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HIStory, Our Future: The Antichrist Kingdom

Last Updated: 03/02/2024 19:33    | Print This Page | |

Visions of Daniel and John through time

“The Fourth Kingdom,” is a reference to Daniel 7 and the fourth beast from the sea in his vision. It is this fourth kingdom which represents the beginning and ultimate fulfillment of the kingdom of the dragon and his proxy the man of sin, the beast, or the antichrist. Due to the central nature of the reign of the antichrist and the power he will have over the whole world from his kingdom, it is essential to understand what it is and therefore a better understanding of how it will come about.

This page is meant to be a combining of the visions in Daniel 2, Daniel 7, Daniel 8, Daniel 11-12, Revelation 12, Revelation 13, and Revelation 17-18 to provide an overview of the visions of Daniel and John. For a chapter walkthrough, use the previous links. This page will present the historical view of this collection of prophecies and then focus on the details from scripture relating to the Antichrist kingdom. I believe this will show how God has given us many clues to understanding history and its relationship to the future as well as some keys to being able to watch for the signs of the end.

This chart may be useful to help visualize and order the various chapters, their visions, interpretations, and historical correlations where relevant. It helped open my eyes on some of these correlations.

The Seven Kingdoms & the Seven Heads

There are several places in the Bible where dreams, visions, and/or their interpretations are given to the prophets Daniel and John provide an over-arching view of the history of kingdoms leading to the final antichrist kingdom.

Revelation 12:3, 9a
And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world:

This passage connects the dragon, serpent, Devil, Satan, to this same symbology that represents the lineage of kingdoms through history showing his spirit behind the seven kingdoms. What are the heads and what do they represent? As we’ll see, these are kingdoms that span both our history and our future and this odd image of a beast with seven heads and ten horns and crowns is repeated several times and is a visualization of the political earthly kingdoms control of Israel through to the final kingdom.

John’s Vision: Historical Kingdoms [Revelation 17:9-10]

Part of John’s expansive vision of the end provided in the book of Revelation is a vision of the judgment of the whore of Babylon where there are several key pieces of information provided about both the Antichrist kingdom and its history. Several of these are also part of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream interpreted by Daniel. However this goes a little further back in history.

Revelation 17:3; 9-10
So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, [and] the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space..

The first thing to note is that this scarlet colored beast mirrors that of Revelation 12, which is defined as Satan, the Devil, the old serpent, the dragon. They both are red in color with seven heads with crowns and ten horns. As we will see, this indicates his ultimate control over this end time kingdom of the man of sin. It is from the dragon that the antichrist gets all his power and great authority. Revelation 13:1-2 And as one might expect of Satan, we also see that it’s full of names of blaphemy, but focusing first on these seven heads, what does this represent?

Spacial: Seven Mountains and the Great Whore

We are shown this great whore that sits on many waters (peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues - Revelation 17:15) and in the interpretation she is described as a woman sitting both on a scarlet beast with seven heads which are interpreted as seven mountains. Israel at Mount Sinai agreed to the Mosaic Covenant and entered into a relationship to God compared to marriage. Exodus 24:3-8 This Old Covenant, or Old Testament, served as the ketubah (marriage contract) and the first three commandments are to love God, not serve false material gods and not to take His name in vain. When Israel broke these promises it was referred to as fornication with other gods, adultery and whoredom. This great whore is further identified in scripture as being representative of the great city, Jerusalem, Egypt, and Babylon. Revelation 17:5,18 | Revelation 11:7-8 | Luke 13:33-34 This makes sense as we know Jerusalem sits atop Mount Zion, God’s holy hill.

What this tells us is that all seven mountains mentioned here are a particular place on the earth, Jerusalem. So why are there seven mountains mentioned? There are some theories that there are seven mountains around Jerusalem representative of these seven mountains, but I think there’s another piece that needs to be accounted for.

Temporal: Seven Kings

Verse 10, after defining the spacial aspect of the seven mountains the verse prior, gives us a temporal definition of these seven heads as seven kings. It is temporal because from John’s perspective, writing just after Christ’s first coming, the “one is” would have been Rome, which ruled over Israel until 70 AD when Israel was disbursed and no longer living as a nation in the land. Five previous kings are fallen at his time and one is yet to come after the current sixth, which has not been seen historically and so is still future to us.

Putting the symbols all together we see an image of this beast, which is the dragon, representing historical kings representing kingdoms and their power over the city of Jerusalem. Is this speaking of kings of Israel or Gentile rule over Jerusalem? Since John’s time would seem to represent Rome’s control over Jerusalem, it would seem to follow that the kings represent outside kingdoms controlling Jerusalem. This may be related to the fact that it is typically Israel’s disobedience and adultery going after other gods that removes God’s protection from them and results in judgment coming in the form of being conquered by their enemies. So this beast John sees with seven heads is really defining the great dragon’s control of Jerusalem through history, culminating in the final short reign he will have through his proxy antichrist and false prophet.

I say it is a king representing a kingdom due to the fact that throughout history looking at these times and other symbolic prophecies, we see these symbols speaking of Egypt, Syria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome often times existing over longer periods than the reign of one individual king. So I believe it merits recognizing that while they are kings, kings represent reign and control over their kingdom even though that control may be passed to others over time. There may be some cases, however, where one king takes the forefront in recognizing the timing of that control over Jerusalem.

Isaiah 34:1-2, 4-5, 8
Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it. For the indignation of the LORD [is] upon all nations, and [his] fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter. ... And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling [fig] from the fig tree. For my sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my curse, to judgment. ... For [it is] the day of the LORD’S vengeance, [and] the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion.

Revelation 6:12-16
And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

It’s interesting that the day of the Lord, the day of the wrath of God, is tied to the controversy or dispute of Zion, God’s holy hill. This whole idea of the woman (Jerusalem) sitting on Mount Zion representing adulterous Israel and the dragon’s seven heads the Gentile influence over her combined with the judgment of Bayblon filled up in the seventh bowl ties this all together.

Revelation 16:17-21
And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, [and] so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, [every stone] about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

God will judge Jerusalem, the seat of the dragon at the time, and cast her down utterly. It is from these ruins that the Messiah will raise up His new city and temple and rule undisputed from then on. Once the wrath of God has recompensed her, the dispute over Jerusalem will be over forever.

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream: Historical Kingdoms [Daniel 2]

Daniel, while in exile in Babylon was called upon by king Nebuchadnezzar to interpret a dream that troubled him. This dream turned out to cover the history of the main Gentile kingdoms of the world. While it seems to end with the kingdom of God arriving at Christ’s first coming, there is the culmination of the kingdom of God that is ultimately yet unfulfilled until His return and His Messianic kingdom. To that end, in addition to the historical nature of these kingdoms, there will be kingdoms that will be in power when Christ returns and takes the kingdoms of the world and rules.

We know this prophecy represents a historical progression of nations because Nebuchadnezzar is called out specifically as being that head of gold. The remaining kingdoms are not spelled out for us, but it lays out an over-arching history of kingdoms from Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, and finally partly strong and partly weak period. I mention Daniel 2 because four of these kingdoms appear to line up with some of the seven heads of John’s vision.

In regards to understanding future prophecy, defining the historical kingdoms isn’t entirely necessary, but the following are a look at some possible historical heads of the seven kingdoms, and Nebuchadnezzar’s five, based on some kind of dealing with the nation of Israel and Jerusalem by their kings. Keeping in mind that Mount Zion and Jerusalem are tied to these seven historical heads, recall that it was around 1,000 B.C. when David captured Jerusalem and made the city of David the capital of Israel.

1 Chronicles 11:4-9
And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, which [is] Jebus; where the Jebusites [were], the inhabitants of the land. And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, Thou shalt not come hither. Nevertheless David took the castle of Zion, which [is] the city of David. And David said, Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain. So Joab the son of Zeruiah went first up, and was chief. And David dwelt in the castle; therefore they called it the city of David. And he built the city round about, even from Millo round about: and Joab repaired the rest of the city. So David waxed greater and greater: for the LORD of hosts [was] with him.

First Head: Egypt

1 Kings 14:21-27
And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam [was] forty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD did choose out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his mother’s name [was] Naamah an Ammonitess. And Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they had committed, above all that their fathers had done. For they also built them high places, and images, and groves, on every high hill, and under every green tree. And there were also sodomites in the land: [and] they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel. And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, [that] Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem: And he took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king’s house; he even took away all: and he took away all the shields of gold which Solomon had made. And king Rehoboam made in their stead brasen shields, and committed [them] unto the hands of the chief of the guard, which kept the door of the king’s house.

2 Chronicles 12:1-8
And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the LORD, and all Israel with him. And it came to pass, [that] in the fifth year of king Rehoboam Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the LORD, With twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen: and the people [were] without number that came with him out of Egypt; the Lubims, the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians. And he took the fenced cities which [pertained] to Judah, and came to Jerusalem. Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and [to] the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus saith the LORD, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak. Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, The LORD [is] righteous. And when the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; [therefore] I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.

Note that Israel corporately forsook the Law and adopted the practices of the surrounding nations going after other gods. And so Pharaoh Sheshonk I (Shishak) was the instrument of God’s wrath on Israel because they transgressed the Lord.

Second Head: Assyria

  • Philistines, Arabs and Ethiopians during the reign of Jehoram 849-842 B.C. - Looted the palace, and took all of his family captive except for his youngest son Jehoahaz. (Doesn’t contitute a kingdom or king, but placing for reference due to looting Jerusalem.) 2 Chronicles 21:1-20
  • Neo-Assyrian 911 - 609 B.C. [fallen - Revelation 17:10-11]
1 Chronicles 5:25-26
And they transgressed against the God of their fathers, and went a whoring after the gods of the people of the land, whom God destroyed before them. And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria, and he carried them away, even the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, and brought them unto Halah, and Habor, and Hara, and to the river Gozan, unto this day.

2 Kings 15:27-29
In the two and fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, [and reigned] twenty years. And he did [that which was] evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abelbethmaachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them captive to Assyria.
2 Kings 17:1-6
In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah began Hoshea the son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel nine years. And he did [that which was] evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as the kings of Israel that were before him. Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and gave him presents. And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea: for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and brought no present to the king of Assyria, as [he had done] year by year: therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison. Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years. In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor [by] the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

2 Kings 18:11-12
And the king of Assyria did carry away Israel unto Assyria, and put them in Halah and in Habor [by] the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes: Because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD their God, but transgressed his covenant, [and] all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded, and would not hear [them], nor do [them].

Once again we see Israel turned from the God of their fathers toward other gods, described as whoring. Over the next almost thirty years several kings of Assyria were stirred up by God to come against Israel and take them captive.

Third Head: Babylon

Jeremiah 25:1-11
The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that [was] the first year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; The which Jeremiah the prophet spake unto all the people of Judah, and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, even unto this day, that [is] the three and twentieth year, the word of the LORD hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye have not hearkened. And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending [them]; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear. They said, Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD hath given unto you and to your fathers for ever and ever: And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no hurt. Yet ye have not hearkened unto me, saith the LORD; that ye might provoke me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt. Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Because ye have not heard my words, Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations. Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle. And this whole land shall be a desolation, [and] an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

Israel again committed adultery going after other gods and transgressing their God and because if it God brought Nebuchadnezzar II, the king of Babylon, against them and they were told they would be in captivity for 70 years. Jeremiah 29:1-10 It is Daniel's knowledge of this that led to His prayer, repentance, supplication, and petition to God to know the future of Israel and Jerusalem in Daniel 9.

Fourth Head: Medo-Persia

Cyrus the Great, when conquering Babylon in 539 B.C. takes over control of Jerusalem and decrees the Babylonian Jews return to Jerusalem. The second temple is rebuilt and in 445 B.C. Nehemiah is appointed governor and rebuilds the city walls.

This apparent fourth head seems to break the cycle of Israel going after other gods and therefore being ruled by a Gentile kingdom. Instead it is at this time that the previous kingdom being conquered transfers power to the new Medo-Persia kingdom. God uses this kingdom, calling Cyrus by name in Isaiah 44:21-45:7, and through him accomplishing His promise to return Israel to Jerusalem and rebuild it as foretold in Daniel 9. It is also during this kingdom in the reign of Xerxes I (Ahsuerus), who is the king in the book of Esther, that Ezra is dealing with the surrounding people in Israel frustrating their work in rebuilding the temple as decreed by Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes I. In Ezra 4 it speaks of this king whom they petition to verify that Cyrus indeed said they could rebuild.

Fifth Head: Greece

  • Greece 336 - 63 B.C. [fallen - Revelation 17:10-11]
    • Daniel 2 - Brass Belly/Thighs
    • Daniel 8 - Goat with notable horn then four horns that come from it and little horn
    • Daniel 11 - Mighty king will stand and kingdom will be broken into four, king of the South and North
    • Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.) [Notable horn conquered most of the known world and prophesied of in Daniel 8:5-8; 21-22] 332 B.C. Alexander’s armies take Jerusalem
    • Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175-163 B.C.) [Little horn performed the abomination of desolation Daniel 11:21-35 causing the Maccabean revolt in 167 B.C.]

It was in the around 400 silent years of the intertestamental period from around 420 BC to John the Baptist preparing the way for the Messiah, we see a transition of power once again to Greece. We know from history, prophecy in Daniel 8 and Daniel 11, as well as the books of Maccabees.

1 Maccabees 1:1-15
And it happened, after that Alexander son of Philip, the Macedonian, who came out of the land of Chettiim, had smitten Darius king of the Persians and Medes, that he reigned in his stead, the first over Greece, And made many wars, and won many strong holds, and slew the kings of the earth, And went through to the ends of the earth, and took spoils of many nations, insomuch that the earth was quiet before him; whereupon he was exalted and his heart was lifted up. And he gathered a mighty strong host and ruled over countries, and nations, and kings, who became tributaries unto him. And after these things he fell sick, and perceived that he should die. Wherefore he called his servants, such as were honourable, and had been brought up with him from his youth, and parted his kingdom among them, while he was yet alive. So Alexander reigned twelves years, and then died. And his servants bare rule every one in his place. And after his death they all put crowns upon themselves; so did their sons after them many years: and evils were multiplied in the earth. And there came out of them a wicked root Antiochus surnamed Epiphanes, son of Antiochus the king, who had been an hostage at Rome, and he reigned in the hundred and thirty and seventh year of the kingdom of the Greeks. In those days went there out of Israel wicked men, who persuaded many, saying, Let us go and make a covenant with the heathen that are round about us: for since we departed from them we have had much sorrow. So this device pleased them well. Then certain of the people were so forward herein, that they went to the king, who gave them licence to do after the ordinances of the heathen: Whereupon they built a place of exercise at Jerusalem according to the customs of the heathen: And made themselves uncircumcised, and forsook the holy covenant, and joined themselves to the heathen, and were sold to do mischief.

Once again we see Israel turn away from God toward the gods of the nations around them, forsaking the covenant. This period we see some of Daniel's prophecies regarding the abomination of desolation come to pass through Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who setup an idol, destroyed the scriptures, murdered many, and sacrificed pigs, polluting the sanctuary and priesthood. 1 Maccabees 1:30-64

It is this event described in Daniel 8:11-12 and Daniel 11:31. With the help of the books of the Maccabees, we get an understanding of the abomination of desolation that Yeshua points to in the Olivet discourse. Matthew 24:15 | Mark 13:14 It is the future instance of this that hasn’t happened yet that Christ is pointing to. Daniel 9:27 | Daniel 12:11

This association and foreshadow of Antiochus IV to the future antichrist would really seem to symbolize this fifth head with the future beast the most clearly of them all.

Sixth Head: Rome

  • Rome 27 B.C. - 395 A.D. [one is - Revelation 17:10-11]
    • Daniel 2 - Iron Legs
    • Caligula (Aug. 31, 12-Jan. 24, 41 A.D.) - Known for his extreme extravagance, eccentricity, depravity and cruelty, he is remembered as a despot. The Roman historian Suetonius referred to Caligula as a “monster,” and the surviving sources are universal in their condemnation.
    • Vespasian (1 July 69 – 23/24 June 79 A.D.) - Emperor at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem

Rome is probably one of the heads most focused on as it was the culmination of time for the arrival of the Messiah and the destruction of Jerusalem, the temple, and the diaspora of the blinded Jews into the world.

As Yeshua brought the Kingdom of God with Him, the vision of Daniel 2 and the stone cut without hands striking the feet and destroying the statue and that stone growing into a mountain that covered the whole earth would seem to symbolize the instability and eventual collapse of the Roman Empire while the Kingdom of God has continued to grow through history. The ultimate fulfillment of that kingdom will come after the events of the end times in the day of the Lord beginning with God’s wrath and ending in the Messianic Kingdom where Yeshua will physically reign from Jerusalem for 1,000 years.

Seventh Head: Yet Future

The seventh head is “yet to come” from John’s perspective and is said to continue for a short space. I think it’s important to keep in mind the history and what caused Gentile national control over Israel. It was when Israel turned away from God to other gods that they were punished. Typically it was Gentile kingdoms with proud and arrogant leaders who asserted control over Israel and Jerusalem. The question is, how will the dragon’s control of Israel and Jerusalem be accomplished?

Europe

Probably the most common view is that Europe (revived Rome) will be behind the control of Jerusalem. Something like the ENPI, WEU, or EUROMED [EU(ROMED)] would dictate and divide Israel until the time of the antichrist. In this view an outside alliance attempting to make peace and solve the Israeli/Palestinian conflict would make some sort of deal with Israel to allow the rebuilding of the temple and the starting of the daily sacrifice again.

In the context of the ten kings covered below related to the time of the end, some sort of ten nation alliance would come about involving Europe that would dictate control over the land in the Middle East, more specifically Israel, and re-enforce some sort of seven year alliance or pledge. Tied to Daniel 9:27, given that the middle of this includes the existence of some sort of temple since the daily and abomination of desolation take place, this agreement would likely include some arrangement to rebuild the temple and allow the daily sacrifice to resume. It is out of this ten nations that the antichrist would come out of and set up the abomination of desolation, declaring himself god. This leader would put down three of the other kings in this alliance, which is somewhat difficult to place in Europe as I’m not sure which nations might turn on the plan to rebuild the temple.

Islam

Another view would be in reference to the control of the Temple Mount that Islam currently has in Jerusalem to the point that Jews can’t pray there, and sometimes even visiting cause riots. This is difficult to see happening as Islam is likely never going to be the ones to give up control of the Temple Mount in any way without a fight. Some amazing things will be happening in the future though so we will see how it plays out.

More figuratively it could be said that Islam has control over Israel and Jerusalem in that everyone is afraid to do anything to upset the fragile situation such that all that’s needed is riots and skirmishes to bring things back to the status quo of Israel’s hands being tied and increased hatred for Israel.

In the context of the ten kings covered below, a similar ten nation alliance of Israel’s neighbors would literally gain control over Israel, not just figuratively. For some reason they would similarly have an arrangement to allow Israel to rebuild the temple and start the daily sacrifice, leading to a leader rising from those ten nations to declare himself god and stop the daily sacrifice and setup the abomination of desolation. Three of the kings from the other 10 would be brought down by this new leader, perhaps the putting down of a rebellion from allowing Israel to rebuild the temple. This is definitely not difficult to imagine three nations surrounding Israel rebelling at this alliance.

Israel

Ever since the arrival of the nation of Israel back in the land and her independence on May 14, 1948, Israel has ruled itself once again. It’s a different kind of Israel that is regathered from the world and a melting pot of almost 2,000 years living among the cultures of the world, and dealing with their hatred for Jews. At the same time, the traditions planted by God in their own ancient people has yet remained engrained and central in their culture, even if for many it’s just tradition without the fear or even belief in God behind it.

In the context of the ten kings covered below, a ten nation alliance necessarily including Israel would come about. Similar to the other views, this would lead to Israel rebuilding the temple and starting the daily sacrifice again. Out of these ten kings would arise one who would bring down three other kings in the alliance. Similar to the Islam view, I could see at least three nations in the alliance taking issue to the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem.

Who’s the Seventh Head?

I don’t know because things have not progressed enough to really know. As you will see, the precursor to the appearance of the antichrist and really understanding how this will play out lies in the political developments of the ten kings from which the antichrist will arise and by whom the deals will be made. I believe this seventh head will have the ten horns represented in the beast and that the transition to the antichrist kingdom will come when the seventh head becomes the eighth at the abomination of desolation. At that time the antichrist will take the reigns of the symbolic beast and assert control over all the instruments developed to control it to that time.

Personally, I lean toward the Israel view at this point. While there are attempts to exert control over Jerusalem, the modern state of Israel is in control with the exception of the Temple Mount, which in the name of peace, they have allowed Jordanian control through the Waqf since retaking Jerusalem in 1967. While there are certainly desires to eliminate Israel, as I study Bible prophecy, I know this will not happen.

Instead what I think may unfold is a stronger and more focused and unbeatable State of Israel, especially since the Hamas attack in the South of Israel on October 7, 2023 and the global vocal minority’s apparent reaction in support of Hamas. Firmly set in their resolve, Israel would maintain control with an iron fist and ultimately I think we will see that resolve set on the rebuilding of the third temple in Jerusalem. Israel has tiptoed around the feelings of those who want them dead for decades. I feel that something will happen to trigger the rebuiding, come what may as a result.

I believe the great deceiver is playing both sides of the chess board. His foothold has been in Islam from its beginning and because of its power and influence it has grown in influence around the world. He is pushing his own hatred of Israel because they are God’s chosen people through whom the Messiah came and freed so many he wanted to take to hell with him. He was unable to stop the Messiah at His first coming and lost that battle. He was unable to wipe out Israel at any chance he could get through history, and now he knows God’s heart for His people and that His return is to bring a remnant back to Himself. I think the dragon, this subtle serpent, will use the blindness of Israel to their Messiah and use it to try and hijack Israel’s return to God.

While Israel is seeing the masks coming off around the world of the growing hatred of her existence, perhaps some archaeological discovery, travailing in war, and spiritual wearyness; I think Israel will begin to turn back to God as she has done so many times throughout history. I believe as this happens, the desire to have the temple rebuilt and return to the Torah and the Law of Moses will become the cry of Israel. It will be sincere and the subtle serpent will use this and the pride and arrogance of a leader who will rise from this ten nation alliance and confirm the Mosaic Covenant to his people and bring about the environment that allows for the rebuilding of the temple and return to Mosaic Law.

In all these views, something will change in Israel to bring it back to the point of rebuilding the third temple and I would expect if this seventh head is in reference to Israel herself, that the short space would refer to this time when the secular Israel has been replaced by a larger orthodox Israel and restarted daily sacrifice.

Rise of the Antichrist Kingdom

Does the Bible offer any clues as to the nature of the rise of the final kingdom? I believe we get these clues from Daniel. I have to give credit to Chris White and his great books and podcast / YouTube. The research and understanding he’s shared has really clarified some things for me in my studies and painted a much clearer picture of the coming times that makes a lot of sense.

Daniel’s Vision: The Ram and Goat [Daniel 8]

This chapter focuses on a narrow part of Daniel’s future and our past. In addition to showing God’s knowledge of the future and the reliability of the visions and prophecies given to His prophets like Daniel, this vision provides a kind of mirror and foreshadow of the future antichrist kingdom.

There is a ram with two horns, the later one higher than the other. This is defined as the kings of Media and Persia and historically matches this as Persia came up later and was greater than Media. Then a goat shows up with a notable horn between his eyes. This goat is defined as Greece and the notable horn is the first king of Greece, Alexander the Great. This goat then destroys the ram and becomes very great and while he was strong, the horn is broken. Alexander the Great  died suddenly in Babylon.

Here begins the mirror and foreshadow, because out of the infigting and battles for Alexander’s kingdom, four kingdoms arose, just as Daniel 8:8,22 states. The Kingdom of Macedonia, Ptolemaic Kingdom, Kingdom of Lysimachus, and the Seleucid Empire grew from four of Alexander’s generals following his death and continued separately with some infighting and alliances over time falling apart at different points. We see more details of this infighting in the first part of Daniel 11. Out of one of those four kingdoms, the Seleucid Empire, arose Antiochus IV Epiphanes who ruled from 175-164 BC. It is this person in 167 BC who gives us the Biblical definition of what the abomination of desolation is and stopped the daily sacrifice.

“His friends reminded him that Antiochus surnamed Epiphanes, after subduing the Jews, entered into the temple of God, into which none was allowed to enter by their law except the priest. When he found in there the image of a man with a long beard, carved in stone sitting upon an ass, he took it to be Moses, who built Jerusalem and brought the nation together, and who established by law all their wicked customs and practices, abounding in hatred and enmity to all other men. Antiochus therefore, abhorring their antagonism to all other people, tried his utmost to abolish their laws. To that end he sacrificed a great swine at the image of Moses, and at the altar of God that stood in the outward court, and sprinkled them with the blood of the sacrifice. He commanded likewise that the books, by which they were taught to hate all other nations, should be sprinkled with the broth made of the swine’s flesh. And he put out the lamp (called by them immortal) which burns continually in the temple. Lastly he forced the high priest and the other Jews to eat swine’s flesh. When Antiochus’ friends had spoken about all these things, they earnestly advised him to root out the whole nation, or at least to abolish their laws, and compel them to change their former manner of living.” | Diodorus 34:1(3,4)

I Maccabees and II Maccabees provide many details of this time, including the day of the abomination of desolation and the day of the rededication of the temple, providing a fulfullment to the 2,300 days prophecy that is celebrated today as Chanukkah.

So I believe Daniel 8 is a self-contained historical record for us, foretold to Daniel in his time, that gives us both a description of what the abomination of desolation is in addition to stopping the daily sacrifice. 1 Maccabees 1:30-67 provides the following background information of Antiochus and the time of the abomination of desolation.

  • “he spoke to them peaceable words in deceit: and they believed him. And he fell upon the city suddenly, and struck it with a great slaughter, and destroyed much people in Israel”
  • “king Antiochus set up the abominable idol of desolation upon the altar of God, and they built altars throughout all the cities of Juda round about: And they burnt incense, and sacrificed at the doors of the houses, and in the streets.”
  • “they cut in pieces, and burnt with fire the books of the law of God: And every one with whom the books of the testament of the Lord were found, and whosoever observed the law of the Lord, they put to death, according to the edict of the king.”
  • “on the five and twentieth day of the month they sacrificed upon the altar of the idol that was over against the altar of God.”
  • “And many of the people of Israel determined with themselves, that they would not eat unclean things: and they chose rather to die than to be defiled with unclean meats. And they would not break the holy law of God, and they were put to death: And there was very great wrath upon the people.”

To this end, we should expect that the future abomination of desolation will involve setting up of an image and/or altar to worship a false god in the temple of God in addition to forbidding of any practices previously held in worshipping the one True God of Abraham. Any other manner of uncleanliness according to what God prescribed for Israel may also be part of that.

In the future I believe the abomination of desolation will be simply the man of sin setting himself up as an idol to be worshipped from the temple of God and stopping the daily sacrifice and any tradition prescribed by God. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 Anyone who does not comply is killed. The key reason I place this historical chapter in the section about the rise of the antichrist kingdom is to bring out the point that this historical description comes about from one man arising from one of four kingdoms to stop the daily sacrifice and setup idols in the temple to be worshipped becomes very interesting in light of Daniel’s dream one chapter earlier. This historical character who fulfilled this prophecy in Daniel 8 and who is further detailed in Daniel 11 gives us an example of what Christ was talking about when He gave the following warning.

Matthew 24:15-16
When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:

We’ve been given a glimpse in history of what Christ was pointing to, but there is another place Daniel speaks of the abomination of desolation tied to the 70th week of Daniel that has not yet occured in Daniel 9:27.

Daniel’s Dream: The Four Kingdoms [Daniel 7]

Daniel also had his own dream of this final kingdom with some similarities to Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, yet it would seem to be focused wholely on the future state of the world at the time of the Antichrist’s kingdom. This is more fully covered in the Daniel 7 study.

There’s a historical and contemporaneous view of the four beasts. In the past I held that it was paralelling Daniel 2 in describing historical kingdoms through history to the future and final one. Daniel 7:12 and what Chris White has presented in his Bible studies and books, as well as my own diving back into these prophecies, have convicned me the whole of chapter 7 is yet future. This means these four kingdoms are contemporaneous and give us a picture of the time of transition from the seventh head to the eighth controlling Jerusalem.

Daniel has a dream where he sees four diverse beasts. This tells us they are all separate, yet in John’s vision of the end time beast we see a single unified beast described with the same animals that Daniel is seeing as diverse. I believe this is a big clue that Daniel’s vision is of a time before their unification. Regarding the nature of the first three beasts, I would recommend watching Chris White’s video on Daniel 7 here.

First like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.

2 Samuel 1:23
Saul and Jonathan [were] lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.

The lion is depicted in scripture as Judah and strong and tears into pieces. Yeshua is the lion of the tribe of Judah. Revelation 5:5 However, it would seem that this imagery is focused on the strength and that the lion is made to stand on its feet as a man and a man’s heart given it, the ferocity seems diminished. 2 Samuel 17:10 | Proverbs 28:1

The idea of wings denotes speed and protection in scripture. In Exodus 19:4 it was used to depict how God brought Israel out of Egypt on eagles’ wings. In Revelation 12:14 we see this mirrored again when Israel is taken from the dragon with wings of eagles she is given to be protected in the wilderness for 3½ years. In Isaiah 40:31 it are those that wait on the Lord who will not be weary because the Lord renews their strength mounted up with wings as eagles. The symbology is used as a covering in Jeremiah 48:40, Jeremiah 49:22, and Matthew 23:37 and Luke 13:34 in terms of a hen gathering her chicks under her wings.

That this lion has wings plucked would indicate some level of speed and protection being removed from it. Perhaps this combined with the lion standing as a man with a man’s heart given to it speaks to the chastisement in removing that power, strength, and speed of the winged lion. Deuteronomy 8:5

Second like a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.

There is not much symbology of a bear in scripture, but this power definitely seems to be like an angry grizzly bear, raised up on one side and poised to strike with it’s deadly claws. Furthermore it has three ribs in its mouth and is told to devour much flesh. God spoke of meeting Israel as a bear whose offspring was taken away that will tear open their chest. Hosea 13:4-8 So symbolically and clearly stated, the bear is a symbol of ravenous destruction.

One can’t be too dogmatic, but the three ribs may be related to the three horns that are plucked up by their roots. It may be that this power over ¼ of the earth is one of the stronger allies of the man of sin, more willing to do his will, assisting in his rise to power and perhaps is also tied to the fourth horseman.

Revelation 6:7-8
And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

Third like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.

Similar to a lion, the leopard in scripture is a means of tearing to pieces in Jeremiah 5:6 and in Hosea 13:7 God speaks of how the stealthy leopard observes its prey, and they are also swift. Habakkuk 1:8

That it has four wings would seem to symbolize its great speed and having four heads may indicate it is made up somehow of four kings or kingdoms that make it up and to whom dominion is given.

Fourth Dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.

Prophetically iron is used as a strong metal that breaks everything in pieces. Yeshua rules with a rod of iron, Psalm 2:9 | Revelation 2:27 | Revelation 12:5 | Revelation 19:15, and we saw the Roman Empire depicted as iron legs and partly strong and partly weak in the iron mixed with clay in Daniel 2. This very powerful beast controlling ¼ of the earth is distinct from the other three and has ten horns.

Daniel 7:12
As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.

This passage clarifies that these four beasts, while diverse, exist at the same point in time because it is the fourth kingdom that is destroyed upon Christ’s return, yet the lion, bear and leopard kingdoms only have their dominion taken away. Because they are still distinct from each other and come up separate, I believe we have been given a clue about the rise of the kingdom of the antichrist. This is our first glimpse of the new world order in Bible prophecy. We have a picture of four distinct beasts, interpreted as kings Daniel 7:17, all coming from the sea different from each other. A lion with plucked eagle’s wings, a bear with 3 ribs in its mouth, a leopard with four wings and four heads and the fourth dreadful and strong beast with iron teeth, nails of brass and 10 horns.

The Ten Horns

We have four distinct and diverse beasts and given that they will later be unified as one, I believe we can safely say that these four beasts represent some kind of regional governance of the world’s governments such that power over the population of the world politically is controlled through these four powers. Recall that only the fourth beast has ten horns at this point. I believe these ten horns are a significant watch point for us to be looking out for.

The first watch point to look out for is a group of ten kings that will control ¼ of the earth at the time of the end. The ten horns out of this fourth kingdom are ten kings that shall arise.

Rise of the Little Horn

Recall the historical prophecy from Daniel 8 and how Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who demonstrated the abomination of desolation from history for us, arose from one of four Grecian kingdoms of the earth at that time. In Daniel 8:9 he too is called a little horn that comes up from one of the four horns. I think this has caused some confusion and attempts to associate that historical period with future visions of Daniel and John. I believe God has given us who are alive at the end a Biblical and historical definition of what to look out for and through similar symbology has associated the two in Daniel 7, Daniel 8, Daniel 11-12, and Revelation 12, Revelation 13, and Revelation 17-18. So looking to the future, let’s take a closer look at the little horn that represents the future man of sin.

Daniel 7:7b-8, 11, 20-21, 23-26
...and it [was] diverse from all the beasts that [were] before it; and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn [were] eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. ... I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld [even] till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. ... And of the ten horns that [were] in his head, and [of] the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even [of] that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look [was] more stout than his fellows. I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; ...
Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom [are] ten kings [that] shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak [great] words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy [it] unto the end.

Daniel 7 provides an apparent view of the rise of the final antichrist kingdom in that we see this additional little horn come up among the other ten horns, or kings. This is an important distinction from chapter 8 where the little horn rises from 4 horns. In this new leader’s rise among these ten kings, three of the existing ten kings fall before him and are plucked up by the roots. This would indicate some kind of power struggle and political intrigue in the new leader’s rise to power. It may be that the bear representing the second beast at that time is the method by which those three kings are plucked up, or it could be that it is the new leader himself that accomplishes this.

It might seem that this little horn is one of the ten, but in thinking of this some more, it really seems like a separate eleventh horn among the ten. Since the horns represent leaders of kingdoms, this would seem to indicate a smaller kingdom would perhaps join and disturb an alliance of ten with its arrival such that three react and are subdued and fall before the little horn. It is not long after his arrival that we see the mortal wound and the seventh head become the eighth head representing the kingdom of the antichrist. This would also seem to fit with the kingdom this little horn represents being the woman that is riding the beast. It is separate from the beast, but symbolically part of the dragon’s plans in the end.

For those watching, we should expect to see some kind of global governance forming among ten nations, most likely in the Middle East surrounding Israel. Since this future antichrist is clearly tied to Israel and being worshipped in the Jewish temple, this eleventh little horn will come up among these ten kings or kingdoms would be expected to be Israel or a leader from Israel. Through the political events that follow, a charismatic and powerful leader would rise up and three of these leaders of the ten kingdoms would be uprooted.

As we will see that doesn’t appear to decrease the number of kings to seven, or eight including this new leader, but there would appear to be some sort of leadership change amonst the ten kings, which leads me to translate kings to kingdoms more generically except when clearly focused on one man such as the man of sin. This new diverse king will speak out against God and all that believe in God, changing times and laws. This may have to do with the token of a covenant with many (Revelation 6:2 | Daniel 9:27) and all this is going on while the other three beasts are separate yet contemporaneous.

Daniel’s Vision: The Wars of the Antichrist [Daniel 11]

Daniel 11:35
And [some] of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make [them] white, [even] to the time of the end: because [it is] yet for a time appointed.

Daniel 11:36-45 provides a shift in time from verses 1-35 of this chapter, which end speaking of the people dealing with Antiochus IV Epiphanes back in 167 BC. In fact Daniel 11, similar to Daniel 8, provides an association and connection from the depiction of the historical Antiochus to a future antichrist. Not only will both have taken away the daily sacrifice and polluted the sanctuary with idols, but as mentioned they will both rise out of a fourth kindom of their day to power over Israel and the temple.

With the wars of the Antichrist, I think this quartering of power on the earth may give us a view of the time of the fourth seal where the rider is given power over ¼ of the earth to kill with sword, hunger, death and beasts of the earth. Revelation 6:7-8 If the four contemporaneous beasts represent power over ¼ of the earth, then a regional war related to the ten horns may be represented there. One of Daniel’s other visions gives us a view of the Antichrist in the last days.

Daniel 11:36-12:1
And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.
[Wars of Antichrist]
And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.
[Final transition to the Abomination of Desolation]
And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

Notice similarly to Daniel 7, this king will do his own will and magnify himself above God, speaking against the God of gods, honoring a god of forces who his fathers didn’t know. With the perspective of a Jewish Antichrist, this makes a lot of sense. Speaking to the unbelieving Jews in His day, Yeshua said, “I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.” John 5:37-47 Understanding also that the Jews are looking for a conquering king to restore Israel, it’s setting up for a perfect deception if a strong leader comes on the scene amidst surrounding nations attempting to destroy Israel and utterly defeats her enemies. And God will give the world over to that lie. 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12 Remember though that Yeshua said His coming would not be on the earth. Acts 1:9-11 | Matthew 24:23-28 | Revelation 19:11-16 The elect knowing God’s word will likely be the saving grace that prevents them from being deceived in this coming great deception.

The narrative switch to the time of the end still uses the characters of the kings of the North and South. Even in the previous verses of chapter 11 these kings did not represent one person, but a series of kings ruling over a period of time and therefore these would likely represent the same basic areas as before, the king of the South being what was the Ptolomaic Kingdom to the South, modern Libya and primarily Egypt. In the paradigm of a Jewish antichrist, Israel was under the control of the Seleucid Empire and would be represented as the king of the North. Of course if this is taking place in the end times, modern nations in these areas would be part of the picture.

This king will acknowledge and increase with glory a strange god. It would seem this strange god will give this king his power, seat and great authority as he begins to conquer his surrounding enemies like Egypt, Libya and Ethiopia. I do find it interesting that the nations that are mentioned are typically not big fans of Israel. With a Jewish antichrist, these wars start to make a lot more sense if indeed he has already confirmed a covenant to restart the daily sacrifice in Israel. Israel’s neighbors would not be too happy and the religious furvor of a perceived messiah conquering their enemies would only enhance the deception the world is given over to. And with the attacks of October 7, 2023 in light of the history of the region, I think Israel’s resolve is stronger than ever.

We see in verses 40-45, a series of battles that follow the statement, “at the time of the end.” In the context of this new leader coming up among a group of ten kingdoms, it may be that the events depicted here are related to the fall of three of these. The king of the South comes at the king of the North and he responds powerfully, entering into the countries and overthrowing them. Egypt is specifically called out as not escaping from him, but several others do; Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. It appears the Libyans and Ethiopians may be on his side at this time. They are described as “at his steps,” which might be taken to mean that they’re next. However, the Hebrew it’s used as in his footsteps or in his company.

During this campaign, news from the Northeast cause him to quickly change course and with great fury, destroy and utterly destroy many. Who is to Egypt and Israel’s Northeast?

Isaiah 17:1-3, 9
The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from [being] a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap. The cities of Aroer [are] forsaken: they shall be for flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make [them] afraid. The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria: they shall be as the glory of the children of Israel, saith the LORD of hosts. ... In that day shall his strong cities be as a forsaken bough, and an uppermost branch, which they left because of the children of Israel: and there shall be desolation.

Damascus is the oldest continuously inhabited city and has never been made a ruinous heap. However, this passage seems to prophecy its destruction and strong cities being forsaken because of the children of Israel. I can’t prove the relation, but in my studies this came to remembrance so I’m including it.

Again, given that Bible prophecy is centered around Israel, I would expect that Israel would be one of these ten kings or kingdoms in this regional global governance. Assuming that this ten kingdom governance is in place, in the various antichrist paradigms this could play out several ways. My current view of a Jewish antichrist leads me through the following possible future.

A charismatic leader rises to power in Israel. Having come to a position of strength and no longer willing to capitulate to the calls for peace with a party that only wants their destruction, a confirmation of the Mosaic Covenant is declared, possibly in light of some new archaeological discovery. As part of this, the third temple is approved to be rebuilt and the daily sacrifice to be resumed. Three of the ten kings revolt at this and are swiftly eliminated. Knowing they cannot win against a determined Israel and because God puts it in their hearts to fulfill His will, Revelation 17:17, the nine kingdoms fall into line and give their power over to this leader and let him run Israel as he sees fit.

The Future Antichrist Kingdom

The rise of the little horn paints a picture of the events surrounding the rise of the man of sin, however there is a point we see where the seventh head of the beast becomes the eighth head indicating a power change and the ten horns give their power to the little horn. Since this powerful leader is the head of the antichrist kingdom, it’s only right that we begin with his transition to the eighth head.

Eighth Head: of the Seven

There is an event that will at first seem to have stopped this unstoppable force. At some point at the end of these wars, the Antichrist will plant his tabernacle to the West of Jerusalem where he will “come to his end.” Revelation 13:3,12,14 | Revelation 17:8,11 Recall how Daniel 11 connected the historical Antiochus IV to the future antichrist. The last verse before transitioning to the revealing of the man of sin in Daniel 12:1.

Daniel 11:45
And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.

Revelation 17:11
And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.

The seventh head is said to continue a short space after which an eighth head comes up. This is introduced as the beast that was, is not, yet is. So this eighth head represents a new kingdom and/or king of this kingdom. I introduce the antichrist kingdom with this transition to the eighth head from the seven because I believe that this is the transition point and start of the antichrist’s kingdom. This is all centered around the events of the abomination of desolation.

Revelation 13:3-5, 12, 14
And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who [is] like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty [and] two months. ...
And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. ...
And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by [the means of] those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

It seems pretty clear that a death and resurrection at some point in time is tied to the man of sin. Putting this together with the wording of chapter 17, it would seem that this event where the deadly wound is healed is the transtition of the seventh head to the eighth. I believe this may be tied in with the false prophet of Revelation 13, in the Jewish antichrist paradigm being a false Elijah. Not only is Elijah expected by Jews to prepare the way for the Messiah, Malachi 3:1-4 | Malachi 4:5, but he both called down fire from heaven, 1 Kings 18:20-39 | 2 Kings 1:1-16, and is know for resurrecting from the dead. 1 Kings 17:17-24

2 Thessalonians 2:6-12
And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth [will let], until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: [Even him], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Paul provides us a connection to the falling away from truth and revealing of the man of sin prior to the catching away of the bride with a strong delusion that God will send. I believe that the beginning of the antichrist kingdom will be when God allows the revealing of the man of sin by calling Michael to heaven to cast out the dragon to the earth. Revelation 12:7-17 It is pretty clear from scripture that the seventh head will be wounded to death and that is the beast of Revelation 13.. Up to that point I believe Israel is doing the perpetual duties at the temple that God told them would be forever.

In the almost 3½ years he’s been leading Israel, he has been conquering Israel’s enemies in the wars of the antichrist. When the man of sin is no longer restrained, in his pride he will enter the temple, stop the daily sacrifice, and declare himself to be god, setting himself up as an idol to be worshipped as god, performing the abomination of desolation that starts the time of great tribulation and his 42 month reign over the earth. Anyone in Jerusalem at that time should heed the words of Christ and flee for the mountains. Those Jews and Gentiles will soon see that he is not who he says and those disciples that are deceived by him will do whatever he says to the unbelievers.

Why the man of sin is killed isn’t very clear, we are told he has a mortal wound from a sword. Revelation 13:3,12,14 Some also say it’s a head wound, but that only comes from saying the seventh of the symbolic heads is wounded to death. The literal event that this symbolic head is conveying are not the same. My theory is tied to what happened with the confirming of the Mosaic Covenant that I believe is what Daniel 9:27 is speaking of. It is what will bring about the rebuilding of the temple and the resumption of the daily sacrifice.

Some Christians bristle at the idea of the the temple, its instrumets, and the daily sacrifice. Doesn’t the New Testament state these were done away with in Christ? Hebrews 7:23-28 That it’s not possible for the blood of bullocks and lambs to take away sin? Hebrews 10:1-5 Very true, but let us remember two points. Firstly, the Jews have been blinded since just before Yeshua’s crucifixion and will remain so until the fulness of the Gentiles. Secondly, many of the things they were told to do after being saved out of Egypt were statutes to their people forever. I don’t know about you, but forever means something to me as well. While some of the things may have been foreshadows to what Christ would fulfill, it would appear that making them statutes for Israel forever means they must also be done in remembrance of these foreshadows and thefore remembrance of Christ. Here are just some of the statutes given to Israel to perform forever in perpetuity.

  • Exodus 3:14-15 - I AM THAT I AM will be God’s name to them forever
  • Exodus 12:14-17 - Feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread by ordinance as a memorial forever
  • Exodus 27:20-21 - Aaron and his sons shall keep the lamp burning as a statute forever on behalf of the children of Israel
  • Exodus 28:43 - Garments of the priests upon Aaron and his seed forever
  • Exodus 29:28 - Statute to Aaron and his sons forever for the heave offering of a bull and two rams
  • Exodus 29:38 - Daily sacrifice, two lambs of the first year day by day, morning and evening, continually in perpetuity
  • Exodus 31:16-17 - Children of Israel shall observe the Sabbath forever as a sign between God and Israel
  • Leviticus 6:18 - The meat offering for Aaron and his seed forever
  • Leviticus 16:31 - Yom Kippur a statute forever

For someone who takes God’s Word seriously, regardless of their blindness to the arrival of the Messiah, those seeking God of the people of Israel have a serious reason to desire a return to the commands they were given to follow forever. I believe that initially a lot of those in Israel when the temple is rebuilt and the daily sacrifice returns will not be thinking of moving away from God, but trying to get closer to Him. This will be hijacked by the man of sin and perhaps it is an zealous Jew that recognizes the abomination of desolation and blaphemy of the man of sin and kills him for it as is prescribed in the Torah.

When the consolidation of power occurs and the world wonders after and worships the beast who was, was not, and yet was in John’s vision, we see a unified beast, matching the depictions of Daniel’s vision, after the abomination of desolation when the whole world gives their power to the beast and there is a single leader of the world through the power and authority given him by the dragon. I think at that time we will see several different groups that react differently.

  • Some Jews who have a fervent passion and believe that the man of sin is god will do whatever he says, even if it is to kill all those who reject him.
  • Some Gentiles who don’t know the Bible may fall for the deception, believing Yeshua has returned.
  • Some Jews who reject his claim to be god will either run to the mountains and ultimately be protected from the dragon in the wilderness or be killed.
  • Many Jews and Gentiles, unable to do anything about this powerful man will go along to get along, doing whatever they have to stay alive, to the loss of their eternal souls.
  • Some Jews and Gentiles who know God’s Word will recognize him as the antichrist and resist to the death, awaiting the blessed hope and catching away to the Lord in the air before His wrath is poured out.

John’s Vision: Antichrist Kingdom [Revelation 17]

I won’t focus on the woman riding the beast, which represents Jerusalem. The passages from Revelation 17 here will focus on the beast itself.

Revelation 17:9-10
[Vision]
And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

[Interpretation]
And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, [and] the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him [are] called, and chosen, and faithful. And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

There is a lot there, but I want to bring together the other passages first and then I will combine them to paint a pictures of the Antichrist kingdom at the end.

John’s Vision: The Beast From The Sea [Revelation 13:1-8]

In the time just after Christ’s first coming and return to heaven, John was given a vision of the future where he saw some very similar things as Daniel related to the fourth beast.

Revelation 13:1-8
And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

John’s Vision: The Beast From The Earth [Revelation 13:11-18]

This passage is somewhat tandential, but confirms and speaks to the beast and some identifying properties so I’m including this here.

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

Having looked at all the passages that refer to all these odd visions of multi-headed beasts mixed together, what does it all mean? While Daniel’s vision shows the rise of the antichrist kingdom, John’s vision reveals the eighth head of the beast that represents the final kingdom that starts at the abomination of desolation. Of course it’s not meant to be speaking of literal mixed beasts, but symbols to help define the characteristics we can expect to see in the future Antichrist kingdom.

The Beast

From John’s vision in Revelation 12:3-4 it seems clear that this beast is ultimately Satan, Lucifer, the great red dragon and his influence over the kings throughout history to affect Israel. He symbolically draws 1/3 of the angels from heaven to the earth and he has 7 heads (Revelation 13:1 | Revelation 17:3,7,9) with 7 crowns (Revelation 13:1) and 10 horns (Daniel 7:7,20,24 | Revelation 13:1 | Revelation 17:3,7,12,16). The only places in scripture these are all mentioned is in direct relation to this end time red or scarlet beast. Moreover in Revelation 13:2 we see that the dragon gives the beast his power, and his seat, and great authority. So I would posit that while in may ways the beast is focused on the antichrist, the real power is from the dragon who is the focus of the worship, just the way he wants it. Revelation 13:4

As with many other places in scripture, there are many types and foreshadows, but the ultimate fulfillment of this beast will be the future antichrist kingdom where the dragon will give his proxies, the antichrist and false prophet, power to completely dominate both God’s people and the whole world. They will be allowed this power over the world and the saints for 3½ years, or 42 months. (Daniel 7:25 | Daniel 12:5-11 | Revelation 13:5) Those without faith will quickly recognize they are powerless against the antichrist and will submit during this hour of temptation. Those who know of the coming deception will not fall for it and may lose their lives, but not their eternal souls. I believe this is the mystery of iniquity at work in the world today, silently marching toward the goal of deceiving as many as possible to their own destruction. 2 Thessalonians 2

John 16:1-4
These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me. But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you.

Yeshua spoke this to His disciples about their time and what they would go through for the Gospel. At that time, the religious Jews who did not know the Father nor recognize their Messiah killed those spreading God’s Word of the kingdom’s arrival. So too will those who believe the man of sin is god, kill the saints believing they are serving god. In reality they are crushing the grapes of the dragon’s wrath on God’s people and drinking of the wine of their fornication with the beast and his dragon, worshipping a false god and rejecting the Father and Son they do not know.

The Harlot Jerusalem

The seven heads are defined as seven mountains on which the woman sits, defining a spacial characteristic to the heads, or mountains. It also provides a temporal definition of these seven heads as being seven kings. At the time of John’s vision, there is one present, but five had fallend before that, and there is one yet to come from his perspective that will continue for a short time. We then have one that was, was not, and yet is. This is defined as being the eighth head that is of the seven.

The last element that assists in defining this has to do with the woman riding the scarlet beast.

Revelation 17:5, 18
And upon her forehead [was] a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. ... And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

Revelation 11:7-8
And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies [shall lie] in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

Revelation 14:8
And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

Revelation 16:19
And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.

Based on what John has seen in his other visions in Revelation, it seems pretty clear that the “great city” is none other than Jerusalem. Daniel has also connected Jerusalem to God’s holy mountain in Daniel 9:16,20 in his prayer and supplications for God’s mercy on Israel in the Babylonian captivity.

Combining all these symbols of the dragon, seven heads/mountains/kings together, it only makes sense that the seven heads represent seven periods in Jerusalem’s history and her future where she becomes the seat of harlotry and going away from God for other gods. It would seem to coincide many times with her harlotry leading to being ruled over by foreign kingdoms. Regardless, it seems to be related to the dragon having a foothold on Israel and the harlot riding Jerusalem through history and spilling the blood of the saints has other echoes in scripture.

Revelation 18:24
And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

Luke 13:33-35
Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the [day] following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen [doth gather] her brood under [her] wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until [the time] come when ye shall say, Blessed [is] he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Luke 11:47-51
Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres. Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and [some] of them they shall slay and persecute: That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.

And we are also told of the end that anyone who does not worship the beast, who declares himself above all gods in the temple of God, will be killed. In the symbology of the woman riding the beast drinking from golden cup full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. Spiritually, fornication and whoredom represents rejection of God and worshipping other gods, which is exactly what the antichrist kingdom will be setup to do and the world will be “fornicating” with the beast and dragon. And just as God’s wrath is imaged with the crushing of grapes, so too is the dragon’s wrath on God’s people, and all the world will worship the beast and assist in the killing of the saints.

And so it is this end kingdom, the eighth head that comes after the previous seven, that will bring about the time of great tribulation and kill all those who worship the One True God and instead worshipping the dragon, Satan, or Lucifer.

The End of the Antichrist Kingdom

As stated in Daniel 7:25, Daniel 12:5-11, and Revelation 13:5 starting from the abomination of desolation this kingdom will only last for 3½ years, or 42 months. While the dragon, through his proxy antichrist, has power over the whole earth, it is from Jerusalem that he exherts that power and control. The mystery that is Jerusalem, Babylon the great and harlot who has once again gone after another god, will be destroyed in several ways through this time leading to the ultimate end of the dragon, beast, and false prophet.

Revelation 17:16-17
And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

Earlier we read that the ten kings agree and give their kingdom to the beast. We can see here that this only happened because God put it in their hearts to do so until His Words are fulfilled. These Words are the judgements upon Babylon that must be finished.

Revelation 16:17-21
And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, [and] so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, [every stone] about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

Once the final bowl of God’s wrath is poured out and it is finished, God’s Word is fulfilled and no longer will the ten kings give their kingdoms to the beast. It is they who hate Jerusalem and will burn her with fire once the wrath of God is completed.

Revelation 18:1-10; 20-21
And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong [is] the Lord God who judgeth her. And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. Rejoice over her, [thou] heaven, and [ye] holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her. And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast [it] into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.

The complete destruction will come suddenly for Jerusalem. The seventh bowl has divided the city in three parts and suddenly in an hour the kings and merchants will see her burning. I don’t know if this is something as severe as an atomic bomb or just a massive attack on Jerusalem, but her destruction comes quickly at the hands of the ten kings that once gave the antichrist their power. In the Jewish antichrist paradigm, if the ten kings are primarily surrounding Islamic nations who joined an alliance with Israel because God put it in their hearts, as soon as that is over I wouldn’t find it hard to believe that they would quickly turn on Jerusalem and attempt to destroy the antichrist and the center of his kingdom.

This is not the end of the antichrist and false prophet however. They survive all of this and gather their armies to Har Megiddo, armageddon, to fight the returning Yeshua and those who follow him on white horses.

Revelation 16:13-14, 16
And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs [come] out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, [which] go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. ... And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

Revelation 19:11-20:3
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him [was] called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes [were] as a flame of fire, and on his head [were] many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he [was] clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies [which were] in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on [his] vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all [men, both] free and bond, both small and great. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which [sword] proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

And so ends forever the reign of the antichrist and false prophet, their eternal souls thrown away for 42 months of perceived power. The dragon, completely powerless as he always was in the face of God, is locked away for 1,000 years and the Lord sets up the Messianic kingdom from which Yeshua will reign with a rod of iron over the earth.

Messianic Kingdom

In the place of this judged and destroyed fourth antichrist kingdom, Yeshua will completely change the land of Israel. Honestly, with all the devestation of Jerusalem, it sounds like He will have a fairly clean slate to work with. Ezekiel 40-48 speaks to a very different time and a great temple, unlike any before it, from which He will reign over the earth. Into this kingdom, those who were killed after the catching away of the bride before God’s wrath will be resurrected to reign with Christ for 1,000 years.

Revelation 20:4-6
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received [his] mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This [is] the first resurrection. Blessed and holy [is] he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

In addition, Israel will come out of her protection in the wilderness to stand in their lots, the Promised Land divided for Israel as God intended in the land of Israel, Numbers 34, only now He is ruling over them Himself. Ezekiel 47:13-48:35 Map

Daniel 12:11-13
And from the time [that] the daily [sacrifice] shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, [there shall be] a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed [is] he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. But go thou thy way till the end [be]: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.

There are several paradigms when studying the end times that affect how you interpret the details. For me, when initially studying Bible prophecy, I learned from a paradigm that viewed a revived Roman empire as the kingdom from which the Antichrist would come and reign. There is also a view of an Islamic empire from which the Antichrist would come and reign and more recently a Jewish.

While I am leaning toward the latter, the goal of this site is to gather knowledge I’ve gained of different perspectives and put them in one place. So this page is really a jump point to the three main views that can be switched between using the three icons to the right. As with everything this is a work in progress.

  • Mediterranean Kingdom | Jewish Antichrist - I’ve learned a lot from Chris White’s work presenting the idea of both a Jewish Antichrist, deceiving Israel into believing he is their long-awaited Messiah through the apparent fulfillment of several prophecies their paradigm is expecting. Somewhat separately, yet it fits together quite well, is the idea that the 10 kingdoms are around the Mediterranean region, where the fourth kingdom would generally be viewed as the middle east. So far these views seem to hold the most legitimacy in my understanding.
  • Revived Roman Kingdom | Roman Antichrist - This is the more traditionally and widely accepted view that looks at Daniel 2 as historical each of those 5 kingdoms through history followed each other. Since the legs of iron and and feet of iron and clay have a common material, then the Antichrist kingdom must flow from Rome and be reborn somehow as a revived Roman kingdom. This then necessitates the Antichrist coming from that kingdom and ruling it.
  • Islamic Kingdom | Islamic Antichrist - This view looks at the Antichrist as coming out of Islam and so the kingdom would be as well. There are several prophecies in Islam that seem to be similar yet 180 degrees out of phase with the Bible as well as other features that have developed this theory over the years.

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