2 Thess. ii. 9. Rev. xiii. 7. He shall do according to his will. He shall enter into the countries and overflow. He shall stretch forth his hand the countries. 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. 2 Thess. ii. 9. . His coming shall be after the working of Satan, with all power, and signs, and lying wonders. Rev. xiii. 12. . 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. Rev. xiii. 15. . He shall have power to give life unto Rev. xiii. 8. 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. 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 If another shall come in his own name, 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 star." Dan. vii. 20. "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. 2 Thess. ii. 8. He shall be broken without hand. The Lord with the breath of his lips shall slay the wicked one. 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. viii. 25. ix. 27. viii. 11. ix. 27. viii. 19. ix. 27. viii. 9. xi. 41. viii. 17. . By peace he shall destroy many. He (the Prince that shall come) shall con- He shall take away the daily sacrifice. prosper indignation. in the latter end of the 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. He shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished. Between chap. vii. and chap. xi. He shall speak great words against the He shall speak marvellous things against He shall change times and laws. He shall not regard the God of his fathers, but honour another. He shall continue until the saints possess the kingdom. He shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished. EXTRACTS FROM IRENEUS, JEROME, CYRIL, &c. RESPECTING ANTICHRIST. IN giving the following extracts from the Fathers, I scarcely need say that I do not quote them as having authority. The writings of the Fathers stand strangely and sorrowfully contrasted with those of the Prophets and Apostles. The rays of light in them are few and far between; the simplicity of the Gospel lost-the inventions of men substituted for the commandments of God. Christianity, however, had not at that time become professedly identified with the Gentile nations. Hence probably it was, that the Fathers continued to apply the prophecies of Daniel and the New Testament with much clearness to the condition of the Roman nations. They had then no temptation to regard the nations as of the Church; and therefore, long after other lines of truth became obliterated, the early Christian writers retained, as the following extracts show, the expectation of the rise of Antichrist as the last Head of Gentile power. They taught also the personal Advent of the Lord Jesus as the cause of his destruction. I may also add, that I do not give these extracts as containing precisely my own sentiments. With their general bearing I agree. I have, I believe, translated as literally as possible. Irenæus. John the disciple of the Lord has spoken yet more plainly concerning the concluding period (of this age) |