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IS THE MAN OF SIN, 666,  ON THE HORIZON – OR WAVING GOODBYE!

anti-christ1I grew up in a church where regular Bible-prophecy teachers hinted that they knew the identity of the coming ‘Antichrist’. This man, was, according to these teachers, also referred to in Scripture as “the Beast” and “the man of lawlessness”. It wasn’t until I started to realise that these teachers were not only guessing about this Antichrist, but pretty much everything else they taught was a guess as well, that I began to understand what the Bible really says about these things.

IS THE ‘ANTICHRIST’, ‘BEAST’ & ‘MAN OF SIN/LAWLESSNESS’ THE SAME PERSON?

A depiction of the Antichrist

A depiction of the Antichrist

Most modern evangelicals have been conditioned to regard the New Testament expressions: ‘the antichrist’, ‘the beast’ and ‘man of lawlessness’ as describing one person who will one day be the ultimate servant of Satan. Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins name him “Nicholas Carpathian” in their fictional series Left Behind. This series of novels has popularised the widely held fundamentalist evangelical beliefs about this prophesied character. These beliefs include his role as a world leader then dictator, his religious charisma which beguiles the established religions into submission, his implementation of a global marking system which eliminates the need the cash and becomes the basis of personal identification for everyone on the planet, and his supernatural ability to resurrect himself after his own assassination. It’s important at this point to identify my understanding of God and His Word before I seriously challenge this concept of the antichrist/beast/man-of-lawlessness. I believe the Bible to be the uniquely authoritatively inspired Word of God (sola Scriptura). I believe in the Bible’s infallible accuracy when it comes to prophesying future events. But I have a problem with is eisegetical interpretations of the Bible which impose someone’s ideas into a Biblical text. Many people would therefore label me “evangelical”.

Sometimes assumptions about the Bible become so intertwined with the Bible itself that we forget what is Bible and what is man’s opinion, or actually just plain wrong! For example, TRUE or FALSE?-

  • Noah’s ark landed on Mount Ararat (False- it was the ‘mountains of Ararat’, Gen. 8:4)
  • Delilah cut off Samson’s hair (False- an unnamed man shaved him, Judges 16:19)
  • Elijah was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire (False- it was a ‘whirlwind’ 2Kings 2:11)
  • One day the Lion will lie down with the Lamb (False- the Bible says it will be a ‘wolf’ that will one day lie down with the lamb, Isaiah 11:6)
  • The Antichrist is one of the dominant characters of the Book of Revelation (False- there is no mention at all of “the Antichrist” in the Book of Revelation)
  • The New Testament says that the Antichrist is the Beast of Revelation 13 (False- it doesn’t link them at all.)
  • Paul calls the Antichrist ‘the Man of Sin and Lawlessness’ (False- Paul makes no reference to Antichrist—John is the only New Testament writer to even use the expression and he only does this in two of his epistles)

Something else that stuns most Evangelicals is what the Book of Revelation actually says about “the Beast”. When somebody asks me about the Beast of Revelation 13, I usually ask them- Which one? When they revisit the text they are shocked to discover that Revelation 13 talks about two beasts! And to their surprise the one most often described as allegedly referring to the Antichrist (the one “from across the sea” in the opening verses of Revelation 13) is not the one who causes men to be numbered with the number of the beast – “666”! This is hard to over emphasise. Unless we can clear away unfounded presumptions of what the Book of Revelation actually says (often derived from lightweight paperback books and ‘Bible prophecy’ lectures) it will be difficult, if not impossible, to achieve an authentic interpretation of the Book of Revelation’s prophecies.

 

THE PROBLEM OF THE TWO BEASTS OF REVELATION

anti-christ3In my eBook, The Most Embarrassing Book In The Bible (An explanation of The Book of Revelation) I discuss the issue and identity of the two Beasts mentioned in Revelation 13. In brief, the reader will notice that first one mentioned is from “across the sea”. This is an allusion to the sequence of beasts mentioned beginning in Daniel 7:3. The latter beast is described as being from “the earth” or “the land”. Most Biblically literate readers will immediately recognise what “the Land” is. I have reason to believe that these beasts refer to the offices of the Roman Emperor and the Jewish High Priest. You’ll notice that it is the second beast (the office of High Priest, appointed from among the chief priests) who commands everyone to honour the first beast (Roman Emperor). This is reminiscent of what happened at the judgment of Pilate on Christ-

They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.”
John 19:15

This connection between these two beasts is later referred to as the Beast and the False Prophet. The former pertains to political power and the latter to religious power.

 

WHAT ABOUT SECOND THESSALONIANS’ MAN OF SIN & LAWLESSNESS?

I discuss the differences in focus in between Second Thessalonians chapters 1 and 2 in another article about “the eschaton”. There is good reason to regard chapter 1 referring to events yet-future, and chapter 2 as referring to events which would take place within the lifetime of the original audience. When we consider that the Man of Lawlessness may in fact be an ironic title for someone who was meant to uphold the Law there is further circumstantial evidence for regarding this character as the office of the High Priest. Consider that this character is associated with the Temple (2Thess. 2:4), upholds monotheism, opposes the true God (Christ) and exalts himself over God (something he did when he condemned Christ).

 

ANTICHRIST, PAST OR FUTURE?

Equating the New Testament’s depiction of the Antichrist as describing the High Priest we are forced to acknowledge that the Antichrist is clearly past. But John refers to the spirit of antichrist which was at work in his day. Since this spirit is one which opposes and defies Christ we can also clearly say that there is, and always has been, a spirit of antichrist at work in the world.

 

THE MARK OF THE BEAST?

The mark of the beast was instituted by the High Priest so that none one could buy sell (temple sacrifices) without that mark. Jesus alluded to this mark when referred to the phylacteries that Chief Priests had instituted, which had to worn either on the right hand or forehead. This was originally based on several Old Testament passages which emphasised how much God wanted His people to value His Word-

“It shall be as a mark on your hand or frontlets between your eyes, for by a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt.”
Exodus 13:16

You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
Deut. 6:8

Example of Jewish phylacteries on the right hand and between the frontlets of the eyesThis was the basis for the invention of phylacteries. These were small leather boxes containing those passages of God’s Word which the wearer had committed to memory. They were tied either around the wrist or head. Note what Christ said about them-

They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long...
Matthew 23:5

In Revelation 13, it is the second beast who orders people to receive the mark representing the name of the first beast.

This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.
Revelation 13:18

That is, if the one identified as the ‘Anti-Christ’ is the second beast, then the one who bears the “number of a man” — ‘666’ — is the first beast. It was common in the first century for people to identified with a number. This was known as gematria. At the time of the Book of Revelation being written, the prime candidate for the identity of the first beast was Caesar Nero whose name in gematria was 666-

This explains why, when Jerome translated the Greek text of the New Testament into Latin and came to Revelation 13:18, he rendered it in Latin as ‘616’ because in Latin “Nero Caesar” adds up to 616 not 666.

The Most Embarrassing Book In The Bible, eBook, by Dr. Andrew Corbett

The Most Embarrassing Book In The Bible, eBook, by Dr. Andrew Corbett

Speculation that the mark of the beast is yet future is in face of the clear time-frame references within the New Testament and the Book of Revelation in particular which uses words like: soon, now, at hand, this hour. The mark of the beast, while fundamentally a spiritual issue of soul allegiance (those who reject Christ are spiritually marked, while those who belong to Christ are conversely marked for Christ- Rev. 7) is most certainly not a future computer chip implant!

This and other issues are discussed in my eBooks, The Most Embarrassing Book In The Bible (about the Book of Revelation), and The Most Embarrassing Verse In The Bible (about the Olivet Discourse of Matthew 24) . Readers will profit in their understanding of these matters by reading both of these eBooks.

©  Dr. Andrew Corbett, Legana, Tasmania, Australia August 5th 2006

4 Comments

  1. called Israel

    Should be obvious to you ! 11th king of one kingdom[Dan7;24 ten before him] 8th head[Rev13;11? 3repeat office before him] known as the ‘little horn[son]= the Bibi[baby]son. Opposite Jesus [Matt27;37] as the most popular king without a kingdom=non hereditary king=Prime Minister …7th head fatally wounded -Rabin. Dan7 which describes for those with INSIGHT Beast he rules over that came out of the-Mediterranean- SEA 1947. Not complicated ,so simple a child can understand it. One man who fulfills ALL Prophecy ruling one kingdom that fulfills ALL……do not want to spoil All your fun discovering it is ALL about Israel with its Great City Harlot Babylon with the sacred blood on it that sits on 7 mountains -not hills as Rome but originally in Dan2 part thereof. You have much to learn as time is short & the Man of Sin has now taken his last 42 month Authority so should be removed 30th June 2026 I believe then the Last Two prophets chosen ,named & called MY WITNESSES by mighty Isaiah44;1-8. …..Maranatha Shalom….old Messianic Jew who lives just up the road from you & has been given much INSIGHT he believes ….Blessings in Yeshu ha Moshiach.- you have my email.

    Reply
    • Andrew Corbett

      Thank you for taking the time to share your esoteric interpretation of these various otherwise unrelated biblical passages in your comment. If, by chance, this site is able to still be available to readers in one or two hundred years, or even one thousand years, I would hope that they might read my exegesis of the biblical texts on these various eschatological topics and compare it with your comments here and form their own opinion.
      -Dr. Andrew Corbett.

      Reply
  2. called Israel

    My comments you might consider esoteric but are totally accurate…..more for you….From the renewal of the Mosaic Covenant Great Synagogue Rome 17th January 2016 adding 7 year Biblical Cycle 17th January . the plus 42 months Hebrew-1260days[1st half of Last Week??=30th June 2026……..Man of sin returns 30th December 2022 for his Last 42 month Gregorian calendar =30th June 2026 …..Convergence of Calendars ….will we see about this time the arrival of the Last Two Prophets for the 2nd half of the Last Week??…….my Rabbi Studied ALL gave him becoming convinced of the spirits teaching giving it the tick as correct….I have just touched on the knowledge imparted…the 3rd Temple built in old Jerusalem is the satanic ABYSS[Rev11& Ezekiel 7-8] Synagogue under the Dome of the Rock [directly above will be the New True Temple I believe- watch & see …Prophecy by, to, about & will be fufilled through the children of old Israel[the Man]……Blessings in Yeshu ha Moshiach … HE Lives ….Maranatha Shalom….old Messianic Jew.

    Reply
  3. called Israel

    Prophecy- Daniel 7 & Revelation is about Israel in the Future Time of the END[especially Revelation written after Rome was almost done- nothing to do with Roman events at the Time of Christ- I might also point out to you Jesus says HE has 7 horns[sons] Rev5;6 which means HE is going to return to see HIS descendants now numbering in millions I believe …HE is about 180cm , coffee coloured Arabic look, not good looking, amazing facial scares-beard torn out & green eyes with blue tinge- some Dream !?!HE sent me to my old Rabbi to raise him from his deathbed from Bone Cancer some years ago. I bid Stanley Ben Moshe to take his pallet & go home -this he did upon contact of the Holy Spirit which surged through my hands becoming a mighty Messianic for another 3.5years[1260 days I told him] service to his LORD[& so it was]…. I have NO gifts of my own I am unworthy- ALL HIS!.,.HE Lives!….Baruch Hashem ….old Messianic Jew

    Reply

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