In II Thessalonians 2:1-4 (NKJV), Paul speaks of an evil, end-time world ruler whom he calls “the man of sin.” This individual whom Paul says “opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God,” is obviously the same person that John refers to as the Beast in Revelation 13 and the Antichrist in I John 2:18; 4:3.
Both the man of sin and the Beast are described as putting themselves in the place of God over people’s lives. Paul says that the man of sin “sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God“ (2 Thess. 2:4). Concerning the Beast, John says, “And 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” (Rev. 13:8).
This fits perfectly with the meaning of Antichrist, for according to Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon, the word anti in Greek means “instead of” or “in place of.” In other words, this individual is not just “against” Christ; he has a messianic complex and seeks to take the place of Christ as the one destined to rule the earth.
In I John 2:18, John writes, “Little children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now there are many antichrists in the world.” John seems to be saying that this evil, arrogant and controlling ruler at the end of the age will be preceded by many of the same character and spirit. He confirms this later by saying that the spirit of Antichrist “is now already in the world” (I John 4:3).
Remember, the word “Christ” is the Greek word for the Hebrew “Messiah.” In Scripture, the Messiah is God’s appointed king and ruler over Israel and the entire cosmos. Various O.T. prophecies, such as II Samuel 7:12-13, Psalm 2:6, Daniel 7:13-14 and Micah 5:2, speak of the coming Messiah as a king and ruler. In this same vein, the messianic prophecy of Isaiah 9:6-7 says:
“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder . . . of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end.”
The “man of sin” will have a messianic complex and project himself as the one who has the right, the intelligence and the ability to rule the world and save the planet. He is, however, the antichristos, the one who puts himself in that place that belongs only to Jesus Christ. Interestingly, John says his spirit “is now already in the world” (I John 4:3).
This antichrist spirit has shown itself throughout history in the Caesars of Rome, in the medieval Catholic popes, in Islamic movements that have sought world dominance and in European monarchs and their official state churches. It is seen in modern political leaders with visions of world domination, such as Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Adolph Hitler, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin.
It is to be seen in the so-called “progressive” movement in America and the emerging “cancel culture,” which seek to control our thoughts, words and actions. It is to be seen in Big Tech companies who control the flow of information and ban any person and any message they deem to be unacceptable.
It is seen in political leaders in the United States, Canada and other Western nations with their harsh COVID-19 lockdowns and mandates. Justin Trudeau, prime minister of Canada, just forcefully ended a peaceful protest against such mandates being led by truckers. Numerous ones have been jailed and their vehicles confiscated. Their bank accounts have been frozen, and Trudeau has threatened to take their pets and their children.
A March 30, 2020 interview with British Supreme Court Judge Lord Sumpton now sounds prophetic. He warned that the COVID-19 mandates were paving the way for despotism—the exercise of power in a cruel and oppressive manner (Hyatt, To Comply or Not Comply, 59).
In Revelation 14:18, John says that the number of the Beast is the number of a man and his number is 666. Because there is no definite article in front of “man” in this passage, it could well refer to mankind in general, as well as the evil, end-time ruler.
This would coincide with the fact that the number 6 is first mentioned in Genesis 1:31 where God created mankind on the sixth day of creation. Whereas the number seven normally refers to completion and perfection, the number six is one shy of that.
The number six, therefore, could well be the number of mankind and his incompleteness apart from God. Since, however, the number of the Beast is a trinity of 666, it probably refers to any man, institution or government that seeks to assert itself into the place of God—man acting as if he were God. That is the spirit of Antichrist.
America’s founders and their parents and grandparents had lived under the antichrist spirit, which is why they were so adamant about individual liberty. It is why in Article I, Section 9 of the U.S. Constitution, the Founders banned aristocracy and the handing out of honorific titles by the U.S. government. It is why the Constitution opens with, “We the people . . .”
In this new land, there would be no “Lord so and so” or “Lady so and so.” There would be no royal aristocracy to which the masses must curtsy, doff their hats and bow the knee. When some wondered how they would manage without a monarchy, Thomas Paine, in his book, Common Sense, wrote, “But where says some is the King of America? I’ll tell you Friend, He reigns above.”
We must resist the Antichrist spirit in both the church and the world, and we do this by proclaiming Jesus Christ as God’s appointed Messiah/King who alone has the right and wisdom to govern our lives. This happened in Colonial America through the influence of the Great Awakening, for when a British-appointed official reported on the state of things to his superiors in England, he wrote,
“If you ask an American who is his master, he will tell you he has none, nor any governor but Jesus Christ” (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 81).
When a society recognizes Jesus as God’s Messiah/King and commit themselves to be governed by his moral values, there will be peace, prosperity and safety. It is what Jesus and the New Testament writers called “the gospel of the kingdom.” Then, and only then, can there be serious talk about defunding the police. {eoa}
Dr. Eddie L. Hyatt is an author, revivalist and ordained minister. His books are available from Amazon and his website at eddiehyatt.com.
For the original article, visit biblicalawakening.blogspot.com.
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