it, utterly destroy it, and become himself supreme. He will be the last centre of all governmental authority in the Roman earth, and all shall wonder after and worship him, whose names are not written in the Lamb's book of life. The liberty of the mind of man and all the other boasts of latitudinarianism will vanish then. One will have come in his own name, and God will allow him to enforce the power of that name, and Jew and Gentile alike will bow beneath his power throughout all the appointed sphere. They will own him as their Lord, and worship him as their God. Such are the prospects of the nations in the midst of which we dwell. The tide of circumstances is setting rapidly towards this last great gathering point of evil. It is an hour therefore when we peculiarly need watchfulness and wisdom to judge every principle and every system simply by the Word of God. God's truths and God's principles remain unchanged. He has revealed them, and revealed them plainly, by his holy apostles and prophets, and blessed are they who cleave to them and seek to walk according to these testimonies. In the midst of the Antichristian darkness of the closing hour, there are some who will keep and testify to truth. They are mentioned in the Revelation, as those who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus; and even in heaven their faithfulness is remembered with praise and with thanksgiving, "as having overcome because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony, and not having loved their lives unto the death." (Rev. xii.) CHARACTERISTICS OF ANTICHRIST IN THE WORDS OF SCRIPTURE. I. His moral characteristics are these. Isaiah xiv. 14.. He shall say in his heart, I will be like the Most High. Dan. viii. 25. Dan. xi. 36. 2 Thess. ii. 4. 2 Thess. ii. 4. 1 John ii. 22. Rev. xiii. 6. Rev. xvii. 3. He shall stand up against the Prince of princes. He shall exalt himself above every god. He shall exalt himself "above all that is called God." He shall show himself that he is God. He shall deny both the Father and the Son. He shall open his mouth in blasphemy against God. He shall be full of names of blasphemy. II. The extent of his power. Isaiah xiv. 16.. He shall make the earth to tremble, and shall shake kingdoms. Isaiah xiv. 17.. He shall make the world as a wilder Dan. xi. 36. Dan. xi. 42. 2 Thess. ii. 9.. Rev. xiii. 7. He shall do according to his will. He shall stretch forth his hand upon His coming shall be with all power. Power shall be given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. Rev. xvii. 13. The ten kings shall give their strength and power unto him. III. His power will be supported by miracles. His coming shall be after the working of Satan, with all power, and signs, and lying wonders. He that ministereth in his presence shall do great wonders, so that he shall make fire come down from heaven on the earth, in the sight of men, and shall deceive them that dwell upon the earth by means of these miracles which he shall have power to do. He shall have power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. IV. His reception on the earth. Rev. xiii. 15. All that dwell upon the earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the Lamb's book of life. Whosoever will not worship the image of the beast shall be killed. All whose names are not written in him V. The place of his manifestation in blasphemy. He will sit on the mount of the congregation, on the sides of the north. He will take away the daily sacrifice. He will plant the tabernacles of his palace on the glorious holy moun tain. 2 Thess. ii. 4.. He will sit in the temple of God. VI. He is named Isaiah xiv. 12.. "Lucifer," as blasphemously assuming Christ's character of "the morning Isaiah xiv. 4.. Dan. vii. 20. star." "The King of Babylon." "Asshur," or " Assyria," as being king over that country. "The Horn that has eyes," as denoting intelligence and strength. Isaiah xxx. 33. "THE KING," for whom Tophet is prepared. These are his principal names in the Old Testament, where he is always referred to in connection with the Jews. In the New Testament he is called, in contrast to the holiness which is the Church's character, the Man of Sin, or the Wicked One. In Isaiah also he is called the Wicked One-" By the breath of his lips He (the Lord) shall slay the Wicked One." Isaiah xi., (quoted in 2 Thess. ii.) In John he is called "the Antichrist," in his special character of opposition to Christ. In the Revelation he is called the Beast, as denoting his moral estimate in the sight of Heaven. VII. He will be destroyed by no mere human agency. Dan. viii. 25. He shall be broken without hand. 2 Thess. ii. 8. The Lord shall consume him with the breath of his lips, and with the brightness of his coming. Rev. xix. 15, 20. When He cometh forth who shall tread the wine-press of wrath, the Beast is taken, and cast alive into the lake of fire. The following connections may also be found useful: I. Between Daniel, chap. viii. and chap. ix. By peace he shall destroy many. He (the Prince that shall come) shall con- He shall take away the daily sacrifice. till that determined is poured on the desolator. II. Between chap. viii. and chap. xi. xi. 40, 41. viii. 19, 24. He waxes great towards the pleasant land. At the time of the end shall be the vision. |