Who is the antichrist?

ianb321red said in post 318:

130 reasons why it Obama:

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Obama isn't the Antichrist, because the gematrial "number of the name" of the person who is the Antichrist is 666 (Revelation 13:17c-18, Revelation 15:2), while the gematrial number of the name "Barack Hussein Obama" is 793:

B=2, A=1, R=90, A=1, C=3, K=20, H=8, U=300, S=100, S=100, E=5, I=9, N=50, O=60, B=2, A=1, M=40, A=1. Total = 793.

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That is, the 666 in Revelation 13:17c-18 refers to the number six hundred and sixty-six, the "number of the name" of the individual man who is the Antichrist (the individual-man aspect of Revelation's "beast"). The number of a name (Revelation 13:17c-18, Revelation 15:2) is determined by employing the ancient method of gematria, by which numerical values are assigned to the letters of any alphabet as follows: the first nine letters are 1 through 9, the next nine letters are 10 through 90 (counting by tens), and the rest of the letters are 100, 200, 300, etc., to the end of the alphabet. In Revelation 13:18, the "counting", the adding up, of the gematrial number of the Antichrist's name should be done in the same way that the gematrial numerical values of the 3 Greek letters (Chi, Xi, and Stigma) at the end of Revelation 13:18 (in the original Greek Textus Receptus) are added up to arrive at the number six hundred and sixty-six.

The numerical values of the letters of the ancient Greek alphabet (including the 3 obsolete letters of Stigma, Qoppa, and Sampi) were as follows: Alpha = 1, Beta = 2, Gamma = 3, Delta = 4, Epsilon = 5, Stigma = 6, Zeta = 7, Eta = 8, Theta = 9, Iota = 10, Kappa = 20, Lambda = 30, Mu = 40, Nu = 50, Xi = 60, Omikron = 70, Pi = 80, Qoppa = 90, Rho = 100, Sigma = 200, Tau = 300, Upsilon = 400, Phi = 500, Chi = 600, Psi = 700, Omega = 800, Sampi = 900.

Just as the numerical values of Chi, Xi, and Stigma at the end of Revelation 13:18 (in the Textus Receptus) add up to 666, so the numerical values of the letters in the Antichrist's name will add up to 666 (Revelation 13:17c-18). John used the Greek alphabet because it was the most common one used by believers when the book of Revelation was written. Today, the English alphabet is the most common one used by believers, insofar as English is the current lingua franca of the world. So the Antichrist's name will most likely add up to 666 in the English alphabet. The purpose of Revelation 13:17c-18 is to facilitate for believers, not make difficult for them, the identification of a certain man as possibly being the Antichrist. If the letters in his name had to be transliterated into the Greek alphabet, this would vitiate this purpose, for almost all believers today wouldn't know how to properly perform this transliteration, and so different believers would come up with different transliterations, and so would come up with different gematrial numbers for the name of the man in question.

If believers think that someone is the Antichrist, they need to check and make sure that his name adds up to 666 in gematria (Revelation 13:17c-18). If it doesn't, then he isn't the Antichrist. If it does, then he could be, and they need to be especially wary of him and not be taken in by any deceptive charisma, intelligence, or amazing deeds which he might display. But even if someone's name adds up to 666, this doesn't mean that he is definitely the Antichrist. For just by chance there could be more than one person in the world whose name adds up to 666. The Antichrist also has to come from a country the territory of which used to be part of one of the 4 Diadochian Greek kingdoms which succeeded Alexander the Great (Daniel 8:8-9,21-25). These kingdoms stretched from Greece over to Iran, and down into Egypt. So the Antichrist could come from the Middle East. He could be an Arab who will come from Lebanon, from the modern city of Tyre (Ezekiel 28:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:4), and have a name like (for example) "Nabil Abdullah Falakal al-Hakim", which adds up to 666.

But if a man from the Middle East has a name which adds up to 666, even this doesn't assure that he is the Antichrist. For he also has to sit (at least one time) in a 3rd Jewish temple in Jerusalem and proclaim himself God (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, Daniel 11:31,36, Matthew 24:15, Revelation 11:1-2). Once he does that, there won't be any more room for doubt over whether or not he is the Antichrist; his identity will have been definitely revealed (2 Thessalonians 2:3b-4).

The gematrial numerical values of the letters of the English alphabet are: A=1, B=2, C=3, D=4, E=5, F=6, G=7, H=8, I=9, J=10, K=20, L=30, M=40, N=50, O=60, P=70, Q=80, R=90, S=100, T=200, U=300, V=400, W=500, X=600, Y=700, Z=800. The way that the gematrial number of a name is "counted" (Revelation 13:17c-18), is added up, is simply by adding up the gematrial numerical values of all the letters in that name. So, for example, the number of the name "John Mark Smith" is 636, because: J=10, O=60, H=8, N=50, M=40, A=1, R=90, K=20, S=100, M=40, I=9, T=200, H=8. Total = 636. The Antichrist's name will add up to 666 (Revelation 13:17c-18).

Peaceful Sabbath

It seems too easy to display the adversarial spirit.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Remember when everyone was worried about finding Barry's birth certificate? When the Antichrist gets here he won't even claim to have one, he won't be a human being. The Little Horn from Daniel 8 will be Lucifer appearing in the form of a man that will claim to be God. It would not even surprise me if he claimed to be setting up a 1000 year Kingdom on Earth.

"Out of one of them" = The North Wind of Heaven

A ram, a goat and then four conspicuous horns.

These grow up toward the four winds of heaven.

Now were talkin' bout the four winds of heaven.

The Four Winds of Heaven

Out of one of them came a little horn.

Toward the south,

Toward the east,

and toward the glorious land (which is west)

This means that he comes from the North Wind of Heaven, sometime after 1844.

Like Nebuchadnezzar and the Great River Euphrates drying up, Divine Destruction always comes from the North.

What John was emphasizing at 1 John 2:19, was what Christ and the apostle Paul had earlier warned about to the members of the Christian congregation and of the religious leaders outside the congregation rejecting or not accepting what they taught. (Matthew 7:15; 2 Timothy 4:3, 4) Such people were referred to as apostates or antichrists. (2 Thessalonians 2:3-5; 1 John 2:18; 2 John 7) This is not inclusive to any one individual/s, but kingdoms, nations, and organizations are singularly shown to be part of the antichrist in the symbolic description at Revelations 17:8-15; 19:19-21.

Just as what happens today, such was the same during the apostolic period. Members of the Christian congregation were not fully committed, did not have a complete heart, and were not of like thinking. Therefore, they eventually imposed their own philosophies and influenced others. (Matthew 24:4, 11; Luke 21:8; Acts 20:29; 2 Peter 2:1-3) They abandoned or were expulsed from the congregation where they form destructive sects. Compare Matthew 7:21-23; Mark 13:21, 22; Luke 13:24-27; 1 Corinthians 15:33; 2 Corinthians 6:14.

My vote goes to Russian President Vladimir Putin, (ex-KGB, Stalinist dictator, megalomaniac, narcissist and madman who threatened to use nuclear weapons against NATO in July 2015 if they intervened in the Russian backed Ukrainian civil war). He seems to fit all the prophetic criteria mentioned in the Book of Revelation and the Book of Daniel about the "Abomination of Desolation" Antichrist figure of the End Times.

"And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to DEATH, and his deadly wound was HEALED: and all the world WONDERED AFTER THE BEAST" (Rev.13:3).

When he came to power, Putin vowed then, and still does vow to restore Russia to its' former glory under the Soviet Union. Essentially he is "resurrecting" Stalinism in Russia, which was dealt a deadly blow in 1991 with the end of the Cold War, and since his rise to power he has been named twice by Forbes Magazine as "The Most Powerful Man in the World", (2012-2014). Then in September 2015, after a summit in Washington D.C, Vladimir Putin was given the lead in Syria fighting ISIS on the ground. Which now it looks like he's more interested in restoring the Assad regime to health and reestablishing Russia as a powerbroker in the Middle East along with IRAN, rather than vanquishing ISIS as our (ally ?!).

He's also the first and only Russian president to visit the West Bank (Palestinian Territory) in history, (2012-2014). Anyone who's read Matthew 24:15 understands this is precisely where the Antichrist called the Abomination of Desolation invades Israel at the Time of the End. In ancient times, the West Bank of Israel was called JUDEA.

There are a couple of significant descriptions of the Abomination of Desolation found in the Book of Daniel that also appear to fit Vladimir Putin like a glove. It says he will be a king of fierce countenance and understanding dark sentences, (Daniel 8:23). I would say invading Crimea, supporting the civil war in Ukraine, threatening the Baltic States with invasion, threatening the use of nuclear weapons against NATO, and going into Syria and Iraq with the Russian army against ISIS and anti-Assad forces qualifies him as pretty fierce. When he began his career with the KGB, he was stationed in Dresden, Germany where he worked as a "case manager" recruiting Soviet assets through blackmail, threats of exposure and coercion. In other words, he has a good working knowledge of how to use dark sentences.

"He will become strong with a small people", (Daniel 11:23). The KGB is a pretty exclusive and relatively small but powerful group of people. The same passage says, "After an alliance is made with him, he will practice deception, and he will go up and gain power, (Daniel 11:23). Vladimir Putin's first act as president of Russia, was to pardon his predecessor Boris Yeltsin for any crimes committed while he was president. According to a 2012 Human Rights Report issued by the U.S. State Department, Putin stands accused by many Russians of Illegally rigging election results to extend his term as president, and has established a virtual Stalinist dictatorship in Russia, which systematically tortures and murders political dissidents and opposition members. Google it if you don't believe it.

It also says, "He will exalt himself above everything", (Daniel 11:36). Vladimir Putin is classic "megalomaniac and narcissist". He has created a virtual cult of personality in Russia. Portraying himself as a successful entrepreneur (has his own brands of caviar and vodka), and businessman, entertainer (believe it or not, he writes and performs his own music), sportsman, conservationist, military hero (appearing in pilot and Spetsnaz, special forces uniform), and unparalleled statesman and politician. You can google it for yourself if you think I'm exaggerating.

I would have to say conservatively, he fits the bill 100 % . Vladimir Putin is the Abomination of Desolation Antichrist described by the prophet Daniel. No mistake about it.

stephen583 said:

Vladimir Putin is the Abomination of Desolation Antichrist described by the prophet Daniel. No mistake about it.

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The Abomination of Desolation is a thing, an image. Something that will be setup. It is not a person. In Daniel 9, there is something similar but different - and that is the transgression of Desolation..

The transgression of Desolation is an act by a person. It is stopping the daily sacrifice, and claiming to be God - a transgression of the Mt. Sinai covenant.

Putin is not the Antichrist because the person has to become the King of Israel, thought to be messiah, descended from King David.

Vladimir Putin is NOT the AC.
The AC will be a "good guy" with amazing abilities to solve ALL of the world's problems.
Based on MY interpretation of Genesis 49, I'm looking for a man from Italy - but we'll see.

Antichrist who is the beast to come is not known yet, and wouldn't be, until there are things showing what will identify him already happening. He will make a covenant that will be a great deception, involving the people of Israel, I have a good idea of what that will involve. But it seems suggested that he would be one mortally wounded, yet still living.

John S said:

Vladimir Putin is NOT the AC.
The AC will be a "good guy" with amazing abilities to solve ALL of the world's problems.
Based on MY interpretation of Genesis 49, I'm looking for a man from Italy - but we'll see.

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Being from Italy is not an unreasonable expectation. I am thinking a future leader of the EU once it has evolved to a ten leader form of government. He could still be an Italian, or born maybe in Rome, and raised in another country.

Since Jesus indicated the end times events would be like a flood - in that when they start, things are really going to go fast.

So if that change in the EU takes place, the little horn will come to power right away.

FredVB said:

Antichrist who is the beast to come is not known yet, and wouldn't be, until there are things showing what will identify him already happening. He will make a covenant that will be a great deception, involving the people of Israel, I have a good idea of what that will involve. But it seems suggested that he would be one mortally wounded, yet still living.

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I think it will be possible to identify the person before he becomes the Antichrist. He becomes the little horn before becoming the Antichrist. And the little horn comes up among ten kings (leaders) of the fourth empire, a single kingdom - which the EU fits. So I think it is just a matter of (a short) time before the EU evolves to the ten leader form of government.

The EU has already gone through being the European Economic Community, to the European Community, to the European Union.

Douggg said:

So I think it is just a matter of (a short) time before the EU evolves to the ten leader form of government.

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I never understand what you futurists mean by "a short time".

Like 2000 years metaphorically "short"? or like actually literally Short?

It's always different with you guys/gals depending on which interpretation best suits your previously held position.

Rhamiel said:

the antichrist denies that Jesus is God

I doubt Islam will be the vehicle that is used to bring about the Anti-Christ
while islam is wrong on a lot of things, they still seek to honor God
I think it is far more likely that Secular Humanism brings about a more complete rejection of God and His laws

but I do not claim to know the future

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The god they seek to honor is not the God of the bible.

Douggg said:

I think it will be possible to identify the person before he becomes the Antichrist. He becomes the little horn before becoming the Antichrist. And the little horn comes up among ten kings (leaders) of the fourth empire, a single kingdom - which the EU fits. So I think it is just a matter of (a short) time before the EU evolves to the ten leader form of government.

The EU has already gone through being the European Economic Community, to the European Community, to the European Union.

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That would mean that Europe would have to do some major merging. There are 28 countries currently. That means (if no more countries are added), that 85% of the countries would have to merge with the remaining 35%..or the countries right now would have to merge into 10 'new' countries.

And who says it must be Europe? Who says that the 10 leaders couldn't be global?

SilverBlade said:

That would mean that Europe would have to do some major merging. There are 28 countries currently. That means (if no more countries are added), that 85% of the countries would have to merge with the remaining 35%..or the countries right now would have to merge into 10 'new' countries.

And who says it must be Europe? Who says that the 10 leaders couldn't be global?

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Hi SilverBlade, there is one way (that I can think of) that they can do it. And that is to divide Europe into ten zones (for representative European federal government) - in similitude to the theory of the world divided into ten zones.

The zones could be configured to inlude one, or two, or three countries to give equal weight population wise. There would be no change as far as identification or change of the individual countries themselves.

I agree with you on the unlikelyhood of creating new countries. But it is not necessary, to get the ten zones.

Each of those zones would have a leader, which for ten zones would be the ten kings - with the little horn over the ten kings (leaders).

I don't think global, ten zones, because the division in Daniel 11:40-45 battles near the end of the 7 years, appear to between the 4 cardinal direction powers - i.e. King of the North, the South, the West (implied), and kings of the East. The King of the West would be little horn, in his final stage as the beast.

The little horn goes through 4 stages.... to eventually get to those battles in Daniel 11:40-45, as the beast. First as the little horn; then as the prince who shall come (becomes the Antichrist, king of Israel instead of Jesus, the rightful king); then as the revealed man of sin; then in the final stage as the beast.

We are going to confirm a lot more the different scenario's once we see the ten kings actually being put into place.

Rhamiel said:

the antichrist denies that Jesus is God

I doubt Islam will be the vehicle that is used to bring about the Anti-Christ
while islam is wrong on a lot of things, they still seek to honor God
I think it is far more likely that Secular Humanism brings about a more complete rejection of God and His laws

but I do not claim to know the future

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Islam's God has completely different character than the God of the Bible, though, so they can't be the same.

There's a 29 minute film on this subject (about a Muslim who compared the Bible and the Qur'an)... http://media.morethandreams.org/Download/English/720/Khalil-English.mp4

I recommend the whole film of More Than Dreams, about former Muslims who had visions or dreams of Jesus before they came to Christ and grew in their faith. www.morethandreams.org

Nabeel Qureshi's book, Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus is also excellent!

P.S. Islam has eschatology prophecy, too, which calls for the coming of the Mahdi and later Isa (fake Jesus - not divine, didn't die for sins) to help him. Compared to Revelstion 13, it at least seems possible that the Mahdi could be beast of the sea and Isa the beast of the earth (or, the false prophet).

I would have to say an Islamic leader: Shiite Muslim, Ayatollah or ISIS leader. They are already antichrists and anti-Semitic -- Islam has always been. Will Ten Islamic nations coming together to attack Israel? Um ... let's see, that's sounds probable. Togarmah, Cush, Put, Persia, Egypt, Gomer, Ethiopia, Magog, Libya, etc., are all present day Islamic countries. "3 horns were plucked" out of the ten horns from the Beast. Let's see, Sadaam, Qudhafi, Mubarek, have been plucked. So then there are remaining 7 horns, one of which becomes the 8th, the "Little Horn" -- the Antichrist. Don't agree with this so far? Let me clue you in on his signature written in scripture: "... Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the world of God..." Rev. 20:4
So, if you are a Christian or Jew who happens to be in an Islamic nation where these beheadings are currently going on, where rapes, exiling and forced conversions are happening, you may feel like you are in a Great Tribulation already.
The Beast will not be some revived Roman Empire, EU, U.S. -- no, it is Islam. It's even described as being made of part Iron and part clay. Iran would be the Iron part, and then ISIS the clay. They don't mix well but they do have fundamental beliefs and purpose - to convert the entire world. If this Caliphate is not defeated very soon, their support throughout the Sunni world will grow. Some say 15% of the Sunnis (of which comprise 85% Muslims) are in support of ISIS. Do the math, that's over 150 million. This time next year it could double or triple -- then we will see more frequent attacks in the U.S. We'll know for sure sooner than you think.

Antichrist is anyone who denies Jesus Christ coming in the flesh! 1 John 4:1-3:
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God;
3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.

Again...in 2 John 7-9:
7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.
8 Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward.
9 Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son.

The GREATEST error in this thread is the thinking that an individual is antichrist. Antichrist is an entity made up of many people/organizations/entities/groups/people.

Think on what John has written and you can't go wrong.

Ronald said:

Um ... let's see, that's sounds probable. Togarmah, Cush, Put, Persia, Egypt, Gomer, Ethiopia, Magog, Libya, etc., are all present day Islamic countries.

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Ronald. I don't agree with your interpretation. According to conservative opinion, as far as I remember, Bible scholars agree unanimously "Togarmah" are the people of Anatolia, (Georgia, Turkey, Armenia and the Caucasus) which obviously incorporates a number of countries and regions, none of which are aligned with ANY Islamic nation or coalition of Islamic states. Even Turkey is constitutionally a "secular democratic republic", not an Islamic country, and Turkey is also currently aligned with NATO.

As for Gomer, I believe most Bible scholars identify that country as modern day Germany, (or more accurately the former territory of East Germany) ALSO HAVING NOTHING WHATSOEVER TO DO WITH ISLAM. MaGog is associated with Russia, (Again.. Not an Islamic Country), although Russia does have ties to some Islamic countries like IRAN (Persia).

Egypt is currently aligned with the West, not Russia or Islam. The Egyptians build M1 Abram's tanks for the United States in Cairo. Furthermore, Egypt is the ONLY Arab country that has a PEACE TREATY with Israel at present.

Your assertion that ALL these countries are presently aligned together against Israel in an Islamic led coalition is PURE FANTASY. Sorry to ruin your Anti-Islamic hate fest Ronald.

Ronald said:

"3 horns were plucked" out of the ten horns from the Beast. Let's see, Sadaam, Qudhafi, Mubarek, have been plucked.

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I don't recall you mentioning IRAQ and Sadaam as part of the TEN nation Islamic coalition. Is that because the math doesn't work if you do ? That would be a coalition of ELEVEN nations, wouldn't it ??? If you add the three countries that make up Togarmah (present day Georgia, Turkey and Armenia) that would make at least fifteen countries in your (Islamic ?)coalition.