. Then, through that
man, he can work to annihilate on a global scale
those who oppose him. This is the “secret plan
(or mystery) of iniquity.”
But this secret plan has been held back.
Something has been restraining it. This “some-
thing” is the hand of God. Since God under-
stands what the devil is wanting to do, he has
not let him have success.
Yet, at the end of this age, this restraining
hand of God will be removed. We read: “...only
He who now restrains will do so until He is
taken out of the way” (II Thess 2:7). Once the
restraint is taken away, then the man of the sin
will begin to make war against God’s people,
annihilating as many of them as he can.

THE “GOD OF FORCES”

In Daniel 11, verse 38 we find an interesting

detail about the Antichrist. He will: “...honor a

56
god of forces {or, fortresses}, and a god which
his fathers did not know he shall honor with
gold and silver, with precious stones and pleas-
ant things.”
It is not hard to imagine someone, perhaps
from the Middle East, coming to know this kind
of god.
In recent years, many groups in that region
have been constantly at war, against the U.S.,
against the king of Syria, against each other, etc.
No doubt, the leader of such a group would
come to appreciate a spirit being who was
anointing him to have success and protecting
him.
It is this spirit which is giving him victories
and is keeping him from being killed. He has
found a god, one which guides and protects
him in every way. It is his “god of forces {or,
fortresses}.” This god becomes his helper and
stronghold.
With respect to the phrase, “which his
fathers did not know,” we can only speculate. If
we were to take this to mean those who pre-
ceeded him in the Daniel prophecy – in other
words those who “fathered” his lineage spiritu-
ally speaking – then certainly this would be a
“new” god. It would be one which, until more
recent history, was not acknowledged.
The Antichrist, due to his geographic loca-
tion, will probably refer to this “new” god as
Allah. He will likely insist that this one who is

57
energizing and protecting him is the “real”
Allah and that he himself is some kind of rein-
carnation of the “Prophet.”
But the truth is that this god of his is Satan
himself. The devil is the god of the Antichrist.
We can confirm this from the verse in
Revelation 13:2 where we read that the dragon
(which in this case is Satan) “...gave him [the
Antichrist] his power, his throne, and great
authority.”
Since the Antichrist worships this god, he
will soon insist that everyone else does too. We
read: “So they [the people of the world] wor-
shiped the dragon [Satan] who gave authority
to the beast...” (Rev 13:4). This is the god which
becomes real to, protects, and empowers the
man of the sin. Evidently, Satan sees this man as
someone whom he can use in the future to do
his will on the earth.
Some might argue that Allah is just another
name for the devil. Others think that the
Mohammedans use it as a name for the true
God but are in error in what they believe about
Him. These are questions which are beyond the
scope of our study here. What we do know cer-
tainly is that the coming man of the sin will
come from and have his territory in the Middle
East. Therefore, there is little doubt that his
name for his god will be Allah.
By the way, some have taken the phrase
“god of his fathers” and insisted that the com-

58
ing Antichrist must be a Jew who rejects God.
Others see him as a backslidden Christian.
There is nothing in the text which demands
this interpretation. The word for “god” here is
“elohim” which can be but is not always a ref-
erence to the God of the Bible. It is a kind of
generic Hebrew word for “God.” It can also be
rendered “god” or even “gods” since it is a plu-
ral word. Therefore, it can refer to any sort of
deity or deities, even if they are pagan ones.
If the word “Jehovah” (Yahweh) or “Lord”
(Adonai) had been used in this passage, this
would have been a certain identification of the
true God. But since “elohim” is used, this in no
way demands the interpretation that the
Antichrist be a Jew or Christian. (The translation
“gods” has given rise to the possibility we
already mentioned that the “god(s) of his fathers”
refers to the ancient gods of Babylon and Assyria
which the Antichrist will not worship.)
Instead of the “god [or gods] of his fathers,”
this evil person will promote the worship of his
god, which in reality is the devil. I think that it
is very unlikely that he will use the name
“Satan” or “the devil” to describe his god. He
will probably use the title “Allah,” thus obscur-
ing who this god really is.
But the truth of the matter is that the god
whom he will promote is the ancient serpent,
Satan. He will popularize this god with whom
he is in communion and advocate the worship

59
of him. In Daniel we are told that the Antichrist
will honor this “god of forces {or fortresses},”
“acknowledge” it and “advance its glory” (Dan
11:38,39).

ANTICHRIST WILL DEMAND WORSHIP

But the coming Antichrist does not stop

with merely worshiping this god. As his power
and influence grow, his head also swells up
proportionately. His pride and ego begin to
expand to an almost unprecedented extent. He
begins to imagine that he too is god. He arrives
at the place where he wants to be worshiped
also.
It appears that as the anointing of the devil
becomes ever stronger in his life, this power
goes to his head. Experiencing the authority of
Satan and even sitting on his “throne” gives
him a greatly inflated idea of who he is.
So the Antichrist will begin to demand wor-
ship of himself. We read that the man of sin
“opposes and exalts himself above all that is
called God or that is worshiped” until finally,
“he sits as God in the temple of God, showing
himself that he is God” (II Thess 2:4).
No doubt the self-exaltation is related to the
“mouth speaking great things” (Rev 13:5) and
“speaking pompous words” (Dan 7:8). The
Antichrist will, with time, become completely
carried away with his successes and following.

60
 Eventually, his opinion of himself will bal-
loon to such a point that he will blaspheme the
Most High God, verbally denigrating him and
challenging His authority. “He shall speak
pompous words against the Most High” (Dan
7:25). And: “Then he opened his mouth in blas-
phemy against God, to blaspheme his name, his
tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven”
(Rev 13:6). This will prove to be a great mistake.

THE RELIGION OF ISLAM

We have been speaking to a small degree

about Islam and how this will play a part in the
coming of the Antichrist religion. To under-
stand this, we must know that Islam today is
not a unified movement. This religion is divid-
ed up into many different sects. Each has their
own emphasis, beliefs and leaders.
Over the centuries since its establishment,
Islam has been changed many times by various
charismatic leaders to suit their own purposes,
giving rise to various factions and belief sys-
tems. Therefore, the possibility of the Antichrist
modifying and molding Islam to suit his own
agenda is not very remote. It would be nothing
new.
It is my guess that the Beast will use the
Islamic religion as a springboard to gain follow-
ers but after he assumes a position of great
authority and control, he will modify it to

61
include himself and his actual protector (Satan)
as objects of worship. His will probably be a
kind of mutant Muslim religion.
In fact, some sects of Islam are actively
expecting a kind of “savior” to show up and
lead them back to their former unity and glory.
There are many millions of Muslims today
eagerly waiting for the arrival of an anointed,
quasi-supernatural Imam or leader.
Author Paul Williams explains that, accord-
ing to some Muslims: “The ‘Mahdi’ is the right-
ly guided caliph who will appear during the
last days of human history. His coming is fore-
told by the Haddith, the sacred teachings that
supplement the Quran. In such writings, the
Mahdi is depicted as the figure who will bring
forth the ‘Day of Islam,’ when all the people
throughout the world – believers and unbeliev-
ers alike – will fall in submission before the
throne of Allah.”
No doubt, the Antichrist will be happy to
assume this position for them. It is very proba-
ble that the Antichrist will appear to the
Muslim community as a savior and a uniter. It
is likely that many will welcome him as a ful-
filler of this messianic role. Later, he will mold
this religion to suit his own ends.
Many will no doubt argue that the interna-
tional community would never tolerate any
Middle East military leader taking over any
nations in that area. They would throw their

62
might and military power against him to try to
destroy him. Yet, right now today in 2014 that
very thing is happening with little international
opposition.
It is possible that the “West” will try to
intervene in that area again. But you must
remember who the Antichrist’s protector is. He
is the “god of forces {or, fortresses}.” This spirit
being, who is the “ruler of this world” (Jn 14:30)
will, with all his power, protect the Antichrist
from assaults. He will be his impregnable
fortress. It will be virtually impossible to kill
anyone with this kind of protection.
Just as an example, remember how many
times the U.S. attempted to assassinate Fidel
Castro? They also tried to get Muammar
Gaddafi, but without success. Many such lead-
ers seem to have an uncanny knack for escaping
and avoiding all attempts on their lives. The
Antichrist will have an extremely powerful,
satanic anointing of protection around him.
Still another factor which the reader must
consider is that God Himself is planning to use
the Antichrist. He will use him for various pur-
poses, including carrying out divine judgment
on Babylon (Rev 17:17,18).
So, it is logical that God too will be protect-
ing the Antichrist from whoever would try to
destroy him, until he has carried out His plans.
With so much supernatural protection, the
Antichrist will be hard to kill!

63
 THE FALSE PROPHET

To aid him in his rise to power and “deity”

the Antichrist seems to have a kind of helper or
prophet. This figure acts perhaps as a sort of
vice-president. It is possible that the Beast him-
self keeps to the background and allows this
false prophet to front for him, especially in the
area of claiming to be deity. We read that this
figure “...causes the earth and those who dwell
in it to worship the first beast” (Rev 13:12).
Further assisting this prophet in proclaim-
ing that the Beast is divine, are his miracles. He
is permitted by God and energized by Satan to
perform incredible miracles. This second beast
“...performs great signs, so that he even makes
fire come down from heaven on the earth in the
sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell
on the earth by those signs which he was grant-
ed to do in the sight of the beast, telling those
who dwell on the earth to make an image to the
beast” (Rev 13:13,14).
Perhaps you have often thought of this sec-
ond beast or false prophet as just an individual.
But biblically, he must be much more than that.
He must also be a ruler of some nation. This is
shown to us by the fact that he is called a
“beast.” In Bible prophecy, both in Daniel and
Revelation, any “beast” which appears is always
the leader of a kingdom.

64
 In all the other visions, a beast is representa-
tive of both a kingdom and its ruler. Therefore,
for the false Prophet or second beast to be a sim-
ple individual without a nation behind him
would be inconsistent with the rest of the scrip-
tures. The false Prophet must be the ruler of
some country. This is an important sign.
Not only is the second beast a national
leader, but it seems that he must be a joint ruler
together with someone else. We read that this
second beast has “two horns like a lamb and
spoke like a dragon” (Rev 13:11).
If you remember our previous discussion of
the meaning of horns in Bible prophecy, you
will recall that two horns on a beast represent
two simultaneous rulers. Therefore, to be con-
sistent, this second beast must be some kind of
co-ruler of a nation.
Although this may seem a little strange to
you, we might find something like this in our
world today. The nation of Iran, for example,
seems to have a dual governmental system with
two rulers. They have their religious govern-
ment with its Ayatollah or spiritual ruler along-
side of a secular government with its ruler or
president. This would give us two “horns.”
Perhaps the scriptures are indicating this
very kind of arrangement. Therefore, we might
be wise to keep our eyes on the developing sit-
uation in Iran, both on its leadership and on its
nuclear development program.

65
 It could be that the nation which the false
prophet leads would be part of the ten which
the Antichrist will eventually unite. Yet this
would not be scripturally necessary. It is only
important that it exists and that one of its rulers
becomes a very active participant in the domin-
ion of the Antichrist. It seems quite likely that it
will be a nation which is dominated by radical
Muslims. Perhaps they will see the Antichrist as
someone they can use to push their agendas.

ANTICHRIST’S RESURRECTION

Still another factor which will promote the

coming beast worship is what some have
termed a “false resurrection.” Evidently, the
Antichrist is not popular with everyone.
Sometime along the way, someone tries to kill
him.
For a while the Antichrist will be invulnera-
ble. Due to his supernatural protection, no one
will be able to get to him. Yet, eventually some-
one will succeed in wounding him, probably
fatally. It seems that this may be a head wound.
We read: “I saw one of his heads as if it had
been mortally wounded.”
But this isn’t the end of him or his kingdom.
Somehow, this “deadly wound was healed.”
The result of this return from death is that “all
the world marveled and followed the beast”
(Rev 13:3).

66
 It is very possible that this miraculous heal-
ing is a result of the devil’s power. It is proba-
bly Satan who cures this Beast. Certainly such
an amazing revival from the dead would cause
people, especially Muslim religious people who
are seeking such things, to be amazed.
It would increase the Antichrist’s esteem in
their eyes and serve to allay any doubts that
they might have had. This “resurrection” from
the dead, no matter how it is accomplished, will
strongly work in the Beast’s favor. It will give
him a kind of supernatural aura of power and
invincibility.
This gives rise to a another thought. After
the Antichrist is wounded, it is possible that the
devil himself enters into his body, thus effecting
some kind of cure. This might possibly coincide
with the time when Satan is finally thrown out
of heaven to the earth (Rev 12:9,13). This then
could be how this false resurrection is accom-
plished.
Another possibility is that at this time the
spirit of Antiochus Epiphanes is retrieved from
wherever it happens to be and inhabits this
body. Whatever actually occurs, this wound
and its healing only serve to promote the popu-
larity of the Beast.

67
 3.

“ONE WORLD
GOVERNMENT”

Throughout my years as a Christian, I have

constantly heard about the coming “one world
government” which supposedly is headed by
the Antichrist. But as I have read through the
scriptures, time and time again, I cannot find
one verse which teaches this. It seems that the
vast majority of Christians believe in this com-
ing universal administration, but where is the
Biblical basis for it? Let us take a moment to
look at some verses together.
Every reader should know by now that the
Antichrist’s coalition consists of ten nations.
That’s right, just ten. This fact is repeated over
and over again. In our world today, we have
about 195 different nations. Now how is it pos-
sible for Antichrist to be the head of some kind
of “one world government” when scripturally,
he only rules ten countries? This just does not
make sense.

68
 In fact, when he rises up, he doesn’t even
take over these ten nations himself. He seizes
control of only three. We read: “I was consider-
ing the [ten] horns, and there was another horn,
a little one, coming up among them, before
whom three of the first horns were plucked out
by the roots” (Dan 7:8). The angel explains to
Daniel that this means the Antichrist will “sub-
due three kings” (Dan 7:24).
You see, when he comes to power, the
Antichrist will only take actual, personal con-
trol of three nations of the world. This may not
be your concept but it certainly is scriptural.
Eventually, after managing to gain control of
three countries, this Beast persuades seven
other nations to join in with him. We are not
told if they do so out of fear or if they agree
with his agenda.
One clue we have is that “he will divide
the land for gain” (Dan 11:39). This may mean
that he grants rulership or portions of land to
those who will agree with him and work
toward his goals. For whatever reason, seven
other “kings” join in with him to accomplish
his (and, as we will see, some of God’s) pur-
poses. What we can know certainly is that
these other kings “give their power and
authority to the beast” (Rev 17:13).
By the way, dear readers, you can forget
about all the conspiracy theories you have
heard as explanations for the end-times events.

69
 Don’t worry about the United Nations, the
Illuminati, the Bilderburgs, the Trilateral
Commission, the Council on Foreign Relations,
the Skull and Bones Club or any of the rest of
this stuff. The problem with all these supposed
conspiracies is that they have no biblical basis
whatsoever, or they are synthesized from a
very few verses. They hang from very slender
doctrinal threads having almost no scriptural
foundation but volumes of imagination.
Consequently, these things have a mental
appeal, but are not doctrinally sound. No doubt
these various groups exist. Perhaps they even
imagine that they are moving the world. But
what we find in the scriptures is what will real-
ly take place. What we really need to under-
stand end-times events is a teaching which
unites all the various prophecies in an orderly,
logical manner – not conspiracy theories.
Getting back to our “one world govern-
ment” discussion, some will undoubtedly say
to me: “But the Bible says that the Antichrist is
given authority ‘over every tribe, tongue, and
nation’ ” (Rev 13:7).
Yes, I do know this verse. It must be the ori-
gin of the “one world government” idea.
Certainly this verse, along with all the others
we have been reading, must be true. However,
we cannot devise a doctrine or end-time sce-
nario based on only one verse. In order to
understand what God is revealing to us, all the

70
verses of the Bible must considered. Whatever
it is that we conclude must harmonize with all
the scriptures.
This verse does not say that he “governs”
every tribe, tongue and nation, but only that he
has “authority,” or power, over them. This is an
important distinction. To govern an area, or the
world as a whole, you would have to regulate
almost every aspect of the social, economic, and
legal system. To control, or “have authority
over” you merely must have the power to make
the others do a few things which you want them
to do. This is an very important distinction.
If you think about the situation logically, no
one would be able to conquer the world militar-
ily. Logistically it is impossible. No ruler could
ever have enough troops and equipment to
invade and subdue the world. Yet this is exact-
ly what the Antichrist would have to do to
establish a “one world government.”
Using the recent situation in Afghanistan as
an example, we quickly see the absurdity of
such an idea. In spite of all its manpower, tech-
nology and equipment, the United States is hav-
ing trouble dominating one single country. In
the same way, any invader of the world would
quickly encounter insurmountable obstacles,
especially from guerrilla type warfare.
Going back to our discussion of the
Antichrist, we have learned that he becomes
strong with a small number of followers (Dan

71
11:23). Obviously, he will not have the military
might to even think about a global conquest.
Perhaps you imagine the U.N. might be able
to do the job of subduing the world for him.
Many suppose that if the Antichrist could con-
trol the U.N., then he could use this entity to do
his work for him. But wait, the U.N. has had
tremendous difficulty handling even the most
minor regional disturbances that it has tackled.
Small, “third world” countries have proved
impossible for the U.N. to control. Recently, for
example, they werent able to straighten out the
situation in Haiti, one of the tiniest, poorest
countries in the world.
Even with many nations contributing, the
U.N. could never dominate the world militari-
ly. It simply would not work. They do not have
enough men and equipment. No, the Antichrist
must have some other mechanism by which he
forces the world to accept his new brand of reli-
gion.
Another idea which many believe is that
someone will gain world-wide popularity, for
example as the leader of the U.N., and then
unite the world under his leadership using this
forum. This possibility is so remote as to be
almost absurd.
Right now, for example, we are seeing an
much of Europe “united” in the Common
Market. Yet recent events are exposing the
weakness and fragility of this arrangement.

72
Various nations have rejected the new constitu-
tion. Some are discussing the possibility of
pulling out of the one currency arrangement.
Others are even analyzing the idea of nations
withdrawing from membership entirely.
An article I came across on the internet a
few months ago confirms this weakness. The
CIA has produced a paper predicting the disin-
tegration of the European Union. It is very dif-
ficult, if not impossible, to unite countries with
different languages, cultures, and religions. The
Antichrist will not even try to do this.
Please remember this: the Antichrist will
not be universally popular! The Bible plainly
tells us this fact. Therefore, he must gain his
control over the world through some other
means.
When you stop to consider all the facts care-
fully, there are some other interesting possibili-
ties (besides a one world government) of how
the Antichrist could control the world which
spring to mind. There are a few ways that the
Antichrist could rule only ten nations and still
have power to make the rest of the world do
what he wants. Let us consider these possibili-
ties together.
Here are our facts which we have at hand
with which to work: 1) The Antichrist arises in
the Middle East. 2) His ten nations are taken out
of the remnants of the Ottoman Empire which
includes the Middle East and North Africa. 3)

73
He directly rules over only ten nations. Yet, 4)
the Antichrist somehow is able to force the rest
of the world to do his will. He will evidently
even be able to exert some control over the eco-
nomic systems of the nations, dictating who can
or cannot buy and sell (Rev 13:17).
So how is it that he might acquire this kind
of control? How is it that someone from the
Middle East, ruling over only ten nations might
be able to dominate the world and get the
nations to do his will? His power is so great that
he will cause millions of believers to be put to
death. What hold could he have over the
nations that they would be willing to partici-
pate in this sort of atrocity?
This part of our study is intended to give
the reader some food for thought about these
subjects. It is hoped that it would provide some
possibilities to look for as the events of the
future develop.
The following section is not based on any
scripture. Therefore, it must be considered
speculation. The Bible verses which we have
studied about the Antichrist coming from and
having his kingdom in the Middle East are
timeless. They will always be true.
But our speculations about how such a dicta-
tor might control the world could change over
time. Nevertheless, it is worth spending some
time here to look into how a modern-day
Antichrist could make this work.

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 OIL

Oil is a very small word. But it has a big

impact on our modern world. Today, all the
nations around the globe are addicted to oil.
They have to have it. They depend upon it.
Without oil, they could not plant. They could
not reap. If they did, they could not transport
what they grew. No one could travel to stores to
buy food, clothing and other goods.
Without oil, planes would not fly, trucks
would not run and ships would not move. No
one could really buy or sell (except locally)
since virtually all modern transportation sys-
tems rely on petroleum. If any nation today
could not get oil, panic and pandemonium
would result. The world’s addiction to oil is
acute.
The modern world is completely dependent
on oil. Therefore, if someone could manage to
gain control of the world’s oil supply, or at least
a good part of it, they would be able to manip-
ulate all, or at least most of those who depend
on it. In short, they could dominate the world.
Interestingly, a good share of the world’s oil
supply is in the Middle East. It is there that God
saw fit to put a lot of oil. It is precisely this
region which the Bible says will be the domain
of the coming man of sin. Therefore, it is an
extremely reasonable supposition that he

75
would gain control of a large share of the
world’s oil reserves. If so, then the Antichrist
and his ten nations would be in a position to
begin dictating what the other nations must do
in order to continue receiving oil.
This is an extremely important point. There
is virtually no other commodity which is so
necessary in our modern world. It is literally the
fuel which powers every modern economy.
This cannot be any secret to some individ-
ual seeking power from that region of the
world. Saddam Hussein in his day realized this.
He attacked Kuwait and seemed to have further
plans to invade Saudi Arabia. He fought wars
with Iran. No doubt he had some thoughts
about consolidating his control over the oil
fields in that region.
In the same way, the future Antichrist can-
not be unaware of the immense possibilities
which would be available to someone who
could seize control of these oil rich areas of the
world.
Interestingly, the Bible hints at the possibil-
ity that the Antichrist will control some Middle
East oil fields.
Daniel 11:2 reads: “He shall enter peace-
ably, even into the richest places of the
province.” The Hebrew word “richest” can be
translated “oil” (Strong’s number 04924).
(Certainly there is a correspondence between
oil and riches). The word “province” is literally

76
“Medina” which is both a desert region and a
city in Saudi Arabia today.
Using these two possible translations we
could then read: “He shall enter...the places of
the Median Desert [Saudi Arabia] which are full
of oil.” Although we cannot insist that this
translation is the correct one, it certainly does
support our postulations here.
Anyone who could manage to conquer or
acquire control over the Middle East would
have the rest of the world over a barrel – a bar-
rel of oil. They would be able to call the shots.
They could dictate to most of the other coun-
tries what they had to do in order to continue
receiving oil.
In order for any commerce to carry on, for
the other nations’ economies to continue func-
tioning, they have to have oil. In fact, in order
for most countries to continue to eat, they
depend completely on oil for their transporta-
tion system. The more industrialized a country
is, the more they must have oil. Consequently,
someone who controlled the oil could control
them. The formula is simple, if you could con-
trol the oil, you could control the world.
Interestingly, many of the more “devel-
oped” nations produce very little of their own
oil. Japan, for example, imports 99% of her oil.
Europe produces very little, except in the North
Sea. India and China with their burgeoning
economies and populations are dramatically

77
increasing their use of oil every year. Yet they
produce very little themselves. This is one rea-
son that oil is so expensive today.
Consequently, these and most of the other
nations in the world are completely vulnerable
to anyone who could succeed in gaining control
of the Middle East oil-producing areas.
Therefore, if the coming Antichrist would con-
solidate his control over the Middle Eastern oil
fields, he would be in a good position to begin
to dictate his terms to those who need this oil.
Perhaps there are a few countries which
would not be heavily impacted by a consolida-
tion of power in the Middle East. Nigeria pro-
duces oil and so would probably be exempt.
Furthermore, the national leadership of this
nation is principally Muslim.
Venezuela also pumps lots of oil. Mexico
produces more than enough for her needs at the
moment. Brazil hopes to be energy self-suffi-
cient in a few years. Russia would seem to be
immune to threats concerning oil. Yet it is very
possible that the coming Antichrist will have
another weapon besides oil which he can use to
force others to do his will.

TERRORISM

It is very logical to believe that someone,

like a middle eastern fanatic, who would man-
age to consolidate power among ten nations in

78
the Middle East and North Africa would be
familiar with the use of terrorism. Some of these
countries already have or soon will have
nuclear weapons and the missiles to deliver
them. These nuclear nations could easily be a
part of what will become the Antichrist empire.
Therefore, the coming man of sin could
have two different weapons with which to con-
trol the rest of the world. He will probably have
a “two-fisted” approach so to speak, with one
weapon in each hand.
On one hand, he will have the oil weapon
to persuade the nations to obey his will. On the
other, he will probably have weapons of mass
destruction at his disposal for those countries
who are somewhat immune to his oil threats.
Many nations who might not capitulate eas-
ily because of being deprived of oil, might
quickly change their minds if one of their major
cities suddenly went up in fire and smoke.
Also, merely seeing some other country suffer
this punishment for disobedience might be
enough to persuade them.
In the Middle East today, there is no short-
age of fanatics ready to sacrifice their lives to
further their cause. Human bombs seem to be
plentiful. It is part of the Islamic religion that to
die for their cause guarantees them a place in
paradise. This appears to be a powerful incen-
tive. Therefore, the threat of nuclear retaliation
against some ruler who used an atomic bomb

79
for terroristic purposes might not have the
same deterring effect that it would have on
other nations.
It is quite plausible to think that the
Antichrist will have and use atomic weapons.
Although there is no absolute biblical proof of
this, we do have some indications in this direc-
tion which we will examine as we go along.
Also, it is a very logical conclusion to draw
from our present-day world situation.
Any Middle East despot who wished to
dominate the world would certainly think of
these possibilities. Using these techniques, he
would pressure the other nations to convert to
his new brand of Muslim religion. Using these
two levers, he could become very persuasive.

ALTERNATIVE FUELS

If some tyrant gained control over much of

the world’s petroleum and started trying to dic-
tate policy to the nations, what would they do?
One possibility is to try to find alternatives for
the fuel they need. Yet finding alternative fuel
sources has not proven to be very easy.
In the U.S., for example, there has been a
strange resistance to developing new forms of
energy. There has been some progress in a few
areas, but it has had little impact on the fossil
fuel consumption of the population. Besides
this, if other such fuels were developed, the

80
infrastructure to produce and widely distribute
these products would take many years to
install. Hydrogen fuel, for example, is some-
thing which is many years away from being
commercially viable.
Also the U.S. has been very slow to exploit
the energy she has available today. It seems that
there is a lot of oil in Alaska, but until recently,
the environmental protesters have made it
almost impossible to drill there. Canada has
tremendous deposits of oil sands, but the infra-
structure to take advantage of this is underde-
veloped. Although there seems to be oil which
could be used, circumstances have prevented it.
It almost seems as if there is some kind of
invisible resistance to the world becoming inde-
pendent of Middle East oil. It almost looks like
events are being controlled or guided by pow-
ers which supersede all logic.
This might lead us to suspect that there is
some supernatural force or forces behind these
things. It is certainly true that God Himself is
the power behind the many decisions and
events which impact our lives.
Through some supernatural design, it is the
Middle East which possesses a large portion of
the world’s oil reserves. The world’s depend-
ence upon oil is certainly not an accident.
Furthermore, the seeming inability of the
nations to develop other sources of energy also
has not happened by chance. It is as if the stage

81
is being set for a Middle East dictator to rise up
and be able to make many demands upon the
other nations simply because he will control so
much oil.
Of course, no one can be sure about exactly
how the future will unfold, but certainly the
world situation today gives rise to such possi-
bilities. The modern world as a whole is vulner-
able to anyone who might control the Middle
East oil.
Scripturally, we have seen that it is the com-
ing Antichrist who will assume dominion over
that portion of the globe. Therefore, it is almost
certain that he also will control a lot of the
world’s oil supplies. This will likely put him in
a position of being able to dictate his terms to
those needing oil. The nations over whom the
Antichrist might make demands would either
have to go to war or give in.
If, as we have postulated, this dictator pos-
sessed nuclear weapons and had shown a dis-
position to use them, this would greatly deter
any military action against him. Many nations
would have no viable alternative other than
cooperation. It will certainly be interesting to
see how all these things work together in the
coming end of the age.

82
 4.

GOD’S TIMETABLE

God has a timetable. He is not doing things

randomly. Neither is He sort of ad-libbing as
time goes along – seeing how things develop
and then changing his plans accordingly.
Instead, from the beginning, God has known
exactly when and how each event will occur.
Unlike God who is infinite and not confined
to time, we human beings are finite and are lim-
ited by both time and space. We cannot know
the future unless God reveals it to us. We are
entirely dependent upon Him.
In discussions regarding the end times or
the end of this present age, there has been a lot
of speculation through the years. Teachings,
opinions, predictions and interpretations have
abounded and still do abound.
I know of no other area of Bible interpreta-
tion which is fraught with so much confusion,
differing opinions and error as the subject of
prophecies concerning the future.
83
 Many of the mistakes which have been
made in the past have been made because peo-
ple interpreted the prophetic scriptures in the
light of their contemporaneous events. They
looked at the Bible through the lenses of their
present sociopolitical situation. For example,
many people during World War II thought that
Hitler was the Antichrist. This is understand-
able. Certainly he was an evil person who per-
secuted the Jews.
Others have predicted the second coming of
Christ. Perhaps some of you readers remember
the brief furor created by a little book claiming
that Jesus was returning in 1988. None of these
things have turned out to be true.
However, the ideas being presented here
serve a good purpose. They are food for
thought. If the man of sin is manifested in our
time, then there are certain events which will
have to occur to fulfill the scriptures.
This book then, gives believers directions in
which to look. If nothing happens as we have
imagined, well and good. But if the very events,
or events similar to what we have been dis-
cussing, begin to unfold then we will know that
the time has come.

A DIVINE FORMULA

These things being said, God does reveal to

us part of His timetable. He does give us a kind

84
of chronology of events to guide us. It is true
that no one knows the day or the hour of Jesus’
second advent (Mt 25:13). But, even though it is
impossible to nail down exact dates for the
coming events, we are given some general
guidelines. God has not left us entirely in the
dark. My favorite of these guidelines is the
explanation given by Peter.
Peter was a fisherman. He was not an edu-
cated man. Yet, he became someone who was
intimate with God and heard clearly from Him.
While teaching us about the end of this age and
Jesus’ second coming he speaks about the prob-
lem of the coming skeptics.
He addresses those who, towards the end of
the age, will be faced with many “scoffers...in
the last days” who will say, “Where is the prom-
ise of his coming?” (II Pet 3:3,4). He asserts that
they “willfully forget” how God has judged the
earth before and will do so again (II Pet 3:5-7).
Then he urges his readers not to forget one
thing. There is an important fact about this sub-
ject which he is very keen for them to remem-
ber. It is this: “...that with the Lord one day is as
a thousand years, and a thousand years as one
day” (II Pet 3:8). Here Peter is reminding them
of God’s timetable. It is something which the
Lord has revealed to him and that he is urging
them (and us) to remember.
Many seem to suppose that Peter is simply
waxing poetic here. They imagine that he is

85
merely saying something like: “Oh, it’s just
going to be a long time.” “Who knows how
long.” Or, “You never know. You never can tell
with God, He’s just so much beyond us.”
But could this really be what Peter is so anx-
ious for us to remember? Could this be his
anointed response to all the skeptics? Is some-
thing so vague and wishy-washy what he real-
ly intended to communicate? Or could it be that
Peter was actually explaining something con-
crete which he urgently wanted us to under-
stand and remember?
What might happen if we took Peter’s
words literally? What if he is giving us a literal
equation? Then we would have a simple,
divinely inspired formula for the end of the age.
This formula would be: one day = one thousand
years. If we would apply this formula to the six
days of creation and the seventh day of rest, we
would arrive at the following idea: God
designed from the beginning for this earth to
exist for 6,000 years plus a 1,000 year
Millennium. This would give a total of 7,000
years, or seven “days.”
Applying this formula in this manner is not
stretching the scriptures beyond their context.
Peter is talking here about “the beginning of
creation” (vs 4), the heaven and earth which
were created and the future judgment or end of
the world. So it is very logical to apply his for-
mula in this way. If we do so, then we would

86
expect the return of Christ to be about 6,000
years after the creation of Adam.
According to various Bible chronologers,
we are very close to that date now. Many
learned brethren have traced the often slender
thread of dates through the Bible. They calcu-
late their conclusions based on the ages of indi-
viduals, the reigns of kings and other numbers
given in scriptures. Although no two seem to
agree with one another exactly, they all arrive at
approximately the same conclusion.
This is: that from the creation of Adam and
Eve until God’s covenant with Abraham was
about 2,000 years, from Abraham to Christ was
about 2,000 years. From Christ until today
about 2,000 years. This last number is easy to
figure. We can simply look at any modern cal-
endar and find that about 2,000 years have
passed since the birth of Christ.
Therefore, Peter’s simple formula works
just as we might expect. From the six days of
creation until today, more or less 6,000 years
have passed. So, we should be expecting the
end of the age at any moment. However, we
must remember that these dates are not exact.
Scholars argue, for example, over the pre-
cise date of Jesus’ birth. Also, some of the Old
Testament chronologers differ with each other
by as much as 85 years. So we can only con-
clude that we are now about 6,000 years from
the beginning.

87
 Another factor which we might consider is
that the crucifixion of Christ was much more of
a pivotal date in world history than his birth. So
if we were to count 2,000 years from the cross,
rather than the manger (which would have
been approximately 27 to 33 A.D.), then we
would not expect Jesus to return until 2,027 to
2,033 A.D. This would put the second coming
about 13 to 19 years from today. Such a rudi-
mentary calculation is nothing to base your life
on. But it does give us an idea of about where
we might be on God’s calendar.

TWO IMPORTANT EVENTS

One other thing we know clearly from the

scriptures is that the “day” of the Lord’s
appearing will not come until two events occur.
One of these is called a great “falling away” (II
Thess 2:3). Literally, this means ”defection” or
“revolt.” Incredibly, some Bible teachers have
tried to make this into the rapture. They teach
that this word can mean “departure.” From this
basis, they insist that Jesus will not come until
the church has “departed.”
It is interesting to note that the Greek word
here is “APOSTASIA” which is literally trans-
lated “apostasy.” Thus, we have the honor of
being the only generation in the history of the
church which has twisted the scriptures to such
an extreme point. We have managed to convert

88
the greatest apostasy of all time into the rap-
ture. But, getting back to our original thought,
this great apostasy or departure from the true
following of Jesus must occur first.
The second event is that the “man of sin”
must be revealed (II Thess 2:3). This means that
the Antichrist will be seen and known for what
he is before the day of Jesus’ return. It is not
clear from the word of God exactly when the
Antichrist will be “revealed.” Some think it will
be at the beginning of a seven year period
known as the tribulation. Others speculate that
it will be in the middle of this time, three and
one half years before the end.
But there is no verse which demands either
of these two interpretations. It is possible that
the Beast will emerge in an identifiable manner
many years before the events which will mark
the beginning of the tribulation. We will proba-
bly be able to recognize the Antichrist by seeing
him involved in the events which we are study-
ing in this book. These things could occur a
number of years before he consolidates his
power or begins his persecution of the saints.
Our rough calculation above gave us 13 to
19 years until the end of the age. Subtracting 7
years of tribulation from this would give us 6 to
12 years from today. But, it will take some time
for the Antichrist to establish his kingdom and
consolidate his power. This will not happen
overnight.

89
 So, the Antichrist could be recognizable
some years, let us say 5 to 10 years before the
beginning of the tribulation. This could mean
that very soon we may be able to identify some-
one who is beginning to fulfill the prophecies
concerning this figure. However, this timetable
cannot be thought of as being exact, prophetic,
or dependable.
Only the passage of time will tell us if our
cogitations are correct. But these ideas do give
us a direction in which to look. They are useful
as some kind of points of reference to compare
to current events. So, if we see things beginning
to fall into place according to the scriptures
which we have been examining, then we can
know that the time is indeed short.

“THIS GENERATION”

Another passage which comes into play in

our discussion is found in Luke chapter 21.
Here Jesus is teaching His disciples about the
signs of the times and the end of the age. As
part of this dissertation He says: “Assuredly, I
say to you, this generation will by no means
pass away till all things are fulfilled” (Lk 21:32).
This verse has been the subject of much
debate. Just what Jesus meant by “this genera-
tion” is often disputed. However, it seems clear
that this must include the generation which
sees certain signs. Among these signs is that:

90
“...Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles
[remain in the possession of the Gentiles] until
the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (Lk
21:24).
In 70 A.D. the Roman general Titus con-
quered and destroyed Jerusalem. Beginning at
that time until recently, it has been under
“Gentile,” rather than Jewish domination. But
in 1967 the older, historic part of the city of
Jerusalem fell into the hands of the Jews again,
after almost 2,000 years had passed. This event
is probably the fulfillment of the above men-
tioned pronouncement of Jesus.
This then would tell us that the end will be
within one generation of this event. (Some have
mistakenly begun their calculations from the
time when Israel became a nation, ie. 1948. But
the verse here specifically says “Jerusalem,” not
Israel.)
But what is a biblical generation? There are
verses which mention the figure 40 years. Other
verses seem to say 100 years. Due to their sin,
the children of Israel wandered in the wilder-
ness until one generation died out. This took 40
years.
However, this group was all 20 years old or
older when their rebellion took place (Num
14:29). So, some of this “generation” which died
out could have reached 60 years of age or even
more, depending on how old they were when
they were cursed.

91
 The 40 year figure in the Bible must mean
that it takes forty years for one generation to
generate or reproduce another generation. This
does not mean that a generation is limited to 40
years. The exact words which we have read in
Luke are “this generation will by no means pass
away.” So the “generation” which has seen
Jerusalem come back into the possession of the
Jews would all have to die out in order for them
to “pass away.” This would take roughly 70
years if we count the average life-span of mod-
ern man.
But remember here that this generation will
not pass away. So we must be looking at a peri-
od of years which is less than this, let us say 60
years. If we would take our 1967 date and add
60 years, this would put us at 2027. This num-
ber dovetails very nicely with our calculations
using Peter’s formula. Subtracting 7 years of
tribulation, gives us 6 years from today.
You can no doubt see that there is a lot of
guesswork involved in our mathematics here.
These figures can by no means be thought of as
exact. They only give us some ideas about what
might take place.
Therefore, the only reliable source we have
to confide in is Jesus Christ. He is the One who
will be showing us how the events of our day fit
or do not fit into His plan. It is only if we are
walking in intimacy with Him, that that day will
not “come on you unexpectedly” (Lk 21:34).

92
 5.

BABYLON

In the following section, we will engage in

some speculation about how some future
events could unfold. Therefore, these ideas
should be held somewhat lightly as we wait to
see what will actually occur. But, if and when
these things begin to become real in our world,
when the news is full of stories along these
exact lines, then it is time to take seriously the
warnings contained in this series of books
about the end times.
The future Antichrist will have a problem, a
very formidable problem. He will want to con-
solidate his power in the Middle East. His
ambition is to dominate the world and make
the inhabitants of the earth do his will. But, if he
is manifested in these days, there is one nation
which will stand in his way.
That pesky “world policeman,” the United
States, will no doubt oppose his rise to power
and also his control over the oil fields. They, as
they have done in the past, would probably

93
send troops, ships, and missiles to try to stop
any such endeavor. So, if he is to accomplish his
will, he must eliminate the United States from
the picture.
At the time of this writing, the U.S. is finish-
ing up a very messy war in Iraq. They suppose
that they are going to bring peace and stability
to this region. It is a very volatile part of the
world where almost anything can and does
happen. The chances of their establishing a last-
ing peace are virtually nil.
The peoples which comprise the Middle
East are very divided and warlike. Although the
U.S. may, from time to time seem to have some
successes, the likelihood of some kind of victory
which would definitively pacify the population
is almost nil. When the American troops leave,
the chances for further conflict are huge.
Furthermore, this war is having a psycho-
logical impact on the American people. The
longer it continues and the more soldiers are
killed, the less the American people will want
to be involved in a conflict in this region. It is
possible that before this is over, they will be sick
and tired of it. It is conceivable that if the situa-
tion deteriorates in the future, the U.S. would
never want to send its armies there again.
For example, I don’t believe that America
would ever send troops back to Viet Nam.
Almost anything could happen there, and the
United States would not go to war. The emo-

94
tional pain over the past is too great. Something
very similar could easily occur in Iraq,
Afghanistan, and the Middle East. This has
already happened with the mighty Red Army
of Russia.
A humiliating, or less than satisfactory exit
from Iraq (which has now come to pass) could
play into the hands of the coming Antichrist.
He could use the power vacuum which this
would create, along with the unlikely possibili-
ty of the U.S. returning, to rise up and over-
throw the governments of three nations. This is
not an unthinkable possibility in view of cur-
rent events.
Any Muslim fanatic with aspirations to be a
leader certainly realizes this. Consequently, he
and his cohorts will do everything in their
power to make sure that this happens. The ter-
rorist attacks will not stop, but probably only
escalate. Such a leader could easily take advan-
tage of the current state of affairs to springboard
himself into power and influence in this region.
Let us suppose that someone succeeds in
taking power and uniting ten countries. Even
so, he would still sooner or later, have the threat
of the United States resisting him if and when
he tries to begin controlling the rest of the
world. Therefore, the Antichrist must find a
way to paralyze her and/or eliminate this
threat to accomplish his agenda. This will be
absolutely essential.

95
 Due to her overwhelming military might,
the United States would have to be removed
from the world picture if the Antichrist is to
accomplish all his will. In order for any Middle
Eastern dictator to consolidate power and use
his oil resources to control the world, the U.S.
would definitely have to be taken out of the
way.
Another piece of this puzzle is the tremen-
dous hatred that the Islamic zealots have for the
U.S. Supposing her to be a Christian country
and witnessing the luxury in which she lives
along with the enormous amount of sexual
impurity and filth in which she indulges, many
such fanatics have developed an intense hatred
for her.
In their hearts they have a firm purpose to
destroy her. This should be evident to anyone
who is familiar with the present world situa-
tion. Don’t think that 9-11 was enough to satis-
fy them. The radical Muslims’ goal is the total
destruction of the United States.

WEALTHY, INDULGENT BABYLON

These thoughts harmonize exactly with

what we have studied about Babylon in the first
book of this series. There, from the book of
Revelation, we saw her revealed as a self-indul-
gent, opulent, sinful location. She is proud,
world-dominating and unrepentant. Her

96
wealth, extravagance, and lust for more and
more things requires the services of every ship,
ship owner, and mariner in the sea (see
Revelation 17 and 18).
Babylon is isolated from the rest of the
world and mainly thinks about herself. Her sin-
fulness, in terms of adultery, fornication, mur-
der of the unborn, homosexuality, and other
such things, has become rampant. She has
abandoned God as her Protector, casting Him
out of her government and schools and turned
instead to idols of so-called science and human-
ism. Consequently, God decides to judge her.
(For a more thorough analysis of this subject,
please refer to the previous book entitled
Babylon.)
Interestingly, He chooses the Antichrist and
his ten nations to be the instruments of His
judgment. They are the ones who will attack her
and thoroughly burn her with fire.
We read: “And the ten horns which you saw
on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her
desolate and naked, eat her flesh, and burn her
with fire. For God has put it into their hearts to ful-
fill his purpose, to be of one mind, and to give
their kingdom to the beast, until the words of
God are fulfilled” (Rev 17:16,17).
Let us look at the phrase “hate the harlot.” It
is certain that many of the countries which will
probably take part in the Antichrist’s schemes
already hate the United States. Iran, for exam-

97
ple, attacked the U.S. embassy and took some
hostages a number of years ago, calling
America the “Great Satan.”
The hatred in the Middle East towards the
U.S. is tremendous and increasing every day.
The terrorist acts being perpetrated against
America and her allies today are motivated by
a great, deep-seated hatred. These individuals
see her as a corrupt, immoral society doing
whatever she wants to on the world scene,
trampling on anyone who gets in her way.
The Antichrist’s military efforts against
Babylon will probably occur in two stages. First
he must back her off until he consolidates his
power. Then, biblically, he will destroy her
completely.
No matter who he turns out to be, the U.S.
will certainly oppose the Antichrist’s rise to
power in the Middle East. She has a long histo-
ry of interfering in that region. So, how could
the Antichrist neutralize this threat while he is
consolidating his power?.
The first stage of “backing her off” might be
done by some humiliating attacks with wea-
pons of mass destruction, either chemical, bio-
logical or nuclear. This could be what the Bible
is referring to when it says that the Antichrist
will “make her...naked” (Rev 17:16). The con-
nection here is that when you strip someone of
their clothes or “make them naked” you humil-
iate them.

98
 If the Antichrist could acquire some nuclear
bombs or other such weapons, he could then
put some on old cargo ships and sail them into
American harbors. Or he could smuggle some
biological weapons into the country. Next he
could attack in one place and then say to the
U.S., “I have more weapons in your country.
You either leave me alone or I will do it again.”
Through the fear that this kind of attack
could create, he could possibly get the U.S. to
tolerate his agenda, at least for a while. Finally,
after humiliating her and getting her reluctant
cooperation for a time, he will then destroy her
with great hatred.
Of course, no one can predict how these
events might occur. Such speculations are only
given to show how such things might be possi-
ble in today’s world. Although many
Americans don’t really think such events are
likely and believe that their government and
even God will protect them, the fact is that God
is on the other side. God Himself will help the
Antichrist execute His judgment upon Babylon.
That’s right. God will put His power behind
the Antichrist and use him to do His will. The
Almighty Himself will empower the coming
man of sin to bring down the world’s most
powerful, wealthy nation and judge her. We
read again: “...for God has put it into their
hearts to fulfill his purpose...until the words of
God are fulfilled” (Rev 17:17).

99
 With such a divine anointing, all the protec-
tion in the world, all the intelligence gathering,
along with all the safety measures will not be
enough to avoid her eventual destruction.
Please, for your own sake, don’t depend upon
human government or resources to protect you.

WEALTHY, SINFUL BABYLON

DESTROYED

A passage in Daniel chapter 8, verses 23-25,

says a lot to confirm that a wealthy, powerful,
sinful nation, such as the United States, will be
destroyed by the Antichrist. Let us take some
time and analyze this passage together.
We read: “And in the latter time of their
kingdom [the kingdoms of the other three
beasts, possibly England, Russia and Germany]
when the transgressors have reached their full-
ness, [here we see that the sinfulness of the
prostitute must reach a peak as it did in the land
of Canaan before the Israelites destroyed them
(Gen 15:16)] a king shall arise, having fierce fea-
tures, who understands sinister schemes.”
“His power shall be mighty, but not by his
own power. [We have already seen how the
Antichrist will be empowered by the devil.] He
shall destroy fearfully [possibly referring to the
use of terrorist attacks], and shall prosper and
thrive; He shall destroy the mighty, [this could
be the U.S.] and also the holy people [this

100
would refer to the coming slaughter of the
saints].”
Going on in this passage we read: “Through
his cunning he shall cause deceit to prosper
under his hand; and he shall magnify himself in
his heart. He shall destroy many in their pros-
perity. [This too is probably speaking about the
destruction of prosperous Babylon.] He shall
even rise against the Prince of princes; but he
shall be broken without human hand.” Another
verse which indicates the destruction of some
especially strong nation or nations is Daniel
11:39 where we read: “Thus he [Antichrist]
shall act against the strongest fortresses.”
Today, in the area of the globe once occu-
pied by the Ottoman Empire (from which will
come the kingdom of the Antichrist) there are
several countries which have or soon will have
nuclear armaments. These same countries also
have and are further perfecting missiles which
can deliver these warheads. Some of these
countries also have ships and “decommis-
sioned” nuclear submarines bought from the
former Soviet Union.
As we have speculated in the book Babylon,
it would be very possible for the U.S. to be
“destroyed in one hour” “by fire” through a
nuclear attack. This attack could be accom-
plished with only about ten ships and another
ten submarines, each carrying ten missiles
apiece.

101
 Such ships do not even need to be military
vessels. Average cargo ships can carry missiles
in their holds. They can be fired by simply
removing the hatch covers and pushing a but-
ton. These vessels could keep well outside the
territorial waters of the United States and yet
hit every major city, even in the interior of the
country. Such an attack of 100-200 nuclear mis-
siles, hitting many or most of the major cities
would completely destroy the country.
As an example of how this could happen,
we have seen recent news reports on the web
which indicate that Iran is placing some of its
long-range missiles in cargo ships. Further, the
current president of the country Georgia has
revealed that in 1999, his country sold Iran
twelve cruise missiles left over from the Soviet
era. This means that they have had 15 years
(until today) to copy and reproduce them.
If and when they succeed in producing
nuclear weapons, these could easily be fitted as
warheads. Although we cannot know the
future or if Iran will be involved in the end-time
scenario, they certainly are in the right place
geographically.
I am told by a friend of mine who is a scien-
tist that someone with a really evil intention
could make this attack even worse. If a signifi-
cant amount of the metal cobalt is included in a
warhead (for example the casing around the
actual bomb) the area where the missile hits

102
would be contaminated by radiation for as long
as seven to eight hundred years or even longer.
This means that that region would be uninhab-
itable and no one could safely travel through it
or near it for centuries.
At this moment, the United States is work-
ing very hard to develop a missile shield. They
are inventing various means to intercept and
shoot down incoming missiles. But, if these
attacks are launched close to her borders, it may
be that there will not be enough time to detect
them, activate the defenses and then intercept
the missiles.
The Bible says that God will work against
Babylon and help her enemies destroy her. He
will anoint the Antichrist and his ten kings to
execute His judgment against Babylon. Don’t
put your hope in some kind of missile defense.
Some may argue with me that at least parts
of the U.S. military would certainly survive
such an attack and would retaliate, thus elimi-
nating the Antichrist or his kingdom. Of course
I cannot say what they might or might not do.
But, I do know that during the “cold war”
era, there was a large debate as to whether or
not the U.S. would respond to a full-scale Soviet
nuclear attack. Many thought that they would
not. The loss of life and the lack of any benefits
besides revenge might mitigate against it.
Also, if the leadership of the country were
destroyed, or if the president or any leader who

103
survived was rather indecisive, a retaliation
might not take place.
Certainly, because it is God who is judging
Babylon through the Antichrist, He knows
what will happen. God Himself will be orches-
trating the entire situation.

THE DESTRUCTION OF BABYLON

The reader may wish to take some time here

and read Jeremiah, chapter 50 and 51. Here we
have detailed for us the destruction of Babylon.
But while you are reading, please remember
that part of this prophecy refers to the ancient
Babylon and part to the modern one.
Some of these verses have already been ful-
filled and some have a future fulfillment. It is
very possible that many have a dual signifi-
cance and apply to both “Babylons.” Which
exact verses refer to each one and which to both
is almost impossible to tease out. As you read,
you will no doubt see in some verses events
which could easily happen today. Among them
are a few points which seem very clear.
Babylon is destroyed by someone who
comes “out of the north” (Jer 50:3), “an assem-
bly of great nations from the north country” (Jer
50:9) and “a people” who “come from the
north” (Jer 50:41). You may remember that
much of the old Ottoman Empire was “north”
of Israel.

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 These passages do not seem to demand that
the nations which destroy the “end-times
Babylon” be literally “north” of her geographi-
cally. For example, the only nation literally
north of the U.S. is Canada. It could merely indi-
cate where they are located in relationship to
Israel, therefore demonstrating a geographical
position which the Jews of that day could
understand. This interpretation corresponds
exactly to what we have been seeing about the
Antichrist empire coming from the Middle East.

DESTROYED BY “ARROWS”

As you read these two chapters, you will no

doubt notice that there is a strong emphasis on
“arrows.” Babylon is principally destroyed by
arrows. We read: “Their arrows shall be like
those of an expert warrior” (Jer 50:9). “...against
Babylon all around, all you who bend the bow;
shoot at her, spare no arrows” (Jer 50:14).
“Call together the archers against Babylon.
All you who bend the bow, encamp against it
all around” (Jer 50:29). The attackers from the
north “shall hold the bow and the lance” (Jer
50:42). “Against her let the archer bend his
bow” (Jer 51:3). “Make the arrows bright” (Jer
51:11).
These verses about arrows could refer, and
probably do refer to missiles being launched at
Babylon. For example, missiles fly through the

105
air like arrows and are often “bright” because of
their metallic skins. Of course, this idea cannot
be proven. In the days of Jeremiah, there were
no missiles. Arrows or lances would have been
the closest thing to a missile that the people of
that day would know or understand. So it is not
impossible that God used the word “arrows” to
symbolize something in the future.
But now we come to an astounding fact.
Ancient Babylon was not destroyed by arrows!
It was conquered by shovels. The Medes and
Persians spent their time digging a canal to
divert the Euphrates River. This river ran under
the wall of Babylon, through the city and out
the other side.
By diverting the river, the attacking armies
lowered the level of the river enough so that
they could come in under the wall, thus con-
quering the city. These invaders encountered
little resistance. The defenses of ancient
Babylon were rendered useless.
Since ancient Babylon was not literally
destroyed by archers or arrows, we are led to
conclude that these verses must apply to the
end-times Babylon.
Another feature of these two chapters is the
destruction of Babylon by “fire” and the desola-
tion that results. The result of being uninhabit-
able is also mentioned. Jeremiah 50:3 says that
the attack “will make her land desolate.”
“Because of the wrath of the Lord she shall not

106
be inhabited, but she shall be wholly desolate.
Everyone who goes by Babylon shall be horri-
fied and hiss at all her plagues” (Jer 50:13).
We are told that Babylon will “become a
desolation among the nations” (Jer 50:23) and
that her attackers will “destroy her utterly” (Jer
50:26). God will “kindle a fire in his [Babylon’s]
cities [it is significant here that this says more
than one city] and it will devour all around”
(Jer 50:32).
Babylon “shall be inhabited no more forev-
er, nor shall it be dwelt in from generation to
generation” (Jer 50:39). The destruction of
Babylon is compared to Sodom and Gomorrah
in which a fire fell from heaven that made it
uninhabitable (Jer 50:40). God will make
Babylon “a burnt mountain” and she “shall be
desolate for ever” (Jer 51:25,26).
She will become “an astonishment and a
hissing, without an inhabitant” (Jer 51:37). “Her
cities [again plural, indicating a nation] are a
desolation, a dry land and a wilderness, a land
where no one dwells, through which no son of
man passes” [possibly because of the residual
radiation] (Jer 51:43).
If this author is correct and modern Babylon
will be destroyed by an atomic attack, this
would produce all the effects about which we
have been reading. No doubt such a large scale
strike would also contaminate the air, which as
it moves across the globe, will have some effects

107
on other nations also. It may be that other coun-
tries will make attempts to deal with the fires
and the sources of this radiation, as they did
when the Chernobyl accident occurred in the
Soviet Union, but they will have little success.
Perhaps this is why “The people will labor in
vain, and the nations, because of the fire, and
they shall be weary” (Jer 51:58).

GET OUT OF BABYLON

The consequences of this attack are

extremely severe and lethal. Therefore, God
constantly warns his people to get out of
Babylon. God says: “Go forth from Babylon!”
(Is 48:20). And again he says: “Move from the
midst of Babylon” (Jer 50:8). He warns: “Flee
from the midst of Babylon, and every one save
his life!” (Jer 51:6).
God further exhorts: “My people, go out of
the midst of her! And let everyone deliver him-
self from the fierce anger of the Lord” (Jer
51:45). Finally, God admonishes us with a voice
from heaven saying: “Come out of her, my peo-
ple, lest you share in her sins, and lest you
receive of her plagues” (Rev 18:4).
It may be possible that after this attack,
some inhabitants of Babylon will still be able to
escape. As mentioned in the book, Babylon, it is
probable that many millions will survive this
attack. Some of them, because of where they

108
live, may be able to get across the borders or put
to sea and still escape some of the aftermath of
the plagues and death. To them God says: “You
who have escaped the sword, get away! Do not
stand still!” (Jer 51:50).
This means that those who survive should
take every opportunity to leave and keep going
until they get to somewhere safe. Incredibly,
even after such an attack, some still seem to be
reluctant to leave! But God urges them to do so
for their own good.
Since writing the book, Babylon, I have had
some feedback from various brothers and sis-
ters. One comment which has been stated sev-
eral times is the opinion that no one really
needs to leave Babylon. God will surely protect
Christians where they are. Since there are so
many believers in America, God must love
them and would not let anything really bad
happen to them.
This thought process is foolishness. If our
identification of Babylon is correct, then God’s
judgment on her will be prolonged and severe.
His instructions to His people who live there
are extremely clear: “Get out, get out, get out,
get out!”
If we do not obey His voice, then we will
suffer the results of our disobedience. We will
participate in the judgments which God is
going to give her which are: fire, mourning,
death, and famine.

109
 Today is the time to begin preparations to
leave the place which will be judged by God in
the near future. The more prepared you are, the
easier it will be for you to flee when you see the
signs mentioned in this book begin to happen.
The longer you wait, enjoying the ease and
pleasures of Babylonian society, the more diffi-
cult and stressful the situation will become
when the end-time events begin to unfold.

110
 6.

WAR ON THE SAINTS

At the very bottom of the Antichrist’s agen-

da (or perhaps I should say the top) is the issue
of worship. His contention with the rest of the
world is, in the end, all about religion. It is a
question of who will be worshiped, who will be
the god (or God) of this world.
This struggle is really an earthly manifesta-
tion of the spiritual battle which is going on in
the heavens. It is a contest between God and the
devil, between light and darkness, between
truth and the lie.
The Antichrist himself is, in fact, simply a
pawn in this deadly serious game. The people
of God, who are called “the saints” in the
prophetic word, also play an important role.
As part of this struggle, a war begins. It is
called a “war on the saints.” Although this bat-
tle has been going on all through the ages, the
end-times manifestation of it seems to begin
around the time in which Satan is thrown out of
heaven to the earth (Rev 12:9). He has just lost

111
his foothold in the heavens. The only place he
has left is the earth. So, he will try to fully assert
his authority over it.
The way he can do this is by eliminating all
people who do not worship him. In order to
demonstrate to the universe that he is the right-
ful ruler of this planet, he must cause all its
inhabitants to accept his rule. Consequently, his
goal will be to rid the globe of Christians and
Jews alike who won’t submit to him.
The Antichrist, because his heart is under
the control of Satan, will also be promoting this
eradication program. He too will be full of
hatred toward God’s people along with any-
thing and everything which is labeled
“Christian.”
Just as Haman in the book of Ruth deter-
mined to destroy God’s people and as Hitler
had a hatred for the Jews, so the Antichrist will
try to exterminate both believers and Jews.
With time, it seems he will adopt a philosophy
of “convert or die.” Although many of its
adherents try to deny this, the religion of Islam
has often used such tactics before.
As the Antichrist’s power and influence
grow, he begins to think very highly of himself.
His ego grows alongside of his successes. It is
this writer’s belief that he will gradually modi-
fy Islam to suit his own purposes. If so, as we
have already pointed out, he will not be the first
one to do so. Over time, he himself will want to

112
be seen as a kind of supernatural savior. He will
begin to demand worship of himself along with
the dragon. Satan will put his power behind
this surge to the top. This will be a substantial
amount of power. The Antichrist’s new buddy,
the false Prophet, will also lend a hand in urg-
ing the world to worship the beast.
This new Antichrist religion seems to reach
a peak with the construction of a large image
which resembles the Beast. The second beast,
the false Prophet, is granted power to do mira-
cles with this image. He can make it speak (Rev
13:15). One of things that this talking image
says is that everyone who does not worship the
Beast should be put to death.
Of course, any believer in Jesus Christ will
not want to be a worshiper of the Beast.
Consequently, he will soon be looking death in
the face. So we see that not only will the
Antichrist destroy Babylon, but he will also
begin a campaign to rid the world as a whole of
real Christians.
This period of persecution will be a terrible
time for believers. It will be a time of “...great
tribulation, such as has not been since the
beginning of the world until this time, no, nor
ever shall be” (Mt 24:21).
It may also be the “time of Jacob’s trouble”
mentioned in Jeremiah 30:7. Possibly this refers
to the Jews also being persecuted. This will be a
time of war. But it will not be a war in the usual

113
sense. Instead, the Antichrist will wage a one-
sided war against believers.
We read that the “...horn was making war
against the saints, and prevailing against them”
(Dan 7:21). We also are told that he: “...shall per-
secute the saints of the Most High” and that
“...the saints shall be given into his hand for a
time and times and half a time” (Dan 7:25).
In the book of Revelation it is reaffirmed
that God permits the beast to prevail against
His people for a time. Verse 7 of chapter 13
reads: “And it was granted to him [by God] to
make war with the saints and to overcome
them.”
Not only are these faithful believers perse-
cuted, but they are frequently put to death.
Significantly, one of the principal methods
which the Beast will use to kill these Christians
is beheading.
In Revelation chapter 20, verse 4 John sees
an awesome sight. “And I saw the souls of
those who had been beheaded for their witness to
Jesus and for the word of God, who had not
worshiped the beast or his image, and had not
received his mark on their foreheads or on their
hands.” I’m sure all readers know that one of
the main ways that the Muslim radicals of our
time use to kill their captives is beheading.
So we see that there is coming to this earth
a tremendous slaughter of believers. It is so per-
vasive it is called a “war.” How might this

114
work? Here again, we will indulge in some
speculation as we seek answers.
As we have discussed, after the Antichrist
consolidates his power and his control over the
oil fields, he then would be in a position to dic-
tate his policies to the rest of the world. But
what are his policies? Is it job creation? Is it uni-
versal health care, or more retirement benefits?
Is it some new plan to stimulate the economy?
No! Instead his agenda is solely religious. He
will demand that the world convert to his new
brand of Islam.
Some may think that this religious preoccu-
pation of the Antichrist is ridiculous. Much of
the world today is very humanistic and has lit-
tle orientation toward worship or God. But you
must understand, for a religious fanatic, this is
everything! The most important thing for such
a person is his religion. Everything else is sec-
ondary.
Also, for these fanatics, conversion of the
world to their way of thinking is paramount. It
may also be hard for many readers to imagine
that suddenly, modern, sophisticated men and
women will start worshiping a new god. This
possibility may seem extremely remote. How
could much of the world suddenly be con-
vinced to convert?
As time progresses, this will be the
Antichrist’s position, convert or die. This may
seem a little ridiculous to you readers but it

115
does not to him. It will not seem trite to you
either when it is happening. If anyone refuses to
cooperate with his program, then off with his
head.
Some have argued that some Muslim radi-
cal could never be the Antichrist. They reason
that such a person could never become univer-
sally popular and therefore no one would wor-
ship him. But the Antichrist will not be wor-
shiped by most because he becomes popular. In
fact, we have seen that he will not be well liked
or universally accepted.
But death is a strong persuader. When men
and women are faced with the option of conver-
sion or death, they can suddenly become reli-
gious. This method of securing converts is time
tested. It really works. When it becomes a ques-
tion of losing your life or bending your knee,
you will be amazed by how many people will
suddenly “see the light.”

THE IMPACT OF OIL

We have guessed that the nations will have

to go along with the Antichrist’s new demands
because if they don’t they won’t receive oil. Not
only won’t they receive oil which they desper-
ately need to keep their society functioning or
even keep on living, but they might be subject
to terrorist attacks using weapons of mass
destruction. Such attacks could prove to be very

116
powerful persuaders. The amount of pressure
which could be applied will be enormous.
Truthfully, the economies of this world are
all very fragile. They depend upon transporta-
tion, the flow of imports, exports, etc. to contin-
ue functioning. If this is disrupted, economic
disaster would quickly follow. Unemployment,
default on national debt, riots and demonstra-
tions by angry citizens, shortages of food, and
many other things could soon come to pass. So,
unless these countries are willing to go to war
with the Antichrist to stop his program, they
will have to go along.
Some may reasonably ask, “Why don’t
these other nations just attack the Antichrist
and his nations to stop all this worship non-
sense.” Well, there are very few nations in this
world which have standing armies large
enough, along with the equipment necessary, to
do the job.
At this writing, the U.S. was trying to sub-
due Iraq with very limited success and she is
the acknowledged superpower of the world.
The European nations do not have large mili-
taries. Japan also does not. If the Antichrist has
nuclear weapons, this would serve to deter any
invaders. The truth is that the rest of the world
apart from the U.S. is not well positioned mili-
tarily to stop the schemes of the Antichrist.
Every government of the world will be
required to participate in this worship. They

117
and their populations will have to worship the
dragon, the Beast, and his image. If not, no oil.
This may seem strange to you, but it could soon
become very real.
Think about this for a moment. If your aver-
age person were required to perform a little
religious duty to continue to be able to work,
pay his bills, and even eat, would he do it? Of
course he would! If his family would starve on
the streets unless he did a little genuflecting,
well that would be a small price to pay.
You must understand the desperate situa-
tion in which these populations will find them-
selves. At first, no doubt, the oil reserves of
some nations would carry them along. Perhaps
their alternative fuels would hold them for a lit-
tle while longer. It is possible that nations such
as the United States, if they could not get
Middle East oil, would pressure other countries
such as Mexico or Venezuela to make up the
difference.
But if these other nations were subject to
threats of terrorist attacks with nuclear
weapons, would they ship oil or protect them-
selves? Therefore, it would be quite easy for the
situation in nations who depend on oil to
become critical.
Most economies, except the most primitive
ones, are completely dependent on oil. If you
cannot fill up the tank of your car, you cannot
work, you cannot buy food. Soon you won’t be

118
able to pay your mortgage or bills. Without
enough oil, rationing would be mandatory and
thus many individuals would not have enough.
Consequently, the citizens of these nations
would begin pressuring their respective gov-
ernments to give in a little.
A general outcry would be heard to do
whatever is necessary to restore the flow of oil
and therefore their survival. When people
become pinched financially because their gov-
ernments, influenced by those stubborn Christ-
ians, will not go along with the Antichrist’s
agenda, they will become vocal and enraged.
Everyone desperately needs oil. So, when
push comes to shove, most people will do what-
ever it takes to preserve their lifestyles. They
will pressure their leaders to make some con-
cessions so that they can continue to live at the
level to which they have become accustomed.
The respective governments of these countries
will be forced to cooperate.

THE ANTICHRIST RELIGION

I think it is possible that the Antichrist will

offer his religion in a package which, at least in
the beginning, will offer the minimum of
offense to other religions. He may even seem to
be a peacemaker, or unifier of the world. With
the power of Satan backing it, there will certain-
ly be a great amount of deception involved in

119
his program. With this extremely powerful
spiritual force behind him, he will succeed in
deceiving many into thinking that his way is
some sort of solution or even that he is right.
This is referred to in the Bible as “all
unrighteous deception” (II Thess 2:10). Incre-
dibly, God actually assists the Antichrist with
his deception. We read: “And for this reason
God will send them [the unrighteous] strong
delusion that they should believe the lie” (II
Thess 2:11).
Here we find an unbeatable combination.
The devil puts his power behind this new reli-
gion. The Bible calls this “all...deception.” Then
God aids this process by sending “strong delu-
sion” on the non-Christians. God actually
anoints people to be deceived by the Anti-
christ’s religion! Will this new religion succeed?
Will people go along? You can count on it!
Many suppose that what people believe is
based upon their being convinced of some facts.
But this is not the case. People believe some-
thing because they want to believe it. They
allow themselves to be “convinced” because it
harmonizes with what they really want. Belief
is really a question of choice.
If, then, the incentive to believe is very
strong, many will allow themselves to be con-
vinced. When the financial impact begins to be
felt, many will begin to rethink their ideas and
opinions.

120
 The pressure from the Antichrist upon the
nations to conform to his religion will not
diminish. Once a few concessions have been
made, he will probably demand more and
more. Once a foothold has been gained and
these nations have begun to compromise and
accede to his demands, he will probably begin
to exact even more cooperation.
It is possible that the first of such demands
made upon nations in order to continue receiv-
ing oil might be to withdraw recognition of
Israel as a nation. Next they might be required
to declare that Allah is really the same God as
the Jewish and Christian God. The Antichrist
might insist that these are just different names
for the same God.
Perhaps for many, this might seem to be a
small concession to make to continue to live
and work as usual. Perhaps with time, people
would be required to confess that Allah is the
true God and that Mohammed is his prophet. It
is probable that the demands will escalate as the
nations give in more and more.
Many Christians in the “West” today have
not had much experience dealing with Muslims
and their religious ideas. Islamic teachings con-
cerning Abraham and Ishmael; about Christ
being merely a prophet; the claim that the Jews
and Christians have changed the scriptures and
many other things will be new to them when
the Antichrist emerges.

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 Since they have never heard these ideas
before, many young and inexperienced believ-
ers are going to find themselves in a spiritual
battle. It is without a doubt that the Antichrist
will present his religion in a way which will
sound appealing, benign, attractive, and even
“holy.” It is possible that his subtlety will seduce
many away from their true faith, especially
when their financial well-being is also involved.
Eventually, this Antichrist religion will
arrive at the point where everyone must wor-
ship him and his image. They must worship or
be put to death. If it comes to “believe or die”
you will be amazed at how many “believers”
will suddenly appear. As we have already men-
tioned, when it comes down to a decision of life
or death, converts become easy to get.

THE “ABOMINATION OF DESOLATIONS”

Just a quick word here about the phrase

“the abomination of desolations” found in
Matthew 24:15. This verse could also be trans-
lated “the false god who causes plundering.”
You see, an “abomination” to the Jews was
something very specfic. It was an idol or false
god, not just some horrible, abominable thing.
Furthermore, this word “desolation” can be
translated “plundering” and is reminiscent of
Hitler and his actions against the Jews. He
allowed people to attack them and plunder

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their possessions. So, it is possible that the com-
ing man of sin will use this tactic against
Christians and Jews. He might give incentives
for worldly people to attack and kill believers.
Then, as a reward for this service, they can
plunder them and take what they have. He
would give such people immunity from prose-
cution, since they would be “doing the will of
God.”

ARE YOU PREPARED TO DIE?

It is here that real Christians will enter into

the battle. They will be in a battle for their souls.
They will look death in the face. Then they will
have to make a decision. Will they compromise
a little? Will they simply go along and hope that
God will forgive them later? Or will they will-
ingly sacrifice their lives in order to remain
faithful to Jesus?
It is probable that many will make some
mistakes here. The thought is unrealistic that
every Christian will suddenly make the right
choices when many have been making wrong
choices about many things for years.
The scriptures seem to indicate this where
we read that “...some of those of understanding
shall fall” (Dan 11:35). This could mean that
some believers, who should know better, will
make some wrong decisions. God allows their
mistakes for a purpose. It is to “...refine them,

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purge them, and make them white” (Dan 11:35).
If some take some wrong actions and make
wrong decisions during this time, as the power
of the Antichrist grows and his agenda becomes
evident, hopefully they will realize their error.
Their consciences will torment them. Yet God
will use their mistakes, as He does with our
errors today, to chastise and correct them.
The coming time of trouble will be a time of
testing of our faith, of our love for each other
and of our commitment to Jesus. It will reveal
just where our hearts really are. It will bring to
the surface any and all secret loves for other
things besides our Savior.
God is going to allow this coming persecu-
tion or “tribulation” for a good reason. It will be
a method to help His church become purified.
Today, much of the Christian church is
lukewarm and half-hearted. Many believers are
pursuing wealth, comfort, entertainment, pleas-
ure, and all the things which this world has to
offer. Many are already worshipping whatever
will bring them these earthly things.
However, the coming time of trouble will
change all that. It will test and try the faith and
commitment of every believer. It will be a time
of pressure, stress and difficulty. It will be like a
very hot fire, such as is used to refine gold and
silver, only God will use it to purify His church.
All of us would do well to prepare our hearts
today for this coming time of trial (Rev 3:10).

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 7.

THE MARK
OF THE BEAST

Seemingly, the evidence of each person’s

submission to the worship of the beast will be
some kind of mark. This mark comes in three
varieties. It can be the Beast’s “mark,” his name,
or the number of his name (Rev 13:17). Without
this mark, no one can buy or sell. Having this
mark will be necessary to continue to partici-
pate in any and all commercial transactions.
Why is it that the Antichrist will demand
the use of this mark? We must remember here
that his main purpose is religious. He wants
everyone to convert. His goal is that all the
world would worship him, his image and the
dragon. So, how could he go about accomplish-
ing his end? How could he get everyone to par-
ticipate in this worship? How could he have so
many instant converts?
It is probable that, outside the Muslim
world, most people would be resistant to this

125
religion. Of course there will be a lot of spiritu-
al power behind it, but nevertheless, many peo-
ple of the world today are atheist, agnostic,
and/or just plain opposed to the thought of
worshipping a superior being. Also, anyone
who today is not a Muslim would no doubt
object to the idea of being converted.
Persuading people to change their religion
is not an easy thing, as many missionaries
know. Such changes do not come quickly. Even
with the devil’s anointing on it, it is not likely
that the religion of the Antichrist will be
instantly embraced by the whole world.
As persuasive as the Antichrist might seem
to be, he will still have a lot of trouble convinc-
ing everyone. In fact, it would seem that there
would be quite a bit of resistance to him.
Consequently, the Antichrist will have to
apply some pressure on people to impel them
toward his goal. We must remember here that
he is not going to have huge armies with which
to conquer the world. So, applying direct, phys-
ical pressure would be very difficult.
But, one way to control people is to control
their money. If you can get hold of their pocket-
book, you then have power over them. Securing
control over their ability to buy and sell would
seem an ideal way to have dominion over any-
one.
How might such a thing work? Here we
will again indulge ourselves in a little specula-

126
tion. We have hypothesized that the Antichrist
will control much of the world’s oil. Using this
control, he could then pressure the various gov-
ernments of the world to do his will in order to
receive their oil. This pressure will be extreme
due to the desperate dependence of the modern
economies on petroleum.
One tactic he could use would be to
demand that the various governments pass a
few new laws regarding banking. These new
rules would affect all the financial institutions.
These regulations could work something
like this: in order to continue to use the services
of any financial institution, each citizen would
be required to supply proof of their conversion
to the Beast religion. This proof would be some
kind of mark. This mark would be their ticket to
continue to buy and sell.
People would have to show through docu-
mentation or actual, physical examination that
they had received the mark, whatever this mark
proves to be. If anyone does not submit the
required proof within a certain time limit, then
he or she will no longer be able to use the serv-
ices of any financial institution.
Let us say that you refused to cooperate.
This would then mean that your bank account
would be frozen. You could no longer write
checks to pay for what you wanted to buy,
including food, clothing, and gasoline. You
would no longer be able to pay your bills sim-

127
ply by writing checks and sending them
through the mail. You could not transfer your
money anywhere, including to another country.
Also, you would have difficulty liquidating
your assets, especially if they had a mortgage or
loan on them. Any loans, including home mort-
gages, might be called in. No financial institu-
tion would be able to do business with you.
Next, your credit cards would be canceled.
You could not simply call up some company or
store and order what you needed. Your credit
card would no longer be valid. This would then
put anyone who had this happen to him or her
in a very difficult position. Their mortgage, if
they still had one, would not get paid. If their
home was already paid off, they still could not
pay their taxes or utility bills.
Soon, they would have no place to live.
They could not buy food, so their family would
begin to go hungry. They could not travel
unless they had cash, so they could not easily
escape to some place else where the influence of
the Antichrist would have less impact.
Then, more laws could be passed regarding
businesses or individuals buying or selling to
those who did not have this mark. They would
be prohibited from doing business with anyone
unregistered. Even if you had cash, officially
stores would be reluctant or unable to sell you
anything. The results would be far-reaching
and catastrophic.

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 In this way, tremendous pressure, unbeliev-
able pressure would be brought to bear on any-
one who did not conform. Those who refused to
worship would be subjected to the most
extreme circumstances and difficulties.
Even more than this, those who continued
to refuse to cooperate could be imprisoned and
put to death. Eventually, it is very possible that
governments would be required to round up
the holdouts and turn them over for execution
or execute them themselves.
Such a scenario might seem remote to you.
Perhaps you cannot imagine your government
being involved in such practices. Maybe you
live in a country where you believe your rights
are guaranteed. But take a moment to contem-
plate this: the coming days are going to be
extremely trying. Your government will be
under great duress. Without oil, the economy
will collapse. Food will become scarce. Citizens
will riot, demanding that the government do
something.
In such difficult circumstances, leaders will
be forced to take steps which they would never
consider in a time of peace and safety. The
worse the situation gets, the more world leaders
will be willing to compromise to escape the
consequences.
It is probable that in such conditions a sort
of black market would suddenly appear. There
will always be those who are ready and willing

129
to profit from the misfortune of others. So, prof-
iteers and gougers would materialize out of the
woodwork. These would be people who would
buy for you what you need and resell it to you
at an exorbitant price.
If you refused to receive the mark, but had
various valuables in your home, you might sur-
vive for a while. Cash, gold coins, jewelry,
antiques, tools, and other items of intrinsic
value might be traded at a fraction of their true
worth for food, gasoline and other things which
you might need. Yet such trade would only last
so long or take you so far.
Such circumstances would certainly try
your faith. Your commitment to Jesus would be
severely tested. If you found yourself in such a
bind, what would you do? Are you ready and
willing to sacrifice your life and even the lives
of your family to remain faithful to Christ? Is
your love for Him such that it would withstand
such tremendous pressure? Have you settled in
your heart that you are ready to suffer and even
die, rather than deny Him?
No doubt, believers in countries where
there is or has been severe persecution have
dealt with these issues already. They have been
forced to do so. But how about you? Where is
your heart today?
There is no doubt that the Antichrist will
make it as easy as possible for people to accept
his way. He will certainly propagate many lies

130
to make his religion seem palatable. He may
even insist that his way is somehow compatible
with Christianity with only a few, slight adjust-
ments. Not only will the pressure to conform be
enormous, but the lie which the Antichrist puts
forth will seem very attractive. It may seem to
be a fairly innocuous, small thing to do to con-
form to his way. Remember, all of the devil’s
deceptive power will be thrown behind this
new religion.

THE “HOLY” MICROCHIP

Many, many Christians have spoken to me

about the possibility of a microchip being
implanted under their skin. This they think will
be the “mark” of the beast. They imagine when
they make any financial transaction that this
chip will be scanned and then the information
transferred to a computer in the possession of
the Beast or which might even be called “The
Beast.” Then, they suppose the Antichrist will
be able to keep track of all their transactions.
Please bear with me as we examine this idea
together.
There is nothing in the Bible which indicates
a microchip. There is simply no verse which
demands or even points to this conclusion. This
is merely modern fiction and imagination. The
fact that bar codes have three sixes on them (if
indeed they do) is not scriptural proof of any-

131
thing. So much of modern eschatology is based
on nothing more than mere imagination.
Not only this, but there are many problems
with the microchip idea. First, the logistics of
the implementation of such a scheme are
astoundingly complicated. Secondly, it would
be enormously expensive to achieve.
In order to accomplish this, the Antichrist
would have to manufacture billions of chips for
everyone in the world. Then he would have to
individually program each one of them to iden-
tify the wearer. Then he would have to surgical-
ly implant billions of these chips.
Next he would have to make and install
special scanners to read these chips in every
point of sale in the world, costing possibly tril-
lions of dollars and involving millions of hours
of work! If you stop and think about this sane-
ly, this method is not practical.
No world ruler would invest so much time
and money in this project. It simply is not nec-
essary. There is no compelling reason for the
coming Antichrist to set up such a scheme. It is
impractical, expensive, and unnecessary. Also,
we must remember that he will not have this
power over the world for very many years.
Therefore, it is a good bet that he will not do it.
The truth is that this method would not
function in about half of the world today. In
many places, if you would tell them that in
order to make a purchase, they would have to

132
have their chip scanned at the store, that this
information would be transmitted by telephone
and then money would be deducted from their
bank account, they might die laughing.
Their stores have no scanners. There are
few, if any, telephones. If there were, many cit-
izens have no bank account from which the
money could be withdrawn. Such a system
would be impossible for them. This situation is
true for much of the world.
For example, there are places today where
just a few people in a town have phones. These
are cell phones. Others come from miles around
and pay to use these few phones. There are
entire cities of thousands of people in today’s
world with only one bank of telephones at one
location to serve them.
Just a few years ago, it was reported that
there were 600 million people in India who
have no electricity. Many other countries of the
world are in the same situation.
Many people are not familiar with other
parts of the world. They think only in terms of
where they live, which may be modern and
convenient. But there is a large portion of the
world where such things simply would not
work.
To modernize all nations to the point where
such transactions were feasible would take
decades or even centuries, if it were possible at
all. A few countries in the world today are not

133
only not developing, they are going backwards.
In some places the infrastructure which once
existed is falling apart.
In short, a microchip simply is not neces-
sary. The Antichrist will have no need to track
all your purchases as if he were your credit card
company. There will be no necessity for you to
be continually tracked anywhere. He will have
no interest in your day-to-day activities.
All he will require is for you to show up
once to try to buy one item without a mark.
From then on, you won’t be thinking about
spending any more money. If you submit, well
and good. If you don’t, they won’t need to track
you. They will know where you are. You will
probably either be in their custody or dead.
When the situation becomes very critical,
whenever you try to buy or sell, whoever is
responsible will check to see if you are qualified
by examining your mark. This might work
much like the clerk checking your driver’s
license to verify your signature. If you don’t
have a mark, then you might be carried away to
another place to await another fate.
Huge computers also are not necessary to
carry out this scheme. The Antichrist will not be
like “big brother” watching your every move.
He will have no desire to be leering into your
living room, bedroom, or bathroom like the
recent television program. He will have other
things to do.

134
 The only thing that interests him is if you
have submitted to his worship and accepted his
new religion. If so, you will have evidence to
prove it. If not, then you will either convert or
face the consequences. Trying to buy without a
mark will only need to happen once. After that,
there will be no need to track you or your pur-
chases. Your fate will already be decided.
This mark or sign of your allegiance does
not need to be a complicated affair. It need not
require special electronics. Any sort of identify-
ing mark might work. But it seems logical that
something readily visible might serve the
Antichrist’s purposes the best.
The necessity for a mark in order to buy or
sell is simply the easiest way to check people for
their submission. For example, instead of going
house to house, checking to see if everyone is
practicing the correct religion, the authorities
responsible can simply monitor the points of
sale where people buy their goods. Then the
clerks who are running the register would have
to verify a person’s mark before completing the
sale. If someone does not have the mark, then
they would summon the store security or some
kind of officer to take care of the situation.
Also, a visible mark would work better in
other situations. For example, officials could
monitor public places such as malls or grocery
stores to see if those entering and leaving were
marked. Also, friends and neighbors could

135
much more easily tell if you had a mark or not
if it were visible.
No doubt the Antichrist will have to have
his minions in every country verifying compli-
ance. Since many governments and even the
populations might resist such efforts against
believers, the Antichrist would be required to
send some of his representatives to check on
things. They would need to verify that no non-
worshipper was getting away.
Fortunately for the Antichrist, many coun-
tries of the world have embraced a substantial
population of Muslims who might gladly vol-
unteer for these positions. They have immigrat-
ed in large numbers to many of the world’s
nations. Perhaps they would be grateful for the
employment and the opportunity to spread
their religion.
In any case, a plainly visible mark would be
much faster and easier to show and to verify. I
know that many, many people will argue with
me about this microchip. It has been taught so
much that it has become holy. To deny the
microchip has almost become equal to denying
Christ.
Nevertheless, it has not one verse to sub-
stantiate it. Also, it is not necessary. Think
about this a minute. If you were in charge of a
worldwide crackdown on believers, how
would you do it? What would be the simplest,
cheapest way? Technology is expensive and

136
difficult to implement. Simple marks or even
documents could be very cheap.
If our Lord tarries for many decades or even
centuries, perhaps the world will reach a point
where the microchip idea will become feasible.
This is not impossible. My point here is that it is
not necessary or demanded by the scriptures.
Therefore, it is not a good idea to be focus-
ing on it as a means to identify the Antichrist or
his schemes. There are other ways – more con-
venient, less expensive, and easier ways – for
the Antichrist to make his mark. Don’t be
caught looking in the wrong direction.
Furthermore, the Antichrist will rule ten
nations in a part of the world that is less devel-
oped. He will not have the technology or the
time to try to develop a universal microchip
system. He will have little interest in where you
go or what you do after work. He will not care
about your personal habits. His one goal is to
make converts of all inhabitants of the planet.
How can he do this in the quickest, easiest way?
I do not insist that his system will be fool-
proof or even that it will be universal. I would
only care to point out that Christianity today
has been taught many things about the last days
which are composed largely of speculation and
imagination and have very little, if any, biblical
basis. Consequently, a great many believers are
making a lot of commotion about things which
will prove to be a waste of time and energy.

137
 WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?

Interestingly, there are two words in the

Greek language for “mark.” One of them is
STIGMA. This word means, according to Vine’s
Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words: “a
tattooed mark” or “a mark burnt in, a brand.”
This refers to some kind of physical mark which
could be put on the skin of a person.
The other word translated “mark” is
CHARAGMA. This word means, according to
Vine: “a stamp” or “impress.” This word refers
to the form which is left in hot wax after a seal
or stamp has been pressed upon it. It is this
Greek word from which we get our English
word “character.”
The word found in Revelation 13:16,17 for
the mark of the Beast in the Greek is CHARAG-
MA not STIGMA. Therefore, we can conclude
from this that the mark of the Beast is not sim-
ply a physical tattoo or brand. It is something
which is directly related to our mindset, the for-
mation of our thinking or character.
To accept this mark, then, means that we
have chosen to adapt our thinking to that of the
Antichrist. Due to the pressure put upon us, We
have modified our character to conform to the
Beast. We have chosen to change our way of
thinking to conform to his “image.” To accept
the mark of the Beast is to accept his religion.

138
 We don’t really know what the “mark” of
the Beast will be. But we can learn from this dis-
cussion that taking the mark will be intimately
related to our character, our way of thinking.
Consequently, it also means that it will change
what we do.
In Revelation 14:1 we read about some peo-
ple who have “...the Father’s name written on
their foreheads.” It’s not likely that these people
have “Daddy God” or something like that, writ-
ten literally on their foreheads. This verse
undoubtedly speaks to us about the mindset of
these people.
Here are some folks whose minds have
been renewed (Rm 12:2). Their thought process-
es have been transformed to be in harmony
with the ideas and attitudes of Christ. Their
thoughts, opinions, and reasonings are con-
trolled by the Holy Spirit. They have subjected
their minds to the control of Jesus Christ and
He is reigning over them.
The decision to take or not to take the mark
of the Beast will be an intense battle. It will be a
struggle for who will control and dominate the
minds of men. The physical mark, if there is
one, will only be the evidence that someone has
decided to allow the image of the Antichrist –
his religious programs and purposes – to be
impressed upon his malleable mind.
Any believer who has not submitted his or
her mind to the complete control of Jesus

139
Christ, will find themselves in an intense strug-
gle. They will have to decide whether to let
their natural impulses and physical needs dom-
inate their decisions, or to let the Lord govern
their thoughts and decisions.
You see, if your mind is now conformed to
this world, if you are loving and pursuing all
the things and pleasures of earth, suddenly
someone is going to get in between you and
what you think you need and want.
The Antichrist will, by gaining control of
the financial system, also gain control of your
access to your desires. In order to continue on
with your lifestyle, you will have to go through
him. To continue to buy and sell, you will have
to conform yourself to his religion. Your mind
and your character will have to take on the
image of the Beast.
This will be an hour of intense spiritual bat-
tle with very high stakes. You see, in order to
survive, many will be pressured right up to and
including the point of death, to take this mark.
If they have lived a life of self-serving and
indulging their natural appetites, then this deci-
sion will be extremely difficult.
Those who love this world along with its
things and pleasures will be in a bind. But those
who have already learned to deny themselves
and submit to Jesus, will be victorious.

140
 8.

PERSECUTION

Perhaps you remember the scandalous “oil

for food program” made for Saddam Hussein
and administered by the U.N. Well, it could be
that the Antichrist will initiate something simi-
lar. I call it the “oil for Christians program.”
He may say something like this to the
nations: “You hand over those who will not
worship and you will get your monthly quota
of oil. If you don’t give them or their heads to
me, you get no oil.”
This then would leave the government of
each nation responsible for rounding up and
handing over to death anyone who resisted this
new faith. No doubt a large number of these
would be Christians.
You see, the Antichrist will have no need to
invade your country. He won’t have to send his
armies to come and get you where you live. He
will be able to simply pressure your govern-
ment to do it for him. They then will have to use
whatever means are at their disposal to do his

141
will so that they can get their oil and continue to
function.
Naturally, the more developed the country,
the better the officials will be at tracking you
down and handing you over. The “first world”
nations will have many sophisticated gadgets
and techniques to do this job.
It may be that as part of this program, he
could assign quotas to various governments.
Adolph Hitler used this method. He would
assign to each of the conquered areas under his
control a quota of Jews to be rounded up. He
would give the local governments a time limit
in which to search out and hand over that num-
ber. No doubt, he had some informants or offi-
cials to give him an idea of what that quota
should be. This system could work very well
for the Antichrist.

RISING HATRED

At first it is probable that in countries where

Christians are numerous, they would stiffly
resist such action. They could become vocal and
visible, marching and protesting against the
Antichrist’s religion and programs, against
making concessions and, of course, eventually
against being traded for oil.
But, without petroleum, the economies of
these countries would begin to suffer. The non-
believers would soon begin to feel the impact.

142
When the lack of fuel began to touch their lives,
i.e. their jobs, their prosperity and even the
feeding of their family, they will begin to hate
anyone who seems to be standing in their way.
They too would begin to riot and protest. They
would insist that their government do whatev-
er was necessary to restore the status quo.
If there were some vocal Christians who are
opposing the capitulation of their government,
then these will be blamed for any shortages of
oil. When the people of the world begin to suf-
fer because a few Christians won’t go along
with the program, then the believers will
become a target of wrath. Anyone who stands
in the way of people continuing on with their
usual, prosperous lifestyle will become expend-
able.
Naturally, this sentiment will take some
time to grow. These things will not happen
overnight. But, when the choice becomes
between individual survival and those “reli-
gious fanatics” who are simply too stubborn to
bend a little or give in, well...who knows?
Further, the prince of this world, Satan, will
be putting all of his power behind this scheme.
So, as the pressure grows due to a collapsing
economy, unemployment, and even starvation
the thoughts and feelings of many will change.
They will turn against those who are keeping
them from what they want and need. Their
unholy, fallen nature will begin to reveal itself.

143
 Soon, betrayal will become common. Folks
will begin to report on others whom they sus-
pect of not cooperating. After a while they will
turn in their friends and even their family to the
government.
We read: “Then they will deliver you up to
tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated
by all nations for my name’s sake. And then
many will be offended, will betray one another,
and will hate one another” (Mt 24:9,10). Also:
“Now brother will betray brother to death, and
a father his child; and children will rise up
against parents and cause them to be put to
death. And you will be hated by all men for my
name’s sake” (Mk 13:12, 13a).
During this time, anyone who is getting in
the way of people receiving their oil (and there-
fore their survival and comfort) will be hated,
persecuted and betrayed. They will be tortured
and killed. The hatred toward God which many
people of the world have hidden away within
them will come out toward you.
If you are standing in the way of what they
want and what they believe they need, they will
kill you. Your friends will turn you in. Even
other Christians will not be reliable.
This will be the hour of trial for many
Christians. It is probable that millions will be
killed. The Holy Spirit who is now restraining
this flood of wickedness will be taken out of the
way (II Thess 2:7). The protection from God

144
which we enjoy will also be much less. The
Antichrist is “...granted [by God] to make war
with the saints and to overcome them” (Rev
13:7). This will be our Lord’s way of testing and
purifying many believers who today are luke-
warm and have little commitment to Him or
His work. It will be the hour of decision, reveal-
ing whether we really love Jesus or not.
These will certainly be “perilous times.”
This will be a time for which the events in Nazi
Germany and the Communist Soviet Union
may seem like just a dress rehearsal. This will
be a period of tremendous turmoil and confu-
sion on a global scale. Many people will just not
know which way to turn.
They will be under tremendous pressure.
There will be pressure to conform, pressure to
feed their families, pressure to follow what
other Christians are doing (or not doing). These
pressures will generate many conflicting
thoughts, emotions, opinions, and directions.
No doubt, others who are also in confusion will
offer their insights and ideas as well.
It is impossible to predict or imagine all the
different things which will happen. What the
Antichrist will do, how people will react, how
each different nation might try to implement
his demands, all these things are far beyond our
speculation at this time.
What has been written here is but a feeble
attempt to give an impression of what those

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times will be like. But we do know some things
for sure. It will be a time of “great tribulation,”
confusion and trouble. It will be a time of test-
ing for all believers. All Christians will have to
get in intimate touch with Jesus for themselves
and learn to follow Him.
Please do not make the mistake of thinking
that the word “tribulation” here refers to the
judgments of God which He will pour out on
the world. This is not the biblical meaning of
the word. Instead, it refers to what will happen
to believers.
Remember, we read that “...they will deliv-
er YOU up to tribulation and kill YOU” (Mt
24:9). You see, “judgment” is for the unbeliev-
ers, but the word “tribulation” refers to what
will happen to Christians through the actions of
the Antichrist and the people of the world. You,
if you are alive, will go through this tribulation.

FALSE PROPHETS, FALSE CHRISTS

Just at this critical time when everything is

in turmoil and disorder, many individuals will
rise up claiming to have a word from the Lord.
They are called by Jesus “false prophets” (Mt
24:24). Incredibly, they will be performing
“great signs and wonders” to prove that their
messages are from God. It is possible that many
of these will claim to be manifestations of
ancient prophets or well-known men of God.

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 The false prophets’ words and emphases
may be different from one another, but they
will all have one thing in common. They will be
trying to promote themselves. They will be the
ones ultimately gaining from their “revela-
tions.” It may be that they will garner prestige,
followers, money, or some other thing. But their
motives will not be the humble service of God
and others. Instead, they will really be serving
themselves.
Additionally, also at this crucial hour, false
christs will proliferate. Due to the pressure on
believers to find an answer to their dilemmas,
the second coming of Jesus will seem to be the
ultimate solution. So, many christs will appear
in many different parts of the globe.
Rumors of their appearing will spread like
wildfire. Where they have shown up and who
they are will be a topic of much conversation in
Christian circles. Many will waste their time
and money flocking to these false messiahs in
desperation, looking for help and direction.
We read: “Then [precisely during that time
of trouble] if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is
the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. For
false christs and false prophets will arise and
show great signs and wonders, so as to deceive,
if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you
beforehand. Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look,
he is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, he
is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. For as

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the lightning comes from the east and flashes to
the west, so also will the coming of the Son of
Man be” (Mt 24:23-27).
So we see that at this time there will be
many conflicting voices. Many will be claiming
to have or even to be the answer. How will
Christians know what to do in such an hour?
The answer is that we must cultivate an intima-
cy with Jesus today.
Don’t wait until later. Don’t put your confi-
dence in some human leader to make your deci-
sions for you. Every believer right now today
must get to know his Savior personally and inti-
mately. It is only by following His instructions
that we will either survive what is coming or
glorify Him in our death.

THE RAPTURE

No doubt reading through this book, many

Christians are thinking: “But what about the
rapture? All these horrors couldn’t happen to
Christians. They will already have been rap-
tured by the time all these things take place.
Therefore, we don’t have to worry about them.”
Well, God bless you my brother or sister,
may it happen just as you say. But if it doesn’t,
then you may find yourself in a very difficult sit-
uation without having made any preparation.
Truthfully, the Bible is very specific about
the timing of what is called the “rapture.” There

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is really no mystery. The word of God leaves us
little room for doubt. The secret here has to do
with a trumpet, a very specific trumpet called
the “last trumpet.” When this last trumpet
sounds, “...the dead will be raised incorrupt-
ible, and we shall be changed” (I Cor 15:52).
This very same trumpet is found again in I
Thessalonians 4:16,17 where we read: “For the
Lord himself will descend from heaven with a
shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with
the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will
rise first. Then we who are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the
clouds to meet the Lord in the air.”
So this “last trumpet” is the signal for the
rapture (I Cor 15:52). This is easy to understand.
No last trumpet, no rapture. But when is this
final trumpet? By definition, it must be: 1) the
same as the seventh trumpet which sounds
very near the end (Rev 10:7) or: 2) a later “last
trumpet” which is not mentioned in the book of
Revelation.
Supporting the idea that the “last” trumpet
is after the tribulation we read: “Immediately
after the tribulation of those days...he will send
his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and
they will gather together his elect from the four
winds, from one end of heaven to the other”
(Mt 24:29-31). In order for the word “last” to
have any meaning, it cannot be before the other
tribulation trumpets. It must be the “last” one.

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Therefore, the rapture must come literally “after
the tribulation” just as the scripture says.
Some Bible teachers have engaged in some
rather fantastic theological gymnastics to try to
counteract this obvious truth. Suddenly, for
them, the “elect” mentioned above are not
believers any more as they are in other parts of
the New Testament (Mt 24:24; Lk 18:7; Rm 8:33;
Col 3:12; Tit 1:1; I Pet 1:2) but Jews – an interpre-
tation which has no supporting verses.
Next, this trumpet becomes merely part of
some feast of Israel and is disassociated from
the other trumpets of the gospels and
Revelation, thus annulling the other “trumpet”
scriptures which apply. These arguments are
tricky and convoluted. Needless to say, they
will only convince those who want to be con-
vinced.
One major argument some teachers use to
dispute the possibility of Christians experienc-
ing the tribulation goes something like this.
“During the tribulation period, God pours out
His wrath. But He would never pour out His
wrath upon His own children.”
Well, let us think about this for a minute.
Couldn’t God judge the unrighteous and still
protect His own people while He is doing it,
even if they were still on the earth?
When God’s judgments were executed on
the land of Egypt, God protected His people
who lived there from some of the plagues (Ex

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8:22). Before the opening of the seventh seal,
when the judgments of God begin to fall heavi-
ly on the earth, some servants of God are sealed
on their foreheads (Rev 7:3). It is obvious from
the context that they are sealed so that the judg-
ments which come upon the others do not fall
upon them.
Whether these servants are only Jews or
symbolic of Christians does not really matter.
The fact is that God is able to and is protecting
His people in the middle of His judgments.
Therefore, it is not necessary for Him to whisk
His children off the earth before His judgments
come.
As a young Christian I remember watching
a film about the end times. It was a movie about
the tribulation. In the beginning of the movie,
before the real action started, a Bible teacher
came on the screen to explain that no Christians
would be in the tribulation because God would
not allow His children to suffer.
Then they went on to show the film which
was about some of God’s children suffering
through the tribulation.
The only difference between those who suf-
fered and those who didn’t was that the suffer-
ing ones were unlucky enough to have received
Christ after the rapture. Evidently, someone
thought that God will love those children less
and so allow them to suffer what the others did
not.

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 This kind of thinking is completely illogical.
For example, it is not possible for any believer
to suffer in the future more than many
Christians have already suffered at the hands of
their enemies.
Countless believers have been tortured in
every conceivable manner from the early
church days until now. God allowed them to
suffer and suffer intensely. Yet you can be
assured that God did love these people. Please
don’t be fooled by those who are preaching
“peace and safety” (I Thess 5:3).
It is my impression that many Christians do
not really want to hear this message. They don’t
want to be told anything which might disrupt
their prosperous, easy lives. They would like to
shut their eyes and their ears so that nothing
could enter in which might challenge them to
change their relationship with the Lord, their
lifestyle, or their place of residence.
What most are concerned about is just peace
and safety. Anything which disrupts this is
rejected and discarded. Yet, it is precisely at a
time of seeming peace and safety that all these
things will begin to take place. Furthermore,
they will take place suddenly (I Thess 5:3). If we
are forewarned, then we also can be ready. This
readiness might involve both spiritual and
physical preparation.

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 9.

IMPORTANT SIGNS

We have been speaking about the Antichrist

and his rise to power. But what are the signs for
which we should look? How can we identify
such a person when he arrives on the world
scene? One of the main clues is that this man
takes over three countries. When the “little
horn” arises, three of the other ten horns fall
before him (Dan 7:8).
Now we know clearly from what part of the
world the Antichrist will arise. We have also
been shown where his ten nations will be. So
what we have to look for is some relatively
minor individual rising up to seize power in
three nations of this region. This is a very
important sign. Keep your eyes out for it!
Next we would expect to see seven other
countries joining with him to form an alliance to
make a total of ten. These countries will proba-

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bly include Libya and Ethiopia. We read: “...the
Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his
heels” (Dan 11:43).
These ten nations will probably include a
good part of the oil producing regions of that
area of the world. These would be Muslim
nations and it is likely that some of them will
have nuclear capabilities. When you see these
things come together, it is a sure sign that the
end is upon us.
We should expect this ten nation confedera-
cy to be somewhat shaky. As has been stated,
although all these countries will probably be
Muslim, not all Muslims agree with one anoth-
er. In fact, some hate the others and even have
fought wars against them.There are many dif-
ferent Islamic sects and factions. These would
include the Shiites and the Sunnis.
While it seems that the Antichrist will be
able, through his popularity and Satanic anoint-
ing, to unite these countries and groups, it will
be an uneasy alliance.
We read: “Whereas you saw the feet and
toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron,
the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of
the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron
mixed with ceramic clay. And as the toes of the
feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the
kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. As
you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will
mingle with the seed of men; but they will not

154
adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix
with clay” (Dan 2:41-43).
This section which mentions mingling with
the “seed of men” could refer to the fact that
although ten nations will ultimately join togeth-
er under the Antichrist’s rule, they will not real-
ly like each other. So we see that, even though
the Antichrist succeeds in bringing together ten
nations and eventually subduing the world, his
kingdom will be fragile and not very unified.
Another part of the picture for which we
should watch is that when the Antichrist joins
together his ten nations, he will not do this by
force. He will “...come in peaceably, and seize
the kingdom by intrigue” (Dan 11:21).
Somehow, he will be able to assume control
over them without a fight.
Once again, this future world event should
be an important signal for us. This is an occur-
rence for which we should watch carefully. The
joining together ten of Middle East nations by
one individual without a military confrontation
is a crucial sign. When the Antichrist finally
comes to power, we should immediately put
into action any plans which we feel God has
given us if we have not already done so.

WARS WITH EGYPT

Still an other identifying event for which we

should look is that, after taking over the ten

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nation confederacy, the Antichrist will have
conflicts or wars with Egypt. Egypt will not join
in with the Antichrist. She will not be part of the
ten nations. In fact, it seems that Egypt attacks
the Antichrist and is defeated.
We read: “At the time of the end the king of
the South [Egypt] shall attack him; and the king
of the North [Antichrist] shall come against him
like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and
with many ships; and he shall enter the coun-
tries, overwhelm them, and pass through” (Dan
11:40).
It may be that the Antichrist’s victory over
Egypt will involve nuclear weapons. This con-
jecture is based upon the fact that parts of Egypt
will be uninhabited for 40 years after this time.
This could be the result of nuclear fallout and
contamination.
In Ezekiel we read: “And the land of Egypt
shall become desolate and waste...and I will
make the land of Egypt utterly waste and deso-
late, from Migdol to Syene, as far as the border
of Ethiopia. Neither foot of man shall pass
through it nor foot of beast pass through it, and
it shall be uninhabited forty years” (Ezek 29:9-11).
Not only does the Antichrist fight a war
with Egypt at the end, but it seems that he has
some previous conflicts with Egypt. It should
be remembered that Egypt today is one of the
nations of the Arab world still opposing the
radical Muslim elements. This is not to say that

156
they are not Muslim, but that they are standing
against the more radical elements.
Also, Egypt has cracked down on and even
persecuted some of the participants in the
recent radical Muslim “revival.” She has
imprisoned and/or expelled many of the lead-
ers involved. So, it is very easy to believe that
the Antichrist could try to punish Egypt for
these positions and actions. Daniel 11:25-27
describes some events surrounding this previ-
ous war if you are interested.
Returning from his first defeat of Egypt, the
Antichrist also appears to attack Israel. He is
puffed up by his conquest and tries to defeat
the Jews as well (Dan 11:28). Perhaps it is after
this conflict that he will make some kind of
agreement with Israel which he later breaks
(Dan 9:27).
Another interesting fact is that on still anoth-
er expedition against Egypt, “...ships from
‘Kittim’ (KJV) [this word means western lands]
shall come against him; therefore he shall be
grieved, and return in rage against the holy
covenant” (Dan 11:30). These ships could be from
almost anywhere “west” of the Middle East,
which could include the U.S. or parts of Europe.
The attack on the Antichrist by ships from
the west, along with the fact that he fights wars
with Egypt, indicate that his government is not
as “one world” as many have thought. His
direct rule is over only ten nations. The rest of

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the world will cooperate with him only by
being forced into subjugation.
Even so, his domination of the world is not
total. Returning from his final war with Egypt
which is “at the time of the end,” “...news from
the east and the north shall trouble him; there-
fore he shall go out with a great fury to destroy
and annihilate many” (Dan 11:44).
One explanation for this passage could be
that Russia, because she produces enough oil to
meet her needs, will not be completely subject
to the Antichrist. Also, Russia has plenty of
nuclear weapons and would not be easily
cowed into submission to any Middle Eastern
figure.
It is possible that Russia will become trou-
bled by the situation and begin threatening
some kind of action. This could be the “news
from the east and north.” Of course from this
distance, we cannot know exactly what will
occur. This is only being mentioned to show
that the Antichrist is not the absolute ruler of
the entire world. He too will have his troubles.

SITS IN THE TEMPLE AS GOD

At one point, it appears that the Antichrist

enters the Jewish temple and proclaims himself
God. In II Thessalonians 2:4 we read that he
“...sits as God in the temple of God, showing
himself that he is God.”

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 This verse has been the subject of much
speculation. At this writing, there is no Jewish
temple in Jerusalem. Since there is no temple,
people have created many fantastic interpreta-
tions to explain the meaning of this verse.
However, it seems quite possible that before
the occurrence of the end-times scenarios which
we have been discussing, the nation of Israel
will build a temple.
Where this temple would be built and how
this might work is impossible to predict. The
problem of having a Muslim shrine at what
seems to be the site of the ancient temple
appears insurmountable. However, God has
His own means and ways. If this is His will, it
will come to pass.
It is very possible for this scripture to have
a literal fulfillment. The actual construction of a
temple could take place very quickly. This
would be especially true if materials are already
being stockpiled as so many Christian rumors
insist.

THE END OF THE ANTICHRIST

Eventually, the Antichrist will make a final

effort to wipe Israel off the map. To do this, it
seems that he will enlist the aid of many differ-
ent nations. Perhaps he persuades them that
Israel is really the cause of all the trouble over
oil. If only they were out of the way, the “black

159
gold” could flow freely again. So he convinces
many countries, possibly including China and
India, to join him in attacking Israel.
He is helped in recruiting these other armies
by three evil spirits “...like frogs coming out of
the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of
the beast, and out of the mouth of the false
prophet. For they are spirits of demons, per-
forming signs, which go out to the kings of the
earth and of the whole world, to gather them to
the battle of that great day of God Almighty”
(Rev 16:13,14).
After crossing the Euphrates river, which
will be dried up especially for this event (Rev
16:12), this tremendous army of several millions
arrives at a place called Megiddo. It is a place
called Armageddon in the New Testament. This
seems to be a large flat area near some hills
upon one of which stands the ruins of a city
called Megiddo.
It is a place also called “the winepress of the
wrath of God” (Rev 14:19). It is here that God
will execute his judgment against those who
have come to attack Israel. Probably this very
place was prepared by God for this event when
He made the world (Mt 21:33).
When this enormous army arrives there, we
can imagine they are tired, thirst,y and just
longing to set their up tents and rest a little. We
don’t know how long they are camped there,
but sometime after their arrival it begins to rain.

160
Much to their disgust, they have to live in mud
and water.
But the situation gets worse and worse. The
rain becomes stronger. Soon it begins to hail.
The lightning is terrible and frightening. It
almost seems as if it runs along the ground.
Finally, the size of the hail increases until each
hailstone weighs about 100-200 pounds (Rev
16:21).
It is with these hailstones that Jesus “treads
the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of
Almighty God” (Rev 19:15). The “grapes” in
this case are human beings who are squashed
by the hailstones until the blood runs out in
such great quantities that it reaches the incredi-
ble depth of “the horses’ bridles” and flows for
a great distance (Rev 14:20).
The Antichrist himself and the false prophet
are captured alive. Then they are thrown into
the lake of fire which God has prepared for the
devil and his angels (Rev 19:20, Mt 25:41).
So the Beast will end his reign ignominious-
ly, being defeated and judged at the coming of
Christ. His armies are destroyed and he is fin-
ished. All his proud boasting against the Lord
Jesus is ended. His rebellion is over. His error
regarding who is really the God of the universe
has been exposed as a great lie. Those who
sided with him will also be ashamed and pun-
ished.

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 10.

WORTHY TO ESCAPE

I believe it would be a mistake to think that

there will be no places of refuge or safety to
which believers can flee before or during the
tribulation. It would be wrong to think that
there is nothing which we can do, now or in the
future, to survive what is coming. Obviously,
some believers do make it through to the end of
this tribulation period.
Speaking about the coming rapture, Paul
writes about “...we who are alive and remain” (I
Thess 4:15) thus indicating that at Jesus’ coming
there are still living believers. The Antichrist, in
spite of his best efforts, will not get everyone.
Also along these lines, in Revelation 12, we
read about a holy woman who gives birth to the
man-child. The dragon persecutes this end-
times woman. He spews “water” like a flood
out of his mouth (vs 15) trying to destroy her.

162
But the earth “helped the woman...and swal-
lowed up the flood” (vs 16).
This may mean that the Antichrist puts a
great effort into extinguishing the church. He
will give it his best shot. But the earth is so big
that the Antichrist just cannot reach into all the
corners and kill everyone. His greatest efforts
are not enough to span the globe. The sheer size
of the earth “swallows up” his attempts. He has
too many other issues to deal with and too
many other things on his mind.
Consequently, it may be realistic to con-
clude that there are some countries or places on
the earth where Christians will be relatively
safe. There may exist places where the power
and influence of the Antichrist will be less. I am
not talking here about some kind of total immu-
nity from persecution, but about places which
will be impacted less by the agenda of the
Antichrist.
According to the Bible, there must exist “a
place prepared by God” to which this woman is
able to flee (vs 6). This place, singular in the
scriptures, could in practice be many different
places around the world. Or, it could be a con-
tinent or some larger area which includes many
different countries. (The “wings of a great
eagle” in verse 14 could possibly refer to air-
planes.)
Logically, these localities would be in coun-
tries which are energy self-sufficient. They

163
would be places that do not depend on foreign
oil. They would either produce enough of their
own oil or have other alternatives to use for
fuel. They might be areas with large Christian
populations which would resist pressure to kill
believers and Jews. They would be remote, that
is, isolated from other parts of the world.
They would probably be countries which
are not considered to be “key” in the global
economies. It would be helpful if they had mon-
etary and/or banking systems which are not
completely dependent on the rest of the world.
Also, these countries would likely be less devel-
oped. Such could be the places (or the “place”)
which today are (is) being prepared by God to
shelter some of His own from what is coming.
Such nations or areas of safety would prob-
ably have plenty of local agriculture. They
might have a system of food production and
distribution which does not rely heavily on
transportation over long distances. They would
likely generate their own electricity. In short,
they would be places which are less dependent
on the rest of the world for their day-to-day liv-
ing. These would be good places to which to
flee.
One part of the world which historically has
been an area of refuge is Central and South
America. Some of these nations produce oil.
Many grow their own food and manufacture a
large part of other necessary goods. This region

164
is not central to the world economy and is
somewhat isolated in terms of distance.
Politically and militarily, it is not pivotal to the
present world order. I certainly don’t mean to
offend the citizens of these countries by saying
this. It is only that this may be a good place to
consider for believers who must flee.
Interestingly, the location of relative safety
mentioned in Revelation, is a place “prepared
by God.” This means that He has arranged
everything in terms of geographic position, oil
self-sufficiency, food production, etc. to work to
protect His people who flee there.
The overall strategy here is not something
that a man or a group of men has planned out.
This will not be a result of some new Christian
movement. Rather it is some place which God
has furnished. It is not the result of human
preparation such as hoarding of food, or buying
land but somewhere which our Lord has
arranged.
I believe it extremely unwise to think of
anywhere in the United States as a place of
refuge. It is already the focus of hatred for the
Middle Eastern nations. According to the rea-
soning in the previous book of this series enti-
tled Babylon, it will probably be attacked by
nuclear weapons and largely destroyed.
The aftermath of such an attack would pro-
duce death by fallout, famine, and widespread
lawlessness and confusion. This country would

165
not be safe. It could not be thought of as a
“place prepared by God.”
Furthermore, it is very possible that after
such a nuclear attack, other nations which are
hungry for land could invade the U.S. Some,
such as China, might not even give much con-
sideration to the safety of their troops in regard
to residual radiation, but merely be motivated
by the thought of grabbing a huge chunk of
arable land. China and others are very short on
agricultural areas and could decide that they
should take advantage of the situation.
It might sound absurd to you today, but it is
very possible that with the U.S. brought to her
knees, various other countries, including
Mexico, Russia, China and others would send
troops to gobble up land and/or to “restore
order.”
Think about it. If some catastrophe like this
happened to another country, would the U.S.
send troops to “help out” or “restore order?”
Certainly they would. Therefore, other nations
will do so also. Many surviving Americans
might consider these troops to be “invaders.”
Such a situation would provoke even more
confusion and probably guerrilla warfare. This
would be especially true if these other nations
were under the influence of the Antichrist and
committed to helping him carry out his agenda
of exterminating believers. Certainly this would
not be a place of refuge “prepared by God.”

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 WHAT MANNER OF PEOPLE?

What we have been discussing is both

sobering and somewhat frightening. Here in
this book we have a word of warning. We see
that our time is short. Therefore, “...what man-
ner of persons ought [we] to be in holy conduct
and godliness?” (II Pet 3:11). Since our Lord is
going to return to this earth, very probably in
“this generation” how should this knowledge
affect our living?
I believe it would be valuable for all of us to
take a moment and consider the following
questions. What are our priorities? What are
our goals? What are we pursuing with our time,
energy, and money? How are we using the gifts
which God has given us?
Are we, as faithful servants, investing in a
way which will please our Master when He
comes? Are we building His kingdom? Are we
serving His body? Are our lives a testimony of
humble purity and love? Or are we mainly
serving ourselves and pursuing our own inter-
ests while putting seeking and serving God in
second place in our lives?
If we cannot honestly say that God is our
number one priority, then it is time to repent –
His kingdom is at hand. Very shortly, our faith
and our commitment to Him and His people is
going to be tested, severely tested. This test will

167
be based on our love for God and our love for
one another. It will show whether or not we are
willing to die for Him and/or for other believ-
ers, our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Will we deny Jesus and betray our brothers
and sisters or will we be faithful even unto
death? Will we go along with the Antichrist
program to preserve our present lifestyle? Will
we turn in others to save our own skin? Will we
be willing to suffer and even die?
It will be much better for you if you settle
these issues in your heart today. This writer is
convinced that what the future holds will not be
pleasant or easy. Perhaps we have just a few
more years of relative peace to get our hearts
right with God, to do His will and to accom-
plish the purposes for which He created us.
There is absolutely no time to waste!
Perhaps we have squandered some of God’s
precious time already. Possibly we have
become “weary while doing good” (Gal 6:9),
being discouraged by the apathy of others, lack
of “success,” or the difficulties which we have
encountered.
God will certainly forgive us for what is
past, yet the future is before us. Definitely, it is
time to: “...strengthen the hands which hang
down, and the feeble knees, and make straight
paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not
be dislocated, but rather be healed” (Heb
12:12,13).

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 One thing to do immediately is to stop our
involvement with anything and everything we
know that is not God’s will. No one will have to
tell you what this is. You, no doubt, already
know in your heart what it is that you have in
your life which doesn’t please Him. You know
what it is that will make you ashamed if He
were to come today. As you repent of these
things, you will find His forgiveness.
The next thing to do is recommit your life to
Him. Firmly decide and then declare to Him
that you will dedicate the rest of your life to
Him and to doing His will. It is not yet too late.
While it is still called “today” (Heb 3:7) do what
you know you should to renew your relation-
ship with Him and begin from today onward to
do His will.
Today, there is still time. There is time to
serve Jesus by laying down our lives to serve
others in His name. There is still enough day-
light to work the works of God (Jn 9:4). Take full
advantage of it! When the persecution starts, it
will be very difficult to travel, preach, teach, and
evangelize. The work of the Lord will be compli-
cated by many barriers and difficulties. Wars
and turmoil will make it very tough to complete
what God has given you to do.
So, get going now! Use the time which is
still available to us and make the most out of it!
Begin today to lay aside those things which
have been hindering you from doing the work

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of the Lord that He has called you to do. Don’t
put it off any longer. We should be “redeeming
the time because the days are [and will become
even more] evil” (Eph 5:16).

WE SHOULD NOT WALK IN DARKNESS

It is not God’s will for His children to be in

darkness. Paul teaches us that “...you, brethren,
are not in darkness, so that this Day should
overtake you as a thief” (I Thess 5:4). Therefore,
believers who are intimate with Jesus will see
what is coming. He will show it to us. It should
be no surprise to any believer.
God’s children should not be in a position
of being weighed down with the “cares of this
life,” and then have that day “...come upon
[them] unexpectedly” (Lk 21:34). Rather, walk-
ing in intimacy with Him, we should be keenly
aware of the signs of the times which are
unfolding before us (Mt 16:3). As we under-
stand the times, we can then adjust our life to
more perfectly align with the will of God in
these last days. Walking in intimacy with Him,
we can be ready for what is coming.
The events which are coming upon this
earth should not be a discouragement for us but
an encouragement. Jesus, after teaching His dis-
ciples about the signs of the times and the com-
ing end of the age says: “Now when you see
these things begin to happen, look up and lift

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up your heads, because your redemption draws
near” (Lk 21:28).
These things should be an encouragement
for us to know that our life of struggle and tra-
vail, our labor, our frustrations, and our pains
are soon to end. So, just as a long-distance run-
ner sees the finish line and so increases his pace
to finish strongly, so we too have the opportu-
nity to see the end coming and make a last push
toward the goal.
Naturally, no one wants to suffer. It is sim-
ply our human tendency to want to avoid any
pain and difficulty if we can. Our heavenly
Father does not like to see His children suffer
either. Yet, the “perilous times” which are com-
ing upon the earth will serve two purposes for
God.
One purpose for sending His judgments
upon the ungodly is that this may help some of
them turn to Him because of their sufferings. A
proof that His love still exists for the ungodly is
that in the middle of His judgments upon the
earth, He will send an angel to preach the
gospel from the midst of heaven (Rev 14:6).
The second purpose is to purify His own
children by allowing them to suffer persecu-
tion. It is sad but true that the church of our day
is not perfect. She is not “without spot or wrin-
kle” (Eph 5:27). In fact, the situation is honestly
lamentable. The more you look, the more prob-
lems you can see. The number of believers

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involved in selfishness and sin is beyond count.
So, God will use the coming time of trial to test,
refine, and purify His sons and daughters. It
will be a time of trial which will benefit those
believers who turn their hearts back to God in
the midst of it. Through the furnace of afflic-
tion, believers will be purified during the tribu-
lation period.
Those who did not seek God before this
time will have an opportunity to do so. Any
believers who did not take advantage of their
time to become ever more like Jesus will need a
little heat and pressure to refine them to perfec-
tion.
The coming tribulation period will be one of
God’s ways to accomplish His purposes in His
people. He will use all these things for our good
and to further His eternal plan as we turn to
Him in the hours of trial. Please remember
again that the word “tribulation” in the New
Testament does not refer to God’s judgments on
the world, but to what the Antichrist will do to
believers and Jews.

WORTHY TO ESCAPE

But it may be that this intense purification

will not be the same for all Christians. Depend-
ing upon where believers live and what their
relationship with Jesus is, the intensity of this
persecution may vary. It is possible that for

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some there may even be a way of escape. We
find a hint of this in the gospel of Luke where
we read: “Watch therefore, and pray always
that you may be counted worthy to escape all
these things that will come to pass, and to stand
before the Son of Man” (Lk 21:36). This
“escape” could be effected in several different
ways.
It seems as if there are a few whose lives are
pleasing to God who will not need the coming
testing and refinement. Some are already living
righteously. Their lives are already purified and
ready. Therefore, God will not need to allow
them to go through the time of trial. If you are
ready to meet the bridegroom, having your
robes spotless and white, then perhaps no fur-
ther fiery trials and testings are necessary.
One verse which supports this idea is found
in Revelation 3:10. Here Jesus says to some
faithful believers: “Because you have kept My
command to persevere, I also will keep you
from the hour of trial which shall come upon
the whole world, to test those who dwell on the
earth.”
So we see that one good way to avoid the
coming persecution and tribulation period is to
allow God to purify your life today. If God con-
siders that you are ripe – that your life is whol-
ly pleasing to Him – you have His promise that
He will protect you from what is coming. He
will “keep you from the hour of trial.”

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 Does this mean that there will be a partial
rapture before the tribulation? I cannot say.
However, such a “rapture” is not really neces-
sary to fulfill this verse. It seems very clear that
God will find a way to remove and/or protect
His faithful followers from danger. How He
will do this is not explained.
One possibility is that it could be through
death. Although many fear death and look
upon it negatively, this is not God’s viewpoint.
We read: “The righteous perishes, and no man
takes it to heart; merciful men are taken away,
while no one considers that the righteous is
taken away from evil [that is to come KJV]” (Is
57:1). You see, God can and will arrange to take
some of His children home before the future
events become intense.
There is also another possibility. It could be
that some of the righteous will have the fore-
sight and wisdom to flee to that “place” of
refuge which God has prepared before things
get really bad. This is the “place” which we
have spoken about before. It is somewhere God
is setting up for this very purpose.
One translation of Luke 21:36 cited above,
hints at such a possibility. Instead of being
“counted worthy” to escape, some ancient bib-
lical texts read: “may have strength to escape.”
This translation hints at the prospect that some
will have the spiritual foresight and divine
guidance to get themselves out of harm’s way.

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 This understanding would also coincide
with the verses in Proverbs which read: “A pru-
dent man foresees evil and hides himself, but
the simple pass on and are punished” (Pr 22:3;
27:12). These passages reveal the possibility of
God guiding His servants in the last days to
take steps which would protect themselves and
their families from the worst of the persecution
which is coming. This would show that person
to be “prudent.”
However, God’s ways are always far above
ours and it is difficult to imagine how He might
lead His children. It is quite possible that He
might use all of the above means (along with
others which we have never imagined) to pro-
tect those who love Him supremely from the
evil days ahead.
This book has not been intended as a com-
plete dissertation on end-times prophecy. Our
object here was to look closely at the Antichrist,
the events leading up to his arising and the
things which could take place afterward.
Knowing what is coming will aid us all in
looking in the right direction so that we will not
be blind-sided by the future. Walking in the
light of God, we can see how things are unfold-
ing and then take any necessary steps of prepa-
ration which He might show us. May God add
His anointing and blessing to you as you medi-
tate on these things.

175
 Other books by this same author:

FROM GLORY TO GLORY

THY KINGDOM COME
GENUINE SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY
BABYLON
SIGNS OF THE END
LET MY PEOPLE GO!
REPENTANCE UNTO LIFE
SEEDS
THE NEW TESTAMENT
The Father’s Life Version

All available from the publisher without cost:

agrainofwheat.com

Authors email: davidwdyer@yahoo.com

“A Grain of Wheat” Ministries is looking for book

distributors in all parts of the world. If you are
interested, please contact us for more information.

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