Eternal Spark Ministries

The first seal in the Book of Revelation introduces the Antichrist. This is the beginning of the seven-year tribulation. The Antichrist will rule for a period of seven years. We learn this from the “Book of Daniel.”

“And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.” (Dan 9:27)
 
The “one seven” corresponds to the seven-year period in tribulation. The Antichrist will set up a “covenant” with the nation of Israel. This “covenant” will allow the Jews to establish peace with surrounding nations and allow them to rebuild the third temple so they can revive their sacrificial form of worship. The Jews will be gathered back to their own land from all around the world. The Jewish Nation will be re-established. None of this would happen without the assistance of the Antichrist. This shows that God uses the Antichrist to fulfill His goals, like He used the Romans to fulfill His goal during Jesus’ crucifixion.  

Halfway through the tribulation (3 ½ years), the Antichrist will break the covenant; stop all sacrifices; set up an idol on the temple and compel others to worship it; claim he is a God manifested in the flesh; speaks words against the highest (God); and attempt to change the sacred seasons and the laws.
           

When Jesus opens the first seal, one of the four living creatures cries out with a voice of thunder, “Come!” “Thunder” is a symbol for judgment. When the beast says “Come,” he is talking to the first rider. The rider is the Antichrist. The Antichrist cannot “Come” until God says so. God controls the seven seals, the seven trumpets, and the seven bowls, and they all happen when He says so.

“Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, “Come!” I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.” (Revelation 6:1-2)

The Antichrist shows up on a white horse because he is a “counterfeit messiah.” He comes the same way Jesus does when He returns during the battle of Armageddon as a Conquering King;
 
“And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war.” (Rev. 19:11)
 
Many will consider the Antichrist as a “messiah.” The Antichrist will broker a peace treaty with Israel and the surrounding nations. The Antichrist comes as a peacekeeper. He does not become the “Beast” until the middle of the tribulation when he is incarnated by Satan.

The color “white” represents peace. He will bring peace and safety to Israel. The Antichrist will have the following characteristics during the first half of the tribulation:
 
1. He will be considered a superman. 
2. He will be able to attract and flatter people.
3. Charming and seductive.
4. Superb military strategist and diplomat.
5. Superb administrative and executive abilities.
6. All these characteristics will be conferred to him by Satan.
7. He will be a little king that rises in the ranks to conquer three other nations.
8. He will first bring peace, then war.
 
The Antichrist was given a bow and a crown, but no arrow. The Antichrist will be a leader of a nation but will not immediately start war. It is not until later after the “Second Seal” is broken that world war begins and peace is taken from the earth. Even though John gives us some description of the Antichrist, many wonder where he comes from and what leads up to this point. To answer these questions, we must turn to the “Book of Daniel.” Here we will get a much more understanding of Revelation. We will also get a picture of where the Antichrist’s kingdom will derive from.
 
Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
The Book of Daniel is divided into two sections. Chapters 1-6 are based on a “historical perspective,” and chapters 7-12 are based on a “prophetic perspective.” So, the chapters are not in chronological order but are grouped by subject.

Nebuchadnezzar had a dream, and in his dream, he saw this huge statue of a metal man. The head of the statue was made of gold, chest and arms silver, belly and thighs bronze, legs iron, and the feet were a combination of iron and baked clay. As Nebuchadnezzar was watching the statue, a rock not cut with hands came out of the mountain and smashed the feet of iron and baked clay. The statue came tumbling down and the wind blew it away. Then this rock became a huge mountain and covered the earth. Nebuchadnezzar did not understand the dream, so Daniel came and interpreted for him. 

The head made of gold represents the Babylonian Empire. Daniel discloses to Nebuchadnezzar that his greatness, power, might, and glory was not from his own ability, but given to him by God in heaven, and his empire would not last. The chest and arms made of silver represent the Medo/Persian Empires. God had numbered the days the Babylonian Empire would rule and then the empire would be divided and given to the Medes and Persians. The Medo/Persian Empire would not be as wealthy or as powerful as the Babylonian Empire, which is why it is represented by silver.

The belly and thighs made of bronze represent the Grecian Empire. Alexander the Great invaded and conquered the Medo/Persian Empire. The Grecian Empire would not be as wealthy or powerful as the Medo/Persian Empire, which is represented by bronze.

After Alexander the Great died, his empire was divided up between his four generals:
 
1. Cassander took Macedonia (Northern Greece) in the west.
2. Lysimachus took Thrace (Northern Turkey/Southern Bulgaria) in the north.
3. Seleucus took Assyria (Syria, Southern Turkey, Northwestern Iran, and Northern Iraq) in the east.
4. Ptolemy I took Egypt in the south.
 

The legs of iron represent the Roman Empire which replaced the Grecian Empire. The iron, less valuable than the other metals mentioned, does also represent the iron authority of the Roman Empire. They would rule with an iron fist and would trample their enemies viciously and powerfully. The two legs represent the two divisions that the Roman Empire divided into. Rome (Rome, Italy) became the capital of the western division, and Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey) became the capital of the eastern division.
The feet of Nebuchadnezzar’s statue were made from iron and baked clay which represents the “Revived Roman Empire.” This “Revived Roman Empire” will consist of ten nations which correspond to the ten toes. This will be the Antichrist’s future empire.
           

The legs of iron represent the Roman Empire which replaced the Grecian Empire. The iron, less valuable than the other metals mentioned, does also represent the iron authority of the Roman Empire. They would rule with an iron fist and would trample their enemies viciously and powerfully. The two legs represent the two divisions that the Roman Empire divided into. Rome (Rome, Italy) became the capital of the western division, and Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey) became the capital of the eastern division.
The feet of Nebuchadnezzar’s statue were made from iron and baked clay which represents the “Revived Roman Empire.” This “Revived Roman Empire” will consist of ten nations which correspond to the ten toes. This will be the Antichrist’s future empire.
           

These four empires that were discussed are empires of the past. They have already fallen. They are also four of the empires that were identified in Revelation 12 that Satan is the “King” of:
 
Egyptian Empire (omitted from Nebuchadnezzar dream)
Assyrian Empire (omitted from Nebuchadnezzar dream)
Babylonian Empire (head of gold)
Medo/Persian Empire (chest and arms made of silver)
Grecian Empire (belly and thighs made of bronze)
Roman Empire (legs of iron)
Revived Roman Empire (future empire made from iron and baked clay)
 
The first two empires were omitted from Nebuchadnezzar’s dream because they had already fallen. Daniel was to interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s dream which consisted of the present empire (Babylonian Empire) and the empires that would follow. The “Revived Roman Empire” will be the empire that rises in the future, right before tribulation. This will become the Antichrist’s Empire, but it will not receive the power of destruction until the middle of the tribulation.

The first six empires worshiped “pagan gods.” It is safe to say, the seventh and final empire will also worship a “pagan god,” because as we know, Satan is the “king” of all of them. It appears from Nebuchadnezzar’s statue that “five toes” (five empires) will come from the Roman western division (Western Europe) and “five toes” (five empires) will come from the Roman eastern division (Arab Countries.) From this we could expect to see a Western Europe/Arab coalition that will make up the “Revived Roman Empire.” They will form a security agreement for protection for the upcoming world war when Jesus breaks the “second seal:”
 
“When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come!” And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him.” (Revelation 6:3-4)
 
The “Revived Roman Empire” will not be as strong as the original Roman Empire because they are mixed with clay, and they do not mix well. This means this Western Europe/Arab coalition, the government and its people will be a divided one. Daniel tells us that even though this “Revived Roman Empire” will be divided, it will still have “the toughness of iron.” Some parts of the Empire will be “strong” and other parts will be “brittle;”
 

“In that you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, it will be a divided kingdom; but it will have in it the toughness of iron, in as much as you saw the iron mixed with common clay. As the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of pottery, so some of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be brittle.” (Daniel 2:41-42)
 
The Ancient Roman Empire was also mixed. Its army was not just made up of Italian and European men. It was also made up of those who came from Arab nations. As the Roman Empire expanded, it clearly did not have enough army to protect all the nations it controlled so they brought in countrymen from the nations surrounding Israel including Syria, Turkey, and Egypt. The majority opinion of modern-day scholars tells us that the bulk of the army that destroyed the “Second Temple ” in 70 AD were made up of Arabs. This is very important to understand because in the Book of Daniel it tells us that the “people of the prince who is to come (Antichrist) will destroy the city and the sanctuary.”
 
“Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined.” (Daniel 9:26)
 
This is why many people believe that the Antichrist will come from a European Nation. Even though the Roman Army led by General Titus destroyed the “Second Temple” in 70 AD, the army itself was made up mostly of Arabs. “People of the prince” does not refer to an empire, but to a race of people. In this case, to the Arabs. Those nations that are located east of Israel.

Why would the Arabs/Muslims help destroy the “Second Temple?” Hatred for the Jews. The same motivating factor the armies of the Antichrist will have who will invade Israel in future times. So, the Ancient Roman Empire’s army was mixed. However, it was controlled by the Romans. The “Revived Roman Empire” will also be mixed, but this time it will be controlled by the Arabs/Muslims. We learn that these “ten nations” of the “Revived Roman Empire” will consist of five nations coming from Western Europe and five nations coming from the Arab countries, but they will only form a security agreement with one another for protection from the upcoming world war. The Antichrist will not rule over them until the middle of the tribulation. When the Antichrist does come to power, he will conquer three of the “ten nations” and the rest will give him their power. The Antichrist will conquer many nations after that, especially to the south.
 
“He will also enter the Beautiful Land, and many countries will fall; but these will be rescued out of his hand: Edom, Moab and the foremost of the sons of Ammon. Then he will stretch out his hand against other countries, and the land of Egypt will not escape. But he will gain control over the hidden treasures of gold and silver and over all the precious things of Egypt; and Libyans and Ethiopians will follow at his heels.” (Daniel 11:41-43)
 
What started out as “ten nations” will become much bigger. It will no longer be considered as a “Revived Roman Empire,” it will morph into something different. It will become an Arab/Muslim led empire. It will become what is known as the Islamic Caliphate. The Caliphate will be a semi-religious political system that will govern all of Islam and the nations they rule over. This will include all empires in the Middle East and North Africa, and the people will be ruled by a supreme leader called a Caliph, which means successor.

Similar to the Caliphate is the 12th Imam. This is Islam’s awaited Messiah. The 12th Imam is a spiritual and political successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Muslims believe that the 12th Imam is Muhammad al-Mahdi, and he is alive and in hiding, getting ready to return. Mahdi in Arabic means “guided one.” The Mahdi will be a messianic deliverer who will fill the earth with justice, restore true religion (Islam), and lead his followers in a golden age lasting seven years before the end of the world (tribulation). The Caliphate and the 12th Imam will be the Antichrist.
The Antichrist does not establish the “ten nations” which make up the seventh empire, the “Revived Roman Empire,” but will rise up from one of them. He will be considered as the “eighth king.”
 

“The beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction.” (Revelation 17:11)
 
When the Antichrist takes over during the middle of the tribulation, the Islamic Caliphate will be considered as an “eighth empire” with a one-religion rule, Islam.
 
1. Egyptian Empire (omitted from Nebuchadnezzar dream)
2. Assyrian Empire (omitted from Nebuchadnezzar dream)
3. Babylonian Empire (head of gold)
4. Medo/Persian Empire (chest and arms made of silver)
5. Grecian Empire (belly and thighs made of bronze)
6. Roman Empire (legs of iron)
7. Revived Roman Empire (future empire made from iron and baked clay)
8. Islamic Caliphate
 
The Arabs/Muslims dominate the entire region of the Middle East today and they will be the primary followers of the Antichrist.
We can see in the Book of Daniel that there will be intermarriage practices that will go on with the Arab/Muslim Countries to form unity among the nations but will fail to do so.
 
“And in that you saw the iron mixed with common clay, they will combine with one another in the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, even as iron does not combine with pottery.” (Daniel 2:43)
 
Leaders like Napoleon Bonaparte and Adolph Hitler attempted such efforts. The nobility of the different countries inter-married in the hope of creating unity. “But they will not adhere to one another.” Arab/Muslim people will forever be in conflict with everyone as told by God in Genesis:
 
“The angel of the Lord said to her further, behold, you are with child, and you will bear a son; and you shall call his name Ishmael, because the Lord has given heed to your affliction. He will be a wild donkey of a man, his hand will be against everyone, and everyone’s hand will be against him; and he will live to the east of all his brothers.” (Genesis 16:11-12)
 
Ishmael, commonly regarded by both Jews and Arabs as the forefather of the Arabs, is considered a messenger and a prophet in the Quran. Ishmael was to live to the east of Israel. Ishmael is said to have played a foundational role in Islamic tradition. In Arabic, Arab means “inhabitant of the desert” or as some people call them “nomads.” It is not a nationality or kind of race. It is important to note that most Arabs are Muslims. Muslim is also not a nationality or kind of race. Muslims are those individuals who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. Allah is their God and Muhammad is their prophet. The Islamic concept of Allah and the Jewish concept of Yahweh both deny the “Holy Trinity” nature of God. They eliminate Jesus, and they also eliminate the Holy Spirit as a distinct person of the Godhead.
 

“In whose case the god of this world (Satan) has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:4)
 
We know that one of the major objectives of tribulation is to bring the Jews back to a “saving knowledge” of Jesus. This will take the entire seven years. But it says nothing about the Muslims. There is much scripture throughout the Bible predicting the judgment of the Muslim nations and Israel neighbors on the “Day of the Lord”
 
Ezekiel 25 – Judgment against Israel’s surrounding neighbors.
Ezekiel 30 – Judgment against Egypt, Sudan, Libya, Arabia, and Turkey…all on the “Day of the Lord” just to name a few.
 
If you are unfamiliar with the term “Day of the Lord,” it is a time of the “Second Coming” of Jesus, the day of Armageddon, the day of judgment.
The Antichrist will be an Arab/Muslim who will force on nations the religion of Islam or be slaughtered. This will happen during the last half of the tribulation when the Antichrist becomes “the Beast” and becomes “king” of the final kingdom.
 
Quran 9:5 “But when the forbidden 4 months are past, then fight and slay the Pagans wherever you find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war); but if they repent, and establish regular prayers and practice regular charity, then open the way for them: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful”
 
Any god other than Allah will be considered pagan. So, Christians and Jews will be considered as pagans and if they do not renounce Jesus and accept Allah as their one and true god they will be slaughtered. In other words, “submit” or die. Quran 9:5 is also known as the “Verse of the Sword.” When Osama bin Laden declared war on the West in 1996, he cited the “Verse of the Sword” and commanded to “strike off” the heads of unbelievers.
The Antichrist’s future empire will be a divided one. Even at the end during the Battle of Armageddon will they turn on one another.
 

“It will come about on that day that a great panic from the Lord will fall on them; and they will seize one another’s hand, and the hand of one will be lifted against the hand of another.” (Zechariah 14:13)
 
The “stone that was not cut by hand” that demolishes Nebuchadnezzar’s statue is the second coming of Jesus. Jesus will destroy these nations controlled by the Antichrist at the battle of Armageddon and set up his “Millennial Kingdom” on earth that will last forever and ever. This is the very same kingdom we pray about when we say the Lord’s prayer, “Thy kingdom come.”
           

The metals on Nebuchadnezzar’s statue not only represent the different kingdoms, but also it represents the deterioration of nations and man. The feet being made of “iron” and “clay” being the most unstable and immoral of governments and the most immoral and wicked of man.
 
“Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. Because lawlessness has increased, most people’s love will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.” (Mat. 24: 9-14)
 
The reign of Nebuchadnezzar holds another valuable piece of prophecy for us. His reign began in what is called “The time of the gentiles.” Nebuchadnezzar defeated King Jehoiakim of Judah, not by his own ability but by the grace of God. This began the Gentile domination. Jerusalem will be under Gentile authority, and the Jews will not have a king until the “time of the gentiles,” ends, with Jesus’ second coming, and the beginning of His “Millennial Kingdom.”
 
“And they will fall by the edge of the sword and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” (Luke 21: 24)
 
“For the sons of Israel will remain for many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar and without ephod or household idols. Afterward the sons of Israel will return and seek the Lord their God and David their king; and they will come trembling to the Lord and to His goodness in the last days.” (Hosea 3: 4-5)
 
 If the Jews did not disobey God and followed His sabbaths and laws, there would have not been a “times of the Gentiles.” Jesus could have set up His “Millennial Kingdom” on His “First Coming.”

“It will come about on that day that a great panic from the Lord will fall on them; and they will seize one another’s hand, and the hand of one will be lifted against the hand of another.” (Zechariah 14:13)
 
The “stone that was not cut by hand” that demolishes Nebuchadnezzar’s statue is the second coming of Jesus. Jesus will destroy these nations controlled by the Antichrist at the battle of Armageddon and set up his “Millennial Kingdom” on earth that will last forever and ever. This is the very same kingdom we pray about when we say the Lord’s prayer, “Thy kingdom come.”
           

The metals on Nebuchadnezzar’s statue not only represent the different kingdoms, but also it represents the deterioration of nations and man. The feet being made of “iron” and “clay” being the most unstable and immoral of governments and the most immoral and wicked of man.
 
“Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. Because lawlessness has increased, most people’s love will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.” (Mat. 24: 9-14)
 
The reign of Nebuchadnezzar holds another valuable piece of prophecy for us. His reign began in what is called “The time of the gentiles.” Nebuchadnezzar defeated King Jehoiakim of Judah, not by his own ability but by the grace of God. This began the Gentile domination. Jerusalem will be under Gentile authority, and the Jews will not have a king until the “time of the gentiles,” ends, with Jesus’ second coming, and the beginning of His “Millennial Kingdom.”
 
“And they will fall by the edge of the sword and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” (Luke 21: 24)
 
“For the sons of Israel will remain for many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar and without ephod or household idols. Afterward the sons of Israel will return and seek the Lord their God and David their king; and they will come trembling to the Lord and to His goodness in the last days.” (Hosea 3: 4-5)
 
 If the Jews did not disobey God and followed His sabbaths and laws, there would have not been a “times of the Gentiles.” Jesus could have set up His “Millennial Kingdom” on His “First Coming.”

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