REVELATION 13

ANTICHRIST AND THE FALSE PROPHET

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Rev 13:1-2

"Then [NU changes "I"] he stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. Now the beast, which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority."

13:1-2

We are still in the third interlude (chapters 12-13) here and John takes is given a new vision. The scene is still down on the Earth. I must admit that NU’s correction of the text above threw me a bit of a curve. I had always assumed that it was John who was standing on the seashore but the better reading here is not "I" but "he", referring to Satan since he was the subject of the last verse of chapter 12, which reads...

"And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus." Revelation 12:17 "Then he stood..." Revelation13:1a

It is Satan then, who John saw standing on the seashore. As he looked on the scene, ten horns with crowns on them began to slowly rise up from the sea exposing seven grotesque heads from which the ten horns protruded. Each dripping head was emblazoned with a blasphemous name. Finally, the entire beast came wading up on the shore to Satan like a great Frankensteinian monster that had come home to its master. In appearance, its body was like a leopard, its feet like a bear and its mouth was like a lion. If you are a student of Daniel, you will sense that there is something familiar about this fellow. That's because each of these elements are found in Daniel 7:1-8. There, by means of the imagery of four different beasts, God revealed to Daniel that in the future there would come four great dominating empires on Earth. In that passage we read...

You will notice here in Revelation 13, that the beast which Satan met stalking up out of the sea is a composite of the four beasts from Daniel’s vision. The significance of its composite nature seems to be that this last world-dominating kingdom will contain all the elements of the four previous empires from Daniel's prophecy that preceded it. As such, it will be the epitome of Gentile reign on Earth. This is the political/governmental side of the beast symbol. However, we will discover that it represents both an empire and a person. This other side of the symbol is the personality/dictator side of the symbol. Let’s dissect it.

"The ten horns are ten kings who shall arise from this kingdom. And another shall rise after them; he shall be different from the first ones, and shall subdue three kings. He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time." Daniel 7:24-25

"The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast." Revelation 17:12

So, the Bible prophesies that Antichrist's reign will follow and then dominate a ten-king confederation that will arise out of the ancient Roman Empire. Dr. McGee observes that the Roman Empire was never really destroyed or conquered, rather it just disintegrated and elements of it still survive today in the laws, customs and peoples of Europe. The Bible predicts that in the last days it will rise again.

"There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition." Revelation 17:10-11

The thought is this. The beast's ten horns represent a last day confederation of ten kings who will rule with Antichrist but it's seven heads represent seven ancient Roman Caesars who were types of Antichrist and who's twisted character and blasphemous actions epitomize him. We will discuss the identity of these men when we get to chapter 17. This is all part of the political/governmental side of the beast symbol.

Now let's look at the other side of this symbol because the beast also represents a person. This is the personality/dictator side of the symbol. Notice that it becomes personalized in the last phrase of verse 2, where the text says, "The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority".

Let's step aside here for a moment. One of the often-asked questions concerning Antichrist and his approaching worldwide kingdom is, "How does the Untied States of America fit into the picture?" Presently, the United States is the only superpower in the world today. How could Antichrist overcome the U.S.A.? As was just demonstrated in the short war with Iraq, who can make war with the U.S.? The answer is found here in this statement, "The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority". As Jesus foretold in Matthew 24, the days of the Tribulation will be days of incredible supernatural power and events, both from God's side of the equation as well as Satan's side. Our text says that Satan will give his power to Antichrist. The implications of that is no small matter. Satan has great supernatural powers. He wiped out Jobs servants, house and children using fire from heaven and a tornado (Job 1:16-19). What would such supernatural weapons do to any human military? Later in this chapter, we will read that the False Prophet will be able to call down fire from heaven. What could such a weapon do to an aircraft carrier, a tank or troops? Make no mistake about it, when this day comes, the great military might of any nation will not have a chance against Antichrist. No wonder the people of Earth will say, "Who is able to make war with him?" (Revelation 13:4b).

Now the Bible, both in the Old and New Testaments, predicts that a man will come one day who will be the near embodiment of Satan himself. If Satan could become incarnate and make himself into a human being, I believe that he would. He’s that anxious to be like the Most High. But since he can’t, he plans to copycat what God has done. Satan will have his man! One of his names in the Bible is Antichrist. As you have it in First John 2:18…

"Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour."

Antichrist is the personality/dictator side of the ferocious beast symbol that John saw. He will step out on the stage of human history to rule the world one day during the Great Tribulation. Daniel said concerning him...

"And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their fullness, a king shall arise, having fierce features, who understands sinister schemes. His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; he shall destroy fearfully, and shall prosper and thrive; he shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people. Through his cunning he shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule; and he shall exalt himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in their prosperity. He shall even rise against the Prince of princes (Jesus); but he shall be broken without human means." Daniel 8:23-28

Dr. Criswell says of him, "All the glories of the kingdoms of earth will reside in Antichrist reign. He will be like a Nebuchadnezzar, a Tiglath-Pilizer, a Shalmanezer, a Julius Caesar, and Alexander the Great, a Napoleon, a Frederick the Great, and a Charlemagne all wrapped into one. He is Satan’s masterpiece."

To conclude, it is important to remember that the symbol of the beast from the sea is a complex one. That is, there is more than one thing that it symbolizes. It symbolizes both Antichrist’s political kingdom as well as Antichrist himself.

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Rev 13:3-4

"And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. So they worshipped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshipped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?’"

13:3-4

Because of the personal pronouns here, we know that these verses continue to give us information about the personality/dictator side of the beast symbol. John says that one of his heads was mortally wounded. John saw that the beast had received a deathblow to one of its heads which should have killed it ... but he says the deadly wound was healed. Because of this miraculous recovery, the world marveled and followed after the beast and they worshipped both the dragon who gave authority to the beast and the beast. Second Thessalonians 2:3-8 speaks of this Antichrist worship that will occur in that future day.

"Let no one deceive you by any means; for that day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of his mouth and destroy with the brightness of his coming."

My, how the peoples of the world will fall in line when they see the miraculous healing of Antichrist's mortal wound! There is a very important principle here that needs to be addressed. So, let's step aside for a moment and address it. Beloved, there is great danger in building one’s theology on experience rather than on the Word of God. It is very dangerous to build ones theology on what one sees rather than on what one reads in the Word of God. Satan is a liar, a deceiver and a counterfeit. The world is full of his tricksters and deceivers. Sadly, many many people, even some of the saints of God, readily receive and believe what they see and experience over what they read in their Bibles. Second Corinthians11:13-15 warns...

"For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works."

Our text says that the world will worship Satan and his puppet, Antichrist, because of what they see. They will all fall in line because of Antichrist's miracle over death, his amazing power and his military prowess. Daniel noted the militaristic relationship of Antichrist saying...

"He shall regard neither the God of his fathers nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself above them all. But in their place he shall honor a god of fortresses; and a god which his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and pleasant things." Daniel 11:37-38 ...

(Note: Lately, I have been thinking on the above prophecy in light of recent world events. Then, just this morning [8/12/2006], I was listening to a Moslem convert to Christianity who was being interviewed on Fox News. He grew up in the Muslim religion and was taught from infancy that he was to hate his enemies. He went on to say that Islam teaches that their enemies are the "infidels" who they further define as Jews and Christians. He said that the Moslem religion is a "religion of domination" and that Allah is a god of might and "valor". Due to world events since 9/11, it has been coming more clear to me that quite possibly this phrase in Daniel's prophecy, "he shall worship the god of fortresses" could well be a reference to the fact that Antichrist will be a convert to Islam. This would further explain why, when he suddenly ascends to power at the beginning of the Tribulation, he will be in a position to make a treaty with Israel (Dan. 9:27). As I write this morning, war is raging in Israel as Islamists continue to attack the people of God with the objective of annihilating them from the face of the Earth. My what pregnant times we live in brother and sister. Take it for what it is worth. In any case, surely the rapture of the Church is near when all these events will begin to come to pass.)

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Rev. 13:5-10

"And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. (three and a half years) Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, his tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, [NU adds] and people, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If anyone has an ear, let him hear. He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints."

13:5

We continue here of the personality/dictator side of the beast symbol.

• John says, "And he was given a mouth speaking great things". Antichrist will be a mesmerizing orator. It is said that Hitler was a formidable speaker. He could sway his audience to believe just about anything. I believe that was because he himself had a spirit of Antichrist. But the world has yet to see anything like the oratory skills of the beast. He will be a Winston Churchill, a Disraeli and an Adolph Hitler all rolled into one. Daniel 7:8 also alludes to his speaking prowess.

"I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words."

13:6

• Also, he says he will speak "blasphemies". Daniel 7:25 agrees.

"He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time." (three and a half years)

13:7

• Further, in agreement with Daniel's prophecy above, John says, "It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them". From these scriptures we understand how difficult it will be to be a believer during the Great Tribulation. In that day, to follow Christ will be a virtual death sentence. You will remember from chapter 12, after Satan was ejected from Heaven, that he came down to Earth in great wrath. No longer able to accuse the saints in Heaven, he will energize his Antichrist to launch a campaign to eradicate them from the Earth. My, how Satan hates God's children! When his man reigns supreme, he will ride roughshod over them and they will be given into his hand. Jesus spoke of this as well.

"You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But not a hair of your head shall be lost. By your patience possess your souls." Luke 21:16 -19

13:8-9

• Then he says, "All who are living on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world". The vast majority of the peoples of the world will one day worship Antichrist. However, we also see in our text, there will be those who will refuse to do so, namely, those whose names are found written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. For what it is worth, these names were written there from the foundation of the world. This is Romans 8 and Ephesians 1 territory. The names written in the Lamb's Book of Life are his chosen, called and elect ones. It is a book that records all that have responded to Christ by faith and received God’s great salvation through the blood of his Son. Are you aware that your name is written there, dear saint? Jesus said to his disciples...

"Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven." Luke 10:20

• The Apostle Paul also spoke of this book.

"And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life." Philippians 4:3

• It is also mentioned in Revelation in 17:8; 20:12, 15, and 21:27.

May I tell you a little story about life and death and the importance of being written in the Lamb's book of life? The morning that I was writing the first draft of this chapter (in fact, right here at this very point in the middle of a sentence), my phone rang and I was called away to a youth camp out at Elephant Butte lake near our church. I was told that a terrible tragedy had occurred and I needed to come right away. As it turned out, two young campers out there (who were on a trip with their youth group from Ohio), had just received word that both their parents, who at the same time were themselves on vacation in Hawaii, had been killed in a helicopter crash. When I arrived, their youth leader told me that these parents had been wonderful dedicated Christians and had done a marvelous job of raising these two teenage children. Tragic as this was, there was comfort for these young people in knowing for sure that their godly and beloved parents had gone to be with Christ. They knew for certain that their mom and dad were with the Lord. Their names had been written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, you see. None of us, Christian or non-Christian, know the hour of our departure from this Earth. Are you ready? Is your name written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world? This is such an important issue that the Lord interjects here, "If anyone has an ear, let him hear."

13:10

Finally, here in verse 10, we have a word that is written specifically to our brothers and sisters who will actually live under the intense persecution of Antichrist. The Holy Spirit speaks words of comfort to them here saying, "He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity, and he who kills with the sword shall be killed with the sword". He is saying to them, "Rest assured, Antichrist and his minions will be dealt with. They will be paid in their own coin!" Many of the Lord’s Tribulation Saints will be led away captive in that day and many will be killed with the sword. They will be able to rest easy that Antichrist and all who are his will suffer the same fate. When Peter drew his sword against the mob in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus said to him...

"Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword." Matthew 26:52

That is the idea here. Those who have been killing with the sword will themselves soon face the sword. We learn in chapter 19, the sword they will face however, is the sword of the Lord’s mouth. The text continues, "Herein is the patience and the faith of the saints". These qualities will be the two essentials for a believer in those dark days, patience and faith, as the wait for the Deliverer to come, knowing that when he appears he will turn the tables on Satan's dark kingdom and its darling Antichrist.

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THE FALSE PROPHET

Rev 13:11-15

"Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed."

13:11

Now we are introduced to the second important personality who will play a crucial role in Antichrist's kingdom. He too is symbolized as a beast. However, in contrast to the first beast who came up from the sea, he comes up out of the earth. In 16:13;19:20 and 20:10 this second beast is called, "the false prophet". He is something entirely new to the pages of scripture. As far as I can tell, nowhere else in the Bible has there been so much as a hint about this fellow. He rises up exclusively here from the pages of Revelation. We are given a good deal of information about him though. John says:

"And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened. Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect." Matthew 24:22-24

"Let no one deceive you by any means; for that day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition," 2 Thessalonians 2:3

"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despises of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!" 2 Timothy 3:1-5

"Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things." Mat 12:34 -35

In that day, God’s people will be able to recognize the truth about the false prophet by his words.

13:12-14

May I step aside again here. The Moslem religion continues to prove itself to be one the world's most militant religions. Our world is getting a huge reality check in that regard today. Islam continues to use its sword to exterminate "infidels" and gain converts wherever possible. Over two million Christians have been murdered by Islamic fundamentalists in the country of Sudan alone since1996. We here in America, have also felt their sword on more than one occasion, especially during the September 11, 2001, massacre at the Twin Towers in New York City. Their fanaticism and murdering continues to run rampant throughout the Middle East. Murdering in the name of religion will be the rule of the day when Antichrist's False Prophet steps upon the scene.

Heads up! Child of God, always remember that miracles and wonders never have the final word when it comes to truth. They are never undisputed proof what one is seeing or hearing is from God. We are told in First John. 4:1-3...

"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world."

We find in that scripture the concrete test by which every believer can determine the veracity of an event, a spirit, or a person. Did you catch it? It is the test of one's view of the Deity of Jesus Christ. Make no mistake about it, John is talking about the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ there in John 4. It was God who came into our world and walked among us some two thousand years ago (John. 1:1,14,18). The question to put to heretics, false prophets, miracle workers and suspicious spirits is, "Do you believe that Jesus was God in the flesh, the Everlasting Father, the Ancient of Days?" If their answer is, "No!", you and I know that we are talking to a spirit of Antichrist.

The second indispensable test I would recommend is the careful comparison of what one sees or is hearing with the illuminating Word of God itself. You might call this the Berean test. As you have it in Acts 17:10-11...

"Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so."

A child of God must reject any event, occurrence, thought or teaching that will not hold up under the intense light of the Word of God. The question is, "Do we judge the Word of God by our experiences or do we judge our experiences by the Word of God?" If we have an experience or hear or see something or are taught something that we find won't line up with the Bible, we must be willing to lay it aside no matter how dear it may seem to us and others. The False Prophet of Revelation 13, will be a very powerful miracle and sign-working fake. And, just as many in our day are taken in by such charlatans, a day is coming in which the whole world will fall for his grand deceptions.

13:15

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Rev 13:16 -18

" He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark, [NU omits "or"] the name,[NU omits "of the beast"] or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666."

13:16-17

In order to do business during the Great Tribulation, people will have to have on their bodies either the mark of the beast, his name or the number of his name. Everyone will be required to have one of these on their right hand or forehead. No doubt, the gung-ho folks will opt for the forehead. You will remember that back in chapter 7, the 144,000 received the seal of the name of their God on their foreheads. Antichrist and his false prophet will not be outdone. The mark of the beast will also be available on his followers’ foreheads signifying that he is their god! The mark that the 144,000 bore was to protect them from the judgments of God. The mark the beast’s followers will bear is for the purpose of controlling Earth's populations and uncovering all who are not in compliance with his demands. Someone has said, "economic oppression is the greatest oppression". There is a great deal of truth in that. Antichrist and his false prophet will control the economy of the world in that day with his codes. I suspect his system will be so absolute, pervasive and popular that there will be little if any black market available to those who oppose him. This will make things very difficult for them indeed .

May I step aside here for a moment. On the evening news, January 14, 2000, there was a segment about a computer chip that can be implanted under the skin of a person which makes it possible to be tracked by satellite. The manufacturer said that every person who has one of these chips can be pinpointed as to exactly where they are at all times. Furthermore, the chip can carry all of one's personal and medical information. The company that developed it suggested that it is going to be a great benefit to mankind. Amongst other things, they said that it would be a great help to law enforcement in the apprehension of criminals (if everyone were required to have one, I might add). Until our modern day, such things were unknown and in fact, inconceivable. But now for the first time in human history, such technology is here! This has a certain ominous foreboding about it, don't you think?

13:18

I take the last verse of chapter 13, to be written to the believers of that future day who will refuse to take the mark of the beast. It tells them that Antichrist’s number is 666. I don't understand how, but this will be just the information they will need to pinpoint the beast in that day. Perhaps 666 will have to do with the initial code of the beast's mark similar to the "www" that the World Wide Web uses. Those who are wise in that day will understand this verse and its symbolism and recognize its significance.

(Later Note: From May 30 and 31, 2005)

The Lord may have given me a bit of insight into the long-standing mystery of the number 666. That passage came to mind in my meditations one evening as I was contemplating the fact that the scribes numbered the letters on each page as they hand-copied the scriptures. The number of letters on the copied page had to equal the number of letters on the original page or they would have to start all over again. It occurred to me that the number 666 might be a number of words within a particular book of the Old Testament. As I was thinking about that, it came to me that possibly the phrase "it is the number of a man" could refer to a particular book of the Old Testament named after a man such as Isaiah, Jeremiah or Ezekiel. However, I realized that counting the Hebrew words of each of those books would be a Herculean task. Then, for some reason, the opening words of the book of Job came to mind, "There was a man..." Job is the oldest and first book written in the Old Testament. I got out my Hebrew Old Testament and turned to Job and began to count the Hebrew words right to left (for so the Hebrew reads) beginning in Job chapter one. At the end of the first chapter I had counted 306 words. The second chapter ends with the 487th word and the last word of the third chapter turned out to be the 666th word. That was intriguing but the Hebrew word there had no apparent significance. The next phrase that follows in chapter 4, however, is Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite. As I thought about that, it occurred to me that the name, Eliphaz is just two words away from the 666th word in the entire text and would have been the 666th word if I had began the count with the word man back in the first chapter. Then, the 666th word would indeed fall squarely on the name Eliphaz. Could it be that the phrase a man in Rev. 13:18 refers to the point where one should start counting in an Old Testament book rather that a reference to a particular man?

Now, my curiosity was piqued and I asked myself, "What does this name mean? Could it have any significance in the study of eschatology? If Antichrist's name were to be Eliphaz ... would that be significant?" This led me to seek out the meaning of the name Eliphaz and I discovered it came from two Hebrew words, one which means "God" [Strong 410] and the other which means "Pure Gold [Strong 6337]." The name Eliphaz means "God of Pure Gold". That would refer to an idol. Apparently, Eliphaz's name was, in fact, the description of an idol! That brought my mind back to Revelation 13, where it is prophesied that Antichrist will declare himself to be God and will build a likeness of himself that all mankind will be forced to worship. This will be the epitome and final manifestation of idolatrous man-worship on Earth. I then checked the passage to see if it said that his image would be made of gold. But there was no reference there to gold. So, I went back to the very first incidence of idolatrous man-worship in human history ... the day when king Nebuchadnezzar set up an image of himself and demanded that it be worshipped by all or pay the consequences of being thrown into a fiery furnace (Daniel 3). There I read Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold.. Significant? I don't know. But, I find it fascinating. I have no doubt that Antichrist's image will also be made of pure gold, as was Nebuchadnezzar's. Furthermore, remember that Antichrist's kingdom will be named after its ancient namesake, Babylon. My conclusion? Take it for what it is worth. Antichrist's name may well be Eliphaz meaning, "God of Pure Gold." If so, it will refer to his blasphemous claim to be God, his image that will be built, his association with ancient Babylon and his future unimaginable wealth all wrapped up into one.

To top it all off, listen to the vision that this man Eliphaz had just a few verses later in Job 4.

"Now a word was secretly brought to me, and my ear received a whisper of it. In disquieting thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones shake. Then a spirit passed before my face; The hair on my body stood up. It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance. A form was before my eyes; There was silence; Then I heard a voice saying: 'Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can a man be more pure than his Maker?'" Job 4:12-17

In Eliphaz's frightening vision, God seems to have taken exception to his name. Unlike other men in the Old Testament, whose names include the name of God but are referring to something positive about God and not themselves, this name declares that the one bearing it is God. The fearful apparition Eliphaz saw and the stern words he heard scared him silly. I believe this happened because his name declared him, a mere mortal, to be "God of Pure Gold". Eliphaz's vision was a fearful slap in the face. But, it may not only have been directed at him but may well have been aimed also at an Eliphaz that was to come who will also bear that blasphemous name. Job's Eliphaz, however, didn't understand the true meaning of his vision and he misinterpreted it to Job saying that it meant that Job's problems were all due to that fact that he was self-righteous and thought himself purer than God. If these observations are correct, the words a man in the phrase it is the number of a man in Revelation 13, quite possibly refer to Eliphaz.

Finally, as a final proof, I am going to see if the 666th man named in the Bible is Eliphaz beginning with Job and counting the names of men mentioned in each book in the Word of God in the order that they were written. If Eliphaz is number 666, wouldn't that be something! When I complete this exercise, I'll let you know.

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