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Bern Zumpano continues the study of Revelation Chapter 13, moving past the overview of the two beasts—the Antichrist (the first, political beast from the sea) and the False Prophet (the second, religious beast from the earth)—to focus on the identity and ministry of the Antichrist. The Antichrist is a man who achieves political power, then receives a fatal wound that is miraculously healed, which most scholars believe is a counterfeit resurrection where Satan incarnates his dead body. This miracle causes the world, including the Jewish people, to accept him as the long-awaited Messiah. However, at the midpoint of the Tribulation, the now-Satan-incarnated Antichrist changes personality, desecrates the Temple, and begins his reign of terror for 42 months (the final 3 1/2 years). This Beast from the Sea is equated with the Fourth Beast of Danieland its physical characteristics—an amalgam of the previous empires (lion/Babylon, leopard/Greece, bear/Medo-Persia, iron teeth/Rome)—suggest a mixed cultural heritage (Greek/Assyrian/Jewish) that makes him appealing to all groups.

Zumpano then explores the Antichrist's various titles from the Old and New Testaments (Little Horn, King of Fierce Countenance, Man of Lawlessness, Son of Perdition, and The Beast). His ministry, drawn from Daniel and 2 Thessalonians 2, is one of deception and lawlessness: he will speak arrogant words, blaspheme God, make war with the saints, and use his shrewdness to succeed. Zumpano dedicates significant discussion to the controversial scholarly theory that the Antichrist might be Judas Iscariot resurrected, citing the fact that both are called the "Son of Perdition" in scripture. This theory is supported by the idea that the Antichrist represents the "mystery of iniquity" (the opposite of Christ, the "mystery of godliness") and that the "beast that comes up out of the abyss" in Revelation 11:7 may be a reference to Judas returning from the place of the dead. Regardless of this specific theory, all these biblical references are meant to clearly identify the Antichrist as one and the same person, whose ultimate purpose is to deceive the world and enforce the mark of the beast (666) for economic control.

Episode 59: Understanding the Book of Revelation Chapter 13, Vol. 18 | By Dr. Bern Zumpano