The Anti-Christ
Virtually every time the Second Coming is discussed, someone in the group introduces something about the anti-Christ. By the time the discussion is over the anti-Christ is responsible for everything under the sun and prominent in prophecy. According to John the anti-Christ is already here. (see 1 John 2:18,22-23,1 John 4:3, 2 John 7) Let’s remember that John was the only prophet to used the term anti-Christ and then only in the present tense.
However, those interpreting prophecies within the church have the anti-Christ prominently involved with the tribulation period and the Second Coming. John described the anti-Christ as a deceiver who does not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. Satan has never denied Jesus Christ coming in the flesh, but he is denying that Jesus Christ is the true messiah. Is it possible that the term given by John to the anti-Christ has become a generic term for the leaders opposing the plan for God’s return? The problem with this term is that due to the poor process of interpretation certain types of Jesus Christ have become the anti-Christ.
According to theology, the anti-Christ has become the leader of the revolt that will cause apostasy to flourish in the end times. Suddenly all the villains used to describe the end times has become the anti-Christ. Whether he is in the Old Testament or the New, the anti-Christ has become better known for the rouge role during the tribulation period than for the terms the prophets of God ever used.
Lets keep two things in the back of our mind when considering the anti-Christ. First, the bible does not describe anyone regarding the Second Coming as being the anti-Christ. Secondly, Satan’s goal is to overthrow God and assume his throne. Consider this, Satan maybe God’s enemy, but God still identifies Satan with respectable and descriptive names that refer to his nature.
Satan is called many things among them are dragon, serpent, beast, first beast, a second beast, lawless one, the man doomed to destruction, false prophet, the deceiver, the Devil and the monster of the sea. And let’s not forget the man of sin, the son of perdition, the beast who once was, and now is not, and the eighth king.
Bad interpretation is responsible for the anti-Christ popping out of the woodwork and becoming involved with theology. Bad interpretation is also responsible for the anti-Christ who has been named for a role that rightfully belongs to Jesus Christ. Men who pray over the words of God then carefully listen and ask for God’s leading do the largest part of theology. However, all it takes is one person who listens to an influential teacher and passes on portions of what he believed to be true without proving its validity that do the most harm. In this fashion, doctrines are passed down from one generation to the next without the teacher’s knowledge that he has become false teacher.
One such teaching is on Daniel 9:27, which identifies the anti-Christ from the pronoun He. This teaching so states that the anti-Christ shall come making a seven-year agreement with Israel bringing about unprecedented peace and prosperity in the Middle East for three and a half years. When the three and a half-year period are over the anti-Christ will show his true colors and begin to destroy the nation of Israel.
Before identifying the anti-Christ from the pronoun “he” the interpreter must first trace the word back to the noun that “he” was substituted for.
In the verse above, the word “He and ruler” are highlighted in blue to show that the word he was traced back to the word ruler or prince (King James). Let’s prove who this person is and if possible find absolute proof that he is whom the tribulation period doctrine declares him to be. Most lexicons render the word ruler, prince in the King James as a person in the forefront, a commander, captain, excellent thing, (chief) governor, leader, noble, prince, ruler.
At first glance, the chance of the anti-Christ being the ruler would seem to be in line with what the tribulation doctrine teaches that this person is at the forefront of an army of fallen angels. Does the anti-Christ have a noble character or the right to rule? We do know that God stripped him of authority and cast him out of heaven before the earth was created. Regardless God is the ultimate authority and nothing will happen unless he approves of it beforehand.
The word ruler rendered from the Chaldean word ‘nagiyd” is used in other places of the Old Testament. Let’s look at the Anointed One, the ruler in Daniel 9:25 within the same paragraph. The Anointed One describes Jesus Christ as the ruler that will come in the sixty-ninth week, yet the word that describes the anointed as a ruler is the same word that describes the ruler of the people in verse 26. Solomon used the same Hebrew word that is rendered in a different way.
From Proverbs 8:6 above, the two words “worthy things” (or most excellent things in the KJV) comes from the word “Nagiyd”. This is the same word which was rendered as ruler in Daniel 9:25 & 27. After finding this out, it was beyond my scope to say that the word rendered as he in Daniel 9:27 could be anyone but our Lord and Savior.
Additional proof that the word “he” is Jesus Christ is contained within verse 27. Before we go on lets remember that the beginning of the tribulation is based on the signing of an agreement of peace with Israel rather than confirming a covenant with many.
Satan has no authority nor is he a head of state to negotiate a treaty of any kind with Israel. Satan has nothing that would benefit the people of Israel. The doctrine of the tribulation period is predicting a physical event in the future. This covenant is better seen from its spiritual side than the physical side of man. This is God’s plan that deals with the covenant relationship between God and man. The only person with authority in the vision of Daniel that could be referred to as “he” will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven is the anointed one known as Jesus Christ. His death on the cross, reconciled man to God. At the Last Supper, the night before he was crucified he raised a chalice and said,
This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many," Mark 14:24 "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. Luke 22:20
Without the shedding of blood can there be any forgiveness? Are you one of the many Christ shed his blood for? The Blood of Jesus Christ - God incarnate - established a new and permanent covenant between God and man.
It wasn’t a coincidence that Christ raised a cup during the paschal meal and spoke of a new covenant. The paschal meal was planned well in advance to initiate and declare the making of the covenant. For hundreds of years the Passover meal (the paschal) was a Feast that required that every man appear before the Lord to celebrate the deliverance of the first born when God freed Israel from slavery. Christ was the first born delivered unto death to free men from the slavery of sin leaving man with the ability to accept or reject the covenant God made with man.
The raising of the cup took place before the covenant became official and before he laid his life down for those God loves. Today the church has Communion on a regular basis to keep the death of Christ and his resurrection in our remembrance.
This verse does not speak of breaking or abandoning of a treaty made by anyone. He again refers to the messiah who will put an end to sacrifices and offerings. The body of Christ often forgets that Christ died once for all and there is no more need for sacrifices. His death on the cross, stopped the need for the unwanted slaughter of animals for the purpose of atonement. When the decree of the seventy ‘sevens’ was complete the first covenant was made obsolete and the new covenant was established through the blood of Christ.
"Seventy 'sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy. Daniel 9:24
When you consider the decree (Daniel 9:24) in detail you will discover the importance of Christ’s ministry not only to Israel, but also for our own lives. First Christ restrained transgression by revealing God’s true love for man and that the scriptures was more interested in the intent of the spirit than in obeying the law to the letter. Through the Holy Spirit the scriptures were inspired to reveal an example of what God wants and through the scriptures we find positive ways to avoid the evil that corrupts man. Secondly, Christ made an end to sins by becoming the Lamb of God dying once for all. Thirdly, his sacrificial death on the cross was the atoning grace of God that cast our sins as far as the east is from the west. Fourthly, believers belong to the kingdom of righteousness, a kingdom that will never end. Fifthly, according to some scholars, this dream completed biblical prophecy and the need for future revelations was no longer necessary. Final point, after his resurrection from the dead, God anointed Christ to the position of High Priest and King to administer a covenant of God with men. Thus Daniel 9:24 is summed up in the life and person of Jesus Christ.
Personal note: The book of Hebrews is devoted to the new covenant and why Jesus Christ was found fit to reconcile man to God.
Christ came into the world, as the Lamb of God to do the will of God. As the Lamb of God he died for the sins of the world once for all. The slaughtering of animals for its blood is no longer needed to atone for sin. Christ introduced us to the grace of God, for it is through God’s grace that we are saved. His death on the cross put and an end to the former covenant was administered through the law, but Christ through the love shed on Calvary confirmed the new covenant by the grace of God through faith.
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