Article by: Kenneth J. Ester
The Revealing of the Antichrist
In 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, Paul teaches us something that a lot of people get wrong. He tells us that before the Day of the Lord can happen, the man of lawlessness must be revealed. Now the first thing most get wrong here is the belief that the day of the Lord is either the rapture or the second coming. They read the first verse that tells us what the overall subject is, and assume that means the day of the Lord is the rapture. In truth, every single time the phrase "day of the Lord" is used in the Bible, it is never once referring to the rapture or the second coming. It refers only to the day of Gods wrath, or His anger. But that is not the point I want to make in this article. This is not about the rapture, but it is about the man of lawlessness. Before getting to the point, lets look at the verses I am speaking of...
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 NASB
3 No one is to deceive you in any way! For it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.
Christians tend to read that last part and connect it with Daniel 9:27 where he says that in the middle of the 70th week, the prince who is to come will put an end to sacrifices. In truth, they are right to connect the two. Both of these scriptures are indeed speaking of the same event. Where they go wrong is to assume the revealing of the man of lawlessness will happen at that time. That is not what Paul is teaching here.
Nowhere else does Paul or anyone refer to the antichrist as the man of lawlessness. It is a name Paul uses for the first time here. WHich would likely leave the church members who read the letter confused. So Paul goes on to clarify who he is speaking of. The Son of destruction who will enter the temple and claim to be God. You see, Paul is not saying the man of lawlessness will be revealed at the midpoint of the tribulation. He is only clarifying who the man of lawlessness is by mentioning a second name and what he will do. Now the church knows exactly who he means by the "man of lawlessness".
So Paul is only teaching that the antichrist will be revealed before the day of the Lord begins. Not that he will be revealed at the midpoint of the tribulation. Now here is something I believe God has revealed to me that is not taught by others (that I am aware of). There is another scripture in the Bible that tells us of the same event, where the antichrist is revealed, and we never put it together. It is the first Seal.
Revelation 6:1-2 (NASB)
1 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.” 2 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.
Some believe this is Christ, but it cannot be. The 7th Seal is literally the handing over of the seven trumpets to the seven angels. So we know the seven trumpets cannot possibly be sounded until after the 7th Seal is broken. The angels cannot sound trumpets they dont even have yet. Jesus does not return until after all the seals, trumpets and bowls are finished. So it is impossible for the first Seal to be Jesus.
Most know this first rider is in fact the antichrist, but they tend to see it as an overview of the antichrist. However, I have come to recognize it as the revealing of the man of lawlessness.
In Daniel 7:17, it says the four beasts are 4 kings. Then in verse 23 it says the 4th beast is a kingdom. So we know the 4th beast is both a king and a kingdom.
Daniel tells us in verse 7 that the fourth beast has ten horns. In verse 24 it says that out of the kingdom, ten kings will arise. So at this moment the 4th Beast is a kingdom and the ten horns are kings that arise.
Now as I try to understand scripture, I am always trying to see how it fits this day and age. Especially since I am a believer that the Tribulation will begin within my lifetime. I cannot help but to recognize the 4th beast as being a coalition of ten nations. This would make the beast a kingdom with ten kings. A coalition of ten nations uniting as one and ran by ten leaders.
Daniel focuses on one particular subject in this chapter though. In verse 8 he tells us that a little horn rises up among the ten horns and plucks three of them out. Most scholars, and I agree with them, believe this little horn is the coming antichrist. In verse 24 it says that ten kings will arise and then another will rise after them. SO the little horn, which is the antichrist, will not be one of those ten leaders. But he will come up among them and remove three of them.
I fully believe the beast of the end times will begin as a coalition of ten nations. Then the antichrist will rise up and remove three of the leaders in such a way that the other seven will be too scared to defy him. Instead they will bend knee and give him control of the coalition. This is why in the 1st Seal, it says a crown was given to him.
Now the first seal also says that he will go out conquering. Most Christians seem to have this image in their heads that as soon as the antichrist comes on the scene, he will immediately be adored by the world. That nations will just hand their authority over to him so he can control the world and all the while not even care that he is persecuting and killing Christians. I just dont see this happening. Not in real life and not in scripture. I think logically, it will be as the First Seal says. He will first need to go our conquering. He isn't going to step up and suddenly run the world. He will conquer the world. But it also doesn't make sense that when he first takes control of a ten nation coalition that he will have enough power to begin conquering nations right off the bat. Unless that ten nation coalition was something different than our typical European Union or NATO type of coalition.
If you re not aware of it, you should look up Emmanuel Macron and the ten nation coalition. Macron is the president of France. For years he has been trying to unite ten nations together and combine their military power into one massive army so they can police the European nations without needing to depend so much on the United States. I see this as exactly what would need to take place for the antichrist to rise up from within. For if that did happen, the antichrist would seize control of the ten nation coalition and immediately be in control of the most powerful army in the world. Then he would absolutely have the means to go out conquering.
In connecting the First Seal with the Little Horn in Daniel chapter 7, I can see a clear picture of how the man of lawlessness will be revealed.
When a ten nation coalition develops that literally unites their military powers into one massive army, you will have the beast of the end times in its early stages. Then one man will rise up and kill three of the leaders in such a way that he puts the fear of God.... or in this case the fear of the devil into the other seven and they will give him control. Then being in control of the most powerful army in the world, he will go out conquering. When this happens, everyone who has studied eschatology will know without any possible doubt, that this is the antichrist. The man of lawlessness will indeed be revealed. It fits scripture perfectly. It fits a logical pattern of events in this day and age. I just dont think you will find a more logical understanding of this anywhere.
If that is not a strong enough explanation, then let me add to it. This fits perfectly with the rest of the seals as well. When the antichrist goes out conquering nations, he will first start out with weaker nations. He will set an example and wipe some small nation out bad. Other more powerful nations will not like it so they will be against him, but like with Russia and Ukraine, because of nukes, they will be slow in reacting. Then the AC will give a bunch of smaller nations a choice. Join him or be wiped out like the first nation. Logically they would concede and join him. They will sign a treaty with him and suddenly you have the 7 year tribulation starting.
Finally other nations will stand against him. Every nation will take sides. Some will go against him. Some will join him believing he is the more powerful one. World war 3 begins. (2nd Seal)
As with every war, famine and death will be major consequences. Much worse being a World War of course. (Seals 3 and 4)
Now the 5th Seal is a different subject. Though most get that wrong in believing they are being persecuted by the antichrist, it is actually the One World Religion that persecutes them in the first 3.5 years of the tribulation. During the first half, the antichrist is focused on gaining world power. He will not persecute the Christians until the second half of the Tribulation. What Jesus refers to as the "Great Tribulation".
Of course, a world war in this day and age is a much scarier thing than back in the 1940's. You know what basically stopped that war dont you? The atom bomb. In this day and age, it wouldn't take all that much to get one of the crazier world leaders to move to those kind of drastic measures. World War 3 would push it to that point fairly quick. And just like that, we have an all out nuclear war and the 6th Seal happening.
If you read the 6th Seal, it fits perfectly with a first century description of a nuclear war. The first thing John sees is a vision of a night sky with stars descending to the earth. He has no idea what a missile is so he would never realize those stars are actually missiles in the distance at night coming to the earth. He speaks of great winds which would be nuclear blasts. He tells us the sky splits apart and rolls up like a scroll. A perfect description of a mushroom cloud. Every mountain and island is moved out of place. If an all out nuclear war happened, that many nukes striking would cause the tectonic plates to recoil. This would cause major earthquakes and tsunamis all over the world. The people hiding in caves would be people down in bunkers.
The seven seals are not like all the symbolic interpretations many have. They are simply John describing the visions he had of a world war and a nuclear war that happens thousands of years in the future. Again, it fits perfectly with scripture and a logical understanding. And if you go on to read the first 4 Trumpets, you can see these as specific nuclear events as well.
Something like this would take the world years to recover from. The chaos would weaken some of the major nations enough that they would no longer be a match for the AC and his army. Opening the doors for Him to take further control. Then at the midpoint of the tribulation he will have that power and that's when he enters the temple as the most powerful man in the world and claims to be God. The Jews will never accept him as their messiah as many believe. That is not actually in scripture. They will defy him and he will turn his wrath on them. When they escape into the gentile nations, the AC will then turn his focus on the Christians who are trying to convince everyone that he is not God but is possessed by the devil. The False Prophet who will be in charge of the One world religion will help him push the mark of the beast, making it impossible for Christians to get food. As they begin to starve to death, some of them will turn on the others and betray them. The great Tribulation will be the worst this world has ever witnessed nor ever will.
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 NASB
3 No one is to deceive you in any way! For it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.
Christians tend to read that last part and connect it with Daniel 9:27 where he says that in the middle of the 70th week, the prince who is to come will put an end to sacrifices. In truth, they are right to connect the two. Both of these scriptures are indeed speaking of the same event. Where they go wrong is to assume the revealing of the man of lawlessness will happen at that time. That is not what Paul is teaching here.
Nowhere else does Paul or anyone refer to the antichrist as the man of lawlessness. It is a name Paul uses for the first time here. WHich would likely leave the church members who read the letter confused. So Paul goes on to clarify who he is speaking of. The Son of destruction who will enter the temple and claim to be God. You see, Paul is not saying the man of lawlessness will be revealed at the midpoint of the tribulation. He is only clarifying who the man of lawlessness is by mentioning a second name and what he will do. Now the church knows exactly who he means by the "man of lawlessness".
So Paul is only teaching that the antichrist will be revealed before the day of the Lord begins. Not that he will be revealed at the midpoint of the tribulation. Now here is something I believe God has revealed to me that is not taught by others (that I am aware of). There is another scripture in the Bible that tells us of the same event, where the antichrist is revealed, and we never put it together. It is the first Seal.
Revelation 6:1-2 (NASB)
1 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.” 2 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.
Some believe this is Christ, but it cannot be. The 7th Seal is literally the handing over of the seven trumpets to the seven angels. So we know the seven trumpets cannot possibly be sounded until after the 7th Seal is broken. The angels cannot sound trumpets they dont even have yet. Jesus does not return until after all the seals, trumpets and bowls are finished. So it is impossible for the first Seal to be Jesus.
Most know this first rider is in fact the antichrist, but they tend to see it as an overview of the antichrist. However, I have come to recognize it as the revealing of the man of lawlessness.
In Daniel 7:17, it says the four beasts are 4 kings. Then in verse 23 it says the 4th beast is a kingdom. So we know the 4th beast is both a king and a kingdom.
Daniel tells us in verse 7 that the fourth beast has ten horns. In verse 24 it says that out of the kingdom, ten kings will arise. So at this moment the 4th Beast is a kingdom and the ten horns are kings that arise.
Now as I try to understand scripture, I am always trying to see how it fits this day and age. Especially since I am a believer that the Tribulation will begin within my lifetime. I cannot help but to recognize the 4th beast as being a coalition of ten nations. This would make the beast a kingdom with ten kings. A coalition of ten nations uniting as one and ran by ten leaders.
Daniel focuses on one particular subject in this chapter though. In verse 8 he tells us that a little horn rises up among the ten horns and plucks three of them out. Most scholars, and I agree with them, believe this little horn is the coming antichrist. In verse 24 it says that ten kings will arise and then another will rise after them. SO the little horn, which is the antichrist, will not be one of those ten leaders. But he will come up among them and remove three of them.
I fully believe the beast of the end times will begin as a coalition of ten nations. Then the antichrist will rise up and remove three of the leaders in such a way that the other seven will be too scared to defy him. Instead they will bend knee and give him control of the coalition. This is why in the 1st Seal, it says a crown was given to him.
Now the first seal also says that he will go out conquering. Most Christians seem to have this image in their heads that as soon as the antichrist comes on the scene, he will immediately be adored by the world. That nations will just hand their authority over to him so he can control the world and all the while not even care that he is persecuting and killing Christians. I just dont see this happening. Not in real life and not in scripture. I think logically, it will be as the First Seal says. He will first need to go our conquering. He isn't going to step up and suddenly run the world. He will conquer the world. But it also doesn't make sense that when he first takes control of a ten nation coalition that he will have enough power to begin conquering nations right off the bat. Unless that ten nation coalition was something different than our typical European Union or NATO type of coalition.
If you re not aware of it, you should look up Emmanuel Macron and the ten nation coalition. Macron is the president of France. For years he has been trying to unite ten nations together and combine their military power into one massive army so they can police the European nations without needing to depend so much on the United States. I see this as exactly what would need to take place for the antichrist to rise up from within. For if that did happen, the antichrist would seize control of the ten nation coalition and immediately be in control of the most powerful army in the world. Then he would absolutely have the means to go out conquering.
In connecting the First Seal with the Little Horn in Daniel chapter 7, I can see a clear picture of how the man of lawlessness will be revealed.
When a ten nation coalition develops that literally unites their military powers into one massive army, you will have the beast of the end times in its early stages. Then one man will rise up and kill three of the leaders in such a way that he puts the fear of God.... or in this case the fear of the devil into the other seven and they will give him control. Then being in control of the most powerful army in the world, he will go out conquering. When this happens, everyone who has studied eschatology will know without any possible doubt, that this is the antichrist. The man of lawlessness will indeed be revealed. It fits scripture perfectly. It fits a logical pattern of events in this day and age. I just dont think you will find a more logical understanding of this anywhere.
If that is not a strong enough explanation, then let me add to it. This fits perfectly with the rest of the seals as well. When the antichrist goes out conquering nations, he will first start out with weaker nations. He will set an example and wipe some small nation out bad. Other more powerful nations will not like it so they will be against him, but like with Russia and Ukraine, because of nukes, they will be slow in reacting. Then the AC will give a bunch of smaller nations a choice. Join him or be wiped out like the first nation. Logically they would concede and join him. They will sign a treaty with him and suddenly you have the 7 year tribulation starting.
Finally other nations will stand against him. Every nation will take sides. Some will go against him. Some will join him believing he is the more powerful one. World war 3 begins. (2nd Seal)
As with every war, famine and death will be major consequences. Much worse being a World War of course. (Seals 3 and 4)
Now the 5th Seal is a different subject. Though most get that wrong in believing they are being persecuted by the antichrist, it is actually the One World Religion that persecutes them in the first 3.5 years of the tribulation. During the first half, the antichrist is focused on gaining world power. He will not persecute the Christians until the second half of the Tribulation. What Jesus refers to as the "Great Tribulation".
Of course, a world war in this day and age is a much scarier thing than back in the 1940's. You know what basically stopped that war dont you? The atom bomb. In this day and age, it wouldn't take all that much to get one of the crazier world leaders to move to those kind of drastic measures. World War 3 would push it to that point fairly quick. And just like that, we have an all out nuclear war and the 6th Seal happening.
If you read the 6th Seal, it fits perfectly with a first century description of a nuclear war. The first thing John sees is a vision of a night sky with stars descending to the earth. He has no idea what a missile is so he would never realize those stars are actually missiles in the distance at night coming to the earth. He speaks of great winds which would be nuclear blasts. He tells us the sky splits apart and rolls up like a scroll. A perfect description of a mushroom cloud. Every mountain and island is moved out of place. If an all out nuclear war happened, that many nukes striking would cause the tectonic plates to recoil. This would cause major earthquakes and tsunamis all over the world. The people hiding in caves would be people down in bunkers.
The seven seals are not like all the symbolic interpretations many have. They are simply John describing the visions he had of a world war and a nuclear war that happens thousands of years in the future. Again, it fits perfectly with scripture and a logical understanding. And if you go on to read the first 4 Trumpets, you can see these as specific nuclear events as well.
Something like this would take the world years to recover from. The chaos would weaken some of the major nations enough that they would no longer be a match for the AC and his army. Opening the doors for Him to take further control. Then at the midpoint of the tribulation he will have that power and that's when he enters the temple as the most powerful man in the world and claims to be God. The Jews will never accept him as their messiah as many believe. That is not actually in scripture. They will defy him and he will turn his wrath on them. When they escape into the gentile nations, the AC will then turn his focus on the Christians who are trying to convince everyone that he is not God but is possessed by the devil. The False Prophet who will be in charge of the One world religion will help him push the mark of the beast, making it impossible for Christians to get food. As they begin to starve to death, some of them will turn on the others and betray them. The great Tribulation will be the worst this world has ever witnessed nor ever will.