The Roman Prince and the Antichrist

There is confusion in the minds of many in relation to the two Beasts of Revelation 13. The chapter describes the world conditions after the rapture of the Church, when the course of prophecy-interrupted by the Church period-will be resumed, and the last week of the seventy prophetic weeks of Daniel's prophecy, will run its course to completion.

THE FIRST BEAST, THE ROMAN PRINCE

The first Beast arises from the sea (ver. 1), the second, out of the earth (ver. 11). Their place of origin should guide as to their identity.

The prophecy of Daniel describes four great Beasts which come up from the sea (Dan. 7:3). It is the fourth one of these (ver. 7) which is seen in the opening verses of Rev. 13, and is descriptive of the Roman Empire in its future revived form. The identity will be apparent if Dan. 7:7 is compared with Rev. 13:1.

To be more accurate, the first Beast of Revelation is the final form in which the fourth Beast is viewed in Daniel 7; that is, as the "little horn" (vers. 8, 20, 24) which subdues three of the ten kings and becomes the Imperial Head. This little horn has a "mouth speaking great things." He "makes war with the saints." He speaks "great words against the Most High." He continues for a "time and times and the dividing of a time." All this is also stated to be true of the Beast in Revelation (compare Dan. 7:8,21-25; Rev. 13:5-7). He is also the same person who is described as the "Prince that shall come" (Daniel 9:26, 27), who will make the seven years' covenant with the returned Jews, and it is assumed that he is the Conqueror of Revelation 6:2.

THE SECOND BEAST, THE ANTICHRIST

The second Beast (Rev. 13:11) has two horns like a lamb, but the dragon voice betrays him as a false Christ. He is an apostate Jew (rising out of the earth). The Jews will not accept as their Messiah one who is not of their own people. He is variously called the "Antichrist," the "False Prophet," and the "Man of Sin." His miraculous powers will win the confidence of the people in Palestine, and he will be hailed by apostate Judaism as the Christ. He is that other of whom the Lord says, "Another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive" (John 5:43). His seat of authority will be Jerusalem. He is the "wilful king" of Daniel 11:36. He does not regard the God of his (Jewish) fathers, but honors the "God of munitions" and a God "whom his fathers knew not" (ver. 38).

He will do honor to the first Beast, the Gentile Imperial Head of the Revived Roman Empire, and will be constantly subservient to him from whom he derives hfs authority. Jerusalem, too, will be under Gentile control and dominion all the time of the Antichrist's rule there. He has no number, but designates "666" as the number of the first Beast, the Roman Prince, as a careful reading of the text makes clear. These two are closely allied in all their activities, but the Antichrist occupies a secondary place, just as his apostate people occupy their land by Gentile permission and covenant.

It would appear to be wide of the mark to speak of either Mussolini, or any successor of his, as being the Antichrist. The Antichrist will never -rule the Roman Empire. His sphere is the ecclesiastical, rather than the political realm. The Imperial Head rules in Rome. The Antichrist will rule in Jerusalem, and derive his authority from Rome.

TWO APOSTATE GROUPS, CHRISTENDOM AND JUDAISM

I desire now to direct attention to the two apostate groups or systems which will be found remaining in the world after the true Church has been translated, and which will then attain to their full development of iniquity.

For nineteen centuries the Gentiles have had the gospel presented to them, and an elect number is being gathered out from among them (Acts 15:14). This work of grace still continues while the mass of Christian profession has become constantly more indifferent to the gospel story. Christendom no longer regards the message of "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son" as of vital importance in the matter of salvation. The Father and the Son are more and more openly rejected. Many substitutes have been found for the "gospel of Christ" of which the Apostle says, "I am not ashamed." There is what is called a social gospel, education, character-building, home betterment, health-talks, personal testimonies, and music. Such subjects are more palatable to this present age.

Christendom, we may say, has not continued in the goodness of God revealed in the gospel. The privileges enjoyed have been despised, and, as in the figure used by the Apostle in Romans 11, the "wild olive tree" is about to be cut off. This is what happened to Israel in part, at the beginning of the Christian era. They were the "natural branches" of the olive tree and were "broken off" because of unbelief, and now he says of Christendom, which he likens to a "wild olive tree," "Thou also shalt be cut off."

As the Jew at His first coming said, "We will not have this Man to reign over us," so the Gentile on the eve of His second coming is voicing a similar refusal. The Jew goes back to his land denying that "Jesus is the Christ." His heart is still unchanged toward the Crucified One, but open to receive one who is the enemy of Christ. As the empty, swept, and garnished house to which he is returning, Judaism-dormant for many centuries-is now awakening, only to take to itself "seven other spirits more wicked" (Matt. 12:45).

This apostasy from Christ on the part of both Christendom and Judaism will reach its culmination at the revelation of the "man of sin" who is the Antichrist, and is summed up in 2 Thess. 2:2, where it is explained that the "day of the Lord" will not come until he is revealed.

The Protestant churches will become linked with mystic Babylon, which is the church of Rome, the mother of harlots, who will gather her children-the spiritually dead systems of Protestantism-back to her bosom, only to meet her doom at the hands of infidel nations, the Beast followers, over whom for a short time she will assume the ecclesiastical reins of control. "And the ten horns which thou sawest, and 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" (Rev. 17:16).

The judgment of Babylon will clear the way for the unrestrained activities of the Roman Prince and Antichrist. To quote the words of another:"Babylon is not the only evil which must perish that Christ may reign; and Babylon's removal only makes way for the full development of another form of it more openly blasphemous than this. The woman makes way for the man."

This destruction of the Babylonish system will take place during the last prophetic week.

THE JUDGMENT OF THE ROMAN PRINCE AND ANTICHRIST

The Antichrist will come into more universal prominence and power after Babylon is removed. He will rule in Palestine as the viceroy of the Imperial Head in Rome. Both will claim divine honors from the people. The Antichrist deifies the Imperial Head and commands that all worship him or his image (Rev. 13:IS). He also himself takes an official place in the temple assuming to be God (2 Thess. 2:4). This assumption of deity on the part of these two arch-rebels against the authority of God and of Christ will meet with summary judgment. Because of their blasphemous pretensions they become the objects of the peculiar wrath of God at the time of the manifestation of Christ with the armies of heaven.

"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 Rorse, 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 worshiped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone" (Rev. 19:19,20).

It is abundantly evident to those who are familiar with the prophetic Word that the course of world affairs is leading unmistakably toward the climax to which all prophecy points. "The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord, and against His Anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us" (Ps. 2). This revolt has already begun in the earth and is constantly assuming larger proportions. Ungodly man rages against the God who made him and to whom he owes all. Inspired with Satanic hatred, he seeks to climb up to the very throne of God, and to cast God from His throne. In the face of man's impotent rage it is no wonder that the same Scripture continues:"He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh. The Lord shall have them in derision.. .Yet have I set My King upon My holy hill of Zion." Let Satan rage as he will, yet the Lord of glory, God's Anointed King, shall reign. Hallelujah! R. B. Eames