Everybody is saying that the "Antichrist" is yet to come OR is here right now and is performing his duties.
Who is this "Antichrist" everybody is fascinated with?
I will assume that the "Antichrist" everybody is talking about is "the beast from the sea" from Revelation 13.
Revelation 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
John certainly was not describing a literal "beast" who lived in the sea. Like a Loch Ness monster.
We all realize that it is a man who he is describing because of:
Revelation 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
So he is a man from the sea.
He did not literally live in the sea. He "rose up out of the sea."
He referred to him as "the abomination of desolation" who literally stands in the Holy Place of the temple in Jerusalem:
16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:..."
2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
The "son of perdition" is mentioned in:
Revelation 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
Revelation 17:11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.Revelation 17:12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
Revelation 17:13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
Revelation 17:16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
Revelation 17:17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
The "beast from the sea" and his "image" of Revelation 13 is the same beast of Revelation 11 and Revelation 17 and Matthew 24's "abomination of desolation" and 2 Thessalonians 2:1's "man of sin" and "son of perdition".
I believe the 'man of sin' mentioned here is synonymous with 'the abomination that causes desolation.'
In verse 4 Paul mentions that '...he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.'
The "image" of "the beast from the sea" is who "stands"and "sits" in the temple in Jerusalem.
The "beast from the earth (Israel/Judea)", who is also known as the "false prophet", makes the people of Jerusalem to construct an "image" of the "beast from the sea"- the "Antichrist". This image comes to life and is able to speak. It is the image of the beast from the sea who actually "stands" and "sits" in the temple. The "beast from the sea", who had died from a fatal sword attack, comes back to life through the image that the people of Jerusalem constructed that was commissioned by the "beast from the earth":
Revelation 13:14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
The "Antichrist" was Nero.
When written in Hebrew "Nero Caesar" adds up to 666.
Nero persecuted the Christians after he was convinced that it was the Christians who started the fire in Rome.
Historians are not sure how Nero died.
The Bible says that the "Antichrist" came back to life after a fatal sword wound.
It was the image of Nero that came to life that stood and sat in the temple in Jerusalem.
It was the image of Nero who had the "two witnesses" of Revelation 11 killed:
Revelation 11:7 And when they [the two witnesses] shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.9 And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.
10 And they that dwell upon the earth (Israel/Judea) shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth (Israel/Judea).
11 And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
13 And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
When Nero's image was allowed to stand in the Holy Place of the temple in Jerusalem, the 3 1/2 year tribulation period began.
Matthew 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
The allowance of Nero's image to stand in the Holy Place of the temple in Jerusalem was a major contributing factor to the destruction of that temple in AD70.
Jesus' Apostles equated the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem with His return (His "Second Coming") in judgment of the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
Matthew 24:2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
Matthew 19:28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
There are many verses that state that Jesus' "Second Coming" occured during the 1st century- during THAT generation's lifetime. His return in judgment of the Twelve Tribes of Israel happened in AD70 when that temple was destroyed.
Matthew 16:28 Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.
Matthew 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
"...till all these things be fulfilled."
All these "things"- including the appearance of the "Antichrist", who was allowed to stand in the temple uttering blasphemies, AND the subsequent destruction of that temple, which was equated to Jesus' return in judgment of the Twelve Tribes of Israel, WERE fulfilled in AD70.
Preterism is true Christianity.
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