E06: The Antichrist (Supplemental Session 3)

Who or what is the antichrist? This episode explores biblical descriptions, common interpretations, and how this figure fits (or doesn't fit) within the message of Revelation.

Transcript

Michael Berry: Whenever we come to Revelation, there are two topics that usually are on the top of everyone's minds. Of course, the rapture, which we dealt with in a previous session, and the Antichrist. What is this person all about? What does he do? When will he come on the scene? Now, most scholars from all interpretive frameworks try to stay away from who the Antichrist might be because that's a lot of gravity. If you proclaim that someone is the Antichrist, it's pretty significant. However, the internet is unrivaled in its ability to blow things out of proportion. And honestly, it just gives dumb people the platform to be heard legitimately. And yes, I do recognize the irony that this is going to be on the internet. ⁓ But people have gone wild about who could possibly be the Antichrist. Everything and everyone from Barack Obama to Hitler to Donald Trump to Elon Musk have been proposed as someone who could be the Antichrist based on some really odd understandings of Scripture. And so while the word Antichrist doesn't actually show up in Revelation, and that should be a huge note for us, much like the Rapture, this concept has been read into the book and is symbolic in the book, which is so ironic. because it's symbolically read in from the futurist interpretation, which really bases its entire interpretive framework off of a literal understanding of Scripture. But the two main points of it, the rapture and the Antichrist, has to be symbolically read in. And so this still warrants our study, however brief, to help shape our understanding of this term. from a biblical perspective. In popular understandings of Revelation, the dispensational premillennial ⁓ understandings or the futurist interpretations, ⁓ the rider on the white horse at the first seal we see in chapter 6 is seen as the Antichrist. And he is the supervillain of the seven-year tribulation that rises ⁓ right after the rapture, and he immediately establishes a treaty with the nation of Israel, and that lasts for three and a half years where he breaks the treaty and turns on the new people of God in the tribulation. And again, we see him come on the scene as the beast from the sea in chapter 13. And all along the way, he's functioning behind the scenes until he's ended by Jesus before ushering in the new millennium. Today, I want to reframe this concept for us. The Antichrist is not one singular simple figure. What it is is a recurring pattern of power, whether it's persons or governments or movements, that opposes and oppresses the people of God. Maybe an easier way to say that is it's not a single person in the future, but a recurring pattern throughout history. The term antichrist is only found in the Bible five times, all in the books of 1 and 2 John. Once it's used in the plural form, and four times it's used in the singular. And it simply means anyone who denies the Father and the Son or denies that Jesus came in the flesh. And John, actually, I got that definition from John himself. In 1 John 2, 18-22, this is what it says, Children, it is the last hour. And as you have heard that Antichrist is coming, so now many Antichrists have come. Therefore, we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us. For if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out that it might be complained that they are not of us. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. I write to you not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son." And so from this passage, You're already starting to see that this is forming somewhat like the rapture conversation, that in a greater reading of the context of these concepts, it sheds light that has been missing from a popular understanding of what an antichrist is. We see from John that there have been many antichrists already in John's day. and that it is someone or anyone who denies that Jesus is the Christ and denies the Father. And so essentially, someone who is seeking to deceive followers of Jesus and contort the truth. So it would seem that this passage alone rules out this idea of a single end times only supervillain. But I want to keep pushing this further. And I want to jump over to Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2. And this is where admittedly it does get a little confusing. But Paul sees the Antichrist and he names him something different. He says this. In ⁓ verse 9, the coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing because they refuse to love the truth and so be saved. He sees this antichrist, but he names it differently. He names it the man of lawlessness. he is not reinventing a new idea or thinking of a singular figure. He is referring to this motif that actually began in the Old Testament with Daniel's understanding of this pattern or what scholars call a type. It can be the study of typology is the technical fancy term for it. But When you see a pattern in the Old Testament that repeats in the New Testament, it's called a type. And Daniel in chapter 7 uses the imagery of a little horn to illustrate this point. It is a little confusing, but I'm going to try to line this out the best I can. We'll discuss this more in chapter 13 of Revelation when we see the dragon raise the beast out of the sea, but for the purposes of this discussion, I'll just summarize. Daniel sees four beasts come out of the sea. The last beast has ten horns, but he sees a little horn come up between these ten horns, which has eyes like a man and a mouth speaking great things. This horn runs his mouth, just bop bop bop bop, just runs his mouth, and presumably it is used to deceive, and presumably he makes war against God's people. and temporarily prevails, that is key. He does temporarily prevail. Now these images have historical prototypes. Much in prophecy there is a ⁓ historical kind of prototype, but then the pattern ⁓ is really what's being highlighted even amongst the historical prototype. And so ⁓ this image of this horn ⁓ has historical prototypes and Tychus Epiphanes in the second century, ⁓ Titus in 70 AD. Both of those profaned the temple of God in Jerusalem. But while they are the prototype, they don't fulfill the pattern. The pattern continues time and time and time again. Why do I say that? Because when Daniel searches for answers in his vision, He asks specifically about this little horn, and he is told this in verse 21. This horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them until the ancient of days came and judgment was given for the saints of the most high. And the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom. And so what Daniel is describing here is not a single event, but a season of of oppression for a long period of time. That is proven by what we see in verse 25. And this is this is really cool. ⁓ It says, shall speak words against the Most High and he shall wear out the saints of the Most High and he shall think to change the times and the law. That is what different kingdoms and governments do, don't they? As power shifts, the laws shift, sometimes even calendars shift in some cases. But he goes on. And they shall be given into his hand. Who is they? The saints. The saints shall be given into his hand. And it says, for a time, times, and half a time. That is three and a half. Or another way to say three and a half. Where do I get that from? A time, that's one. Times, that's two. And a half of a time. That's a half, that's three and a half. And of course that number is symbolic. Remember, numbers convey principles or themes in the Bible. And here, three and a half is half of seven and refers to the time that the people of God will be persecuted. We'll see that number in Revelation stated three other ways. 42 months, 1,260 days, three and a half years, all symbolic and all pointing to a time when the people of God will be persecuted. If we then at this point fast forward to Daniel chapter 9, and we'll see this little horn is reimagined under the term abomination of desolation. Daniel 9 is just this, it's this retelling of Daniel chapter 7. And Daniel prays a prayer of repentance for him and for Israel, and he asks God to restore Israel. and God sends Gabriel to bring an answer. And Gabriel speaks to him and tells him, and this is where it does get admittedly really confusing, ⁓ he says, 77s are decreed about your people and about your holy city to bring about an end to sin and a tone for iniquity. So what he's saying there is they will remain in their current place and predicament for seventy-sevens to bring an end to their sin. So it is their punishment, essentially. Now, your Bible likely translates it as weeks. I think this is a little bit of a disservice because the actual terminology is just it's seventy-sevens. And so when you say seventy weeks, that be incorrect. Seventy-sevens is the correct way of interpreting, and that can be interpreted of seventy sets of sevens. ⁓ Many Bibles, like I said, go ahead and translate it as weeks, but it could also be translated as years. And if it's translated as years, what happens every seven years in the Old Testament? It's the year of sabbatical that God has set up in Israel's law where all the land and the people and the system, even the systems of slavery, resets. It finds its rest and resets. So if we take 77s and interpret it as years, not weeks, we get 490 years. Michael, why doesn't Gabriel just say 490 years? Because he is trying to convey an idea, not just chronological time. He wants Daniel to get the idea of the sabbatical and the year of Jubilee in his head because rest and restoration is what he's after. Remember, that is what Daniel's praying about. And that is what's going to come at the end of the 490 years when they see restoration. So Gabriel tells Daniel that there will be 49 years, seven times seven, 49 years from the time the Jews are allowed back into Jerusalem to build the temple. He says, no, therefore, and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks or seven years or seven sevens. That happened. And that story is told in the Book of Ezra in the Old Testament. And so that happens. for 62 weeks, it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a time of trouble. So for 62 weeks or 62 years, 62 sevens, the temple will stand. That's 334 years, 62 times seven. And if you add those up, you have 483 years, the 49 years from the first part, the 434 years from the second part. You have 483 years. What is left out of the 490 years that is promised at the end of that, that's when they'll see restoration, just seven years. At that point, Gabriel tells of an anointed one who shall be cut off. But before he is cut off, he will make a strong covenant for one week or seven years. Then chapter nine, verse twenty seven says, for half of the week, three and a half, he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come the one who makes desolate until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator. I know, it's a lot. ⁓ And sometimes I even wonder if I'm actually getting this, but ⁓ what is half of the one sevens that is also seven years? You got it, three and a half. That is the key link in all of this. And this is the point. if I were to summarize this. There is going to be a time when the anointed one will be cut off, but he will make a strong covenant for three and a half years, which is also the time when the abomination of desolation is at work, not as a super villain, but as a pattern of persecution against God's people. And in fact, Jesus speaks on this in Mark 13. And he picks up this concept in his prediction of the destruction of the temple in 70 AD. He says, when you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not be. Let the reader understand. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the rooftop not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything out. And let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And alas, for the women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days, pray that it may not happen in winter, for in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of creation. that God created until now and never will be. And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days. And if anyone says to you, look, here's the Christ, or look, there He is, do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, the elect. But, beyond guard, I have told you all things beforehand." Now, this prediction that Jesus made did have a historical fulfillment. In 70 AD, Titus attacked the city of Jerusalem and destroyed the Jewish temple. And it has never been rebuilt since that day. And this battle was a massacre of Jews, so much so that Josephus, whose historian who lived in the first century AD. He described the ⁓ wooded areas surrounded Jerusalem. They were stripped bare for the production of crosses in order to murder Jews. And Jesus said, do not believe when people say, look, here's the Christ, because false Christ and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders and lead people astray, if possible who? The elect. So as is most often the case. We do have a historical fulfillment of this passage, but this does not exhaust the pattern. The abomination of desolation, the little horn, The man of lawlessness, the antichrists, all describe the same principle. All throughout history, there is a pattern of power that opposes and oppresses the people of God. And we feel that, don't we? Do you not feel an opposite force working against you when you are pursuing Jesus and the life he has for you? It can be in the form of a person or a system or a government or spiritually or just circumstantially. I know I feel that. In fact, as I started recording all these sessions, I started to have some depressive thoughts and feelings again that I haven't had in over a year. I think that's a spiritual evil that was at work against what Jesus wants to do with this teaching. And so what we have to remind ourselves and what we have to focus on, and Revelation will walk us through this, is that antichrists are real, but they are not ultimate, and they are not all-powerful, and they do not win. So when you feel these forces or these powers moving against you, take heart. Jesus is working through you to do something worthwhile in his kingdom, and if he has started a good work in you, he will see it through to completion. And so trust in him, cling to him. Find your power in him, for he is still sitting on the throne, and we can know. But he will never fail.