2 Thessalonians 2:1-4, Part 1

[Hidden In Him]

Islam, And The Antichrist's Coming Reign Of Genocide, Pt. 1

     The identity of the Antichrist has been a mystery throughout the entire church age. As I will show you in this study, the Roman Emperor Caligula put a very serious scare in both the Jews and the early Christians, for his actions suggested that he intended to fulfill the role of the Antichrist as described in Daniel. Decades later, some of the early church fathers would identify the Antichrist with Nero or a resurrected version of him, whereas in modern times many have identified him with Hitler or one of the Popes. Then there have been some of the really wacky, offbeat theories, like that it might be Arnold Schwarzenegger or even David Hasselhoff. Presidents of the United States have been notoriously accused of being the Antichrist, going back as far as Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the New Deal. During his time in office, many thought Obama was the Antichrist, especially the upper class, who despised his polices on taxes, small business and health care. Likewise, many on the Left now believe Trump may well be the Antichrist, and must therefore be drummed out of office before he causes WWIII.
     Most such interpretations are ridiculous, of course, but serious attempts to discover the identity of the Antichrist involve study, and that can be time-consuming work. But for those willing to put in the time, the word of God actually suggests a very likely candidate: As we shall see, the signs point to someone coming out of Islam, and therefore out of the Middle East. Islamic prophecy teaches that a great leader will arise who will unite the world under the banner of Islam. Like Muhammad before him, he will do so primarily through military conquest. This matches the scriptural account, for it is prophesied that when the Antichrist arises he will assume rule over a military empire more fearsome than the world has ever seen before, and lead it to establish dominion over virtually the entire planet by force and military might.

     As for me Daniel... I drew near to one of them that stood by, and I sought to learn of him the truth of all these things. And he told me the truth, and made known to me the interpretation of these things. The four beasts are four kingdoms that shall rise up on the earth, which shall be taken away, and the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom and possess it for ever and ever. Then I enquired carefully concerning the fourth beast, for it differed from every other beast, being exceedingly dreadful. Its teeth were of iron and its claws of brass, devouring [its victims], and utterly breaking them to pieces, and it trampled the remainder with its feet. (Daniel 7:15-19, LXX)

     Teeth, claws and horns are what beasts of the earth kill and destroy with, and the way this empire is described suggests it will be the most vicious empire in human history. The imagery used here is of an empire that is militarily "armed to the teeth," one that "devours" its victims, or in other words subsumes the nation-states it conquers. It will "utterly break them to pieces and trample the remainder with its feet," suggesting that nothing will be left. The nations it conquers will cease to exist as separate entities. 
     The New Testament saints believed this Beast was the Roman Empire, as we're about to see. But by studying what they were expecting regarding the Antichrist, it becomes clear that those prophecies were not written for their time but ours. As I will show in Parts 2 and 3, the prophecies regarding the Antichrist will in all likelihood be fulfilled by the coming Mahdi of Islam.


Early Church Beliefs About The Antichrist

     Beginning with Chapter 2, Paul laid out for the Thessalonians what they needed to see happen first, before they should even worry about the Day of the Lord finally arriving:

     Now we implore you, brothers, by the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together unto Him, that you not become quickly disturbed in mind nor troubled, neither by spirit, nor by report, nor by letter as if written by us [intimating] that the Day of the Lord is here. No one should deceive you in any way if the apostasy has not [yet] come first and that man of lawlessness has been revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above everything that is called God or is worshipped, so as for him to sit down in the temple of God, exhibiting himself that he is God. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4)

     From what Paul says next, it is clear he believed the Antichrist was likely already alive, and might reveal himself to the world at any time:

     Do you not remember that when I was with you I was telling you these things? And you know it yet remains for him to be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already on its way to realization, only he is holding back at present until he manifests out of the midst, and then shall that lawless one be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus Christ will annul with the breath of His mouth and depose with the brightness of His coming. (2 Thessalonians 2:5-8)
 
     Paul was not alone in believing the time was nearly at hand. All the New Testament writers believed the Day of the Lord was drawing near:

     Be long-suffering, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord... Firmly establish your hearts, because the coming of the Lord has drawn near. (James 5:7-8)

     We should be considerate of one another, and aim to provoke each other to love and good works ... all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24, 25b)

     The end of all things is drawing near; therefore be sober-minded, and watchful unto prayers. (1 Peter 4:7)

     The night is far spent, and the Day has drawn near. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and put in the armor of Light. (Romans 13:12)

     Why were they so convinced the Day of the Lord was drawing near? Because Daniel’s 4th Beast was already established in the earth (or so they thought it was), and as we shall see one Emperor had already come dangerously close to fulfilling the prophecies ascribed to the Antichrist.
     So what were the expectations regarding what the Antichrist would do once he assumed power? According to the scriptures, he would march on Israel and conquer the city of Jerusalem. Then, just as Paul described here, he would take his seat in the temple of God, exhibiting himself that he was “God.” Thereafter, he would set up “the abomination that causes desolation,” a statue of himself made in the likeness of a god, which he would erect in the temple to serve as continual reminder to the Jews that he was essentially their new "God" now. This would cause Jerusalem to become “desolate” because the Jews would flee the city, knowing they would be killed if they continued to worship the True and Living God.
     What followed next would be the attempted extermination of all who refused to forsake Him, for as Jesus Himself prophesied:

     When therefore you shall see standing in the holy place the abomination that causes desolation, that having been spoken of through the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand) - then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him that is on the rooftop not come down to take anything out of his house, and let him that is in the field not return back to take his garment. But woe unto those having a child in the womb, and to those giving suck in those days. Pray that your flight not be in the winter, nor on the sabbath day, for then shall be great tribulation such as was not since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall be. And if those days were not shortened, no flesh would be saved, but on account of the chosen those days shall be shortened... (Matthew 24:15-22)


Caligula: A Near Fulfillment Of Biblical Prophecy

     Gaius Ceasar, whose nickname was Caligula, came dangerously close to fulfilling these prophecies in AD 40-41. The early months of his reign were met with great hope, but six months in he began having epileptic seizures and everything changed. Whereas Roman custom had been to deify emperors after their deaths, Caligula insisted on being worshipped while still alive. Not only was he to be worshipped as a god, but there are suggestions he sought to honored above all other gods.
     According to Suetonius, Caligula ordered that, "[all] such statues of the gods as were especially famous for their sanctity or their artistic merit, including that of Jupiter at Olympia, should be brought from Greece in order to remove their heads and put his own in their place." (Suetonius, Gaius 22.2). There was one race of people, however, who proved to be a splinter in Caligula's side when it came to his plan of being worshipped by all nations as a god:

     In A.D. 38, as the concept of a living god began to possess the emperor, the more irritated he became with the Jews... As peoples around the world scurried to build temples and display their worshipful supplication, the centers of Jewish population did nothing - obviously because their laws prevented them from worshipping men or erecting idols... Yet [Gaius began] to envision a grand tour in which an imperial fleet would glide down the eastern Mediterranean, stopping in its harbors to visit the emperor's images in their leading temples and to be worshipped as their living god. The climactic moment would come in Alexandria ... The only problem with these plans was that 40% of the population (i.e. the Jewish populace of Alexandria) didn't welcome the idea of a living god." (Snyder, The Faith and the Power, P.51, 52)

                     

     Caligula resented this resistance from the Jews, and determined that if they would not worship him willingly then they would be made to worship him by force. He gave orders that a statue of himself was to be built in the likeness of Zeus and transported to the temple in Jerusalem and erected there.
     According to the Jewish historian Josephus:

     Now [regarding this wish to be honored as divine] Gaius bore a grudge for being ignored only by the Jews in this respect. So he sent his legate, Petronius, to Syria to take the rule over from Vitellius, and ordered him to lead a large force into Judea. If they received him willingly, [Petronius] was to place a statue of [Caligula] in the temple of God. But if they treated him with arrogance, he was still to do this, [but] after mastering them in battle. (Josephus, Antiquities 18.261)

     The Roman historian Tacitus recorded the same thing, and that the Jews were preparing for war when Caligula's death brought an end to their worst fears. Yet they were still deeply concerned that another emperor might arise and finish the plans Caligula set in motion:

     Under Tiberius there was quiet. Then at the command of Gaius Caesar to place a statue of himself in the temple, [the Jews] took up arms instead. But Caesar's death put an end to the commotion. (Tacitus, Histories 5.9)

     Indeed, the Jews had given the appearance of rising up in revolt; [but] after the news of [Caligula's] murder there was no need for compliance [with his order]. [Yet] fear remained that some emperor would command the same thing. (Tacitus, Annals 12.343)

     This was the same thing the apostle Paul apparently believed, as is evident from his statements here in this second letter to the Thessalonians. As he told them, the prophecies concerning the coming lawless one were "already on their way to realization," only he was still holding back, biding time until he finally revealed himself:

     The mystery of lawlessness is already on its way to realization, only he is holding back at present until he manifests out of the midst, and then shall that lawless one be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus Christ will destroy with the breath of His mouth, and depose with the brightness of His coming. (2 Thessalonians 2:6-8) 


Israel's Past, And Their Fears Of Mass Genocide

     The Jews had good reason to fear what might happen if Caligula succeeded in setting up the abomination that causes desolation in the temple of God. Some 200 years earlier, a Greek ruler named Antiochus Epiphanes took over rulership of Judea, and in response to a rebellion that took place there, sent in his armies with the intent that they should the populace and outlaw the Jewish religion by setting up a statue to the god Zeus in the temple in Jerusalem.
     A brief overview of this period in Israel's history is provided in the following article: 

     In 175 B.C.E. Antiochus IV Epiphanes (“[god] manifest”) took the Seleucid throne... He attacked Jerusalem, exterminated all males who resisted, and sold women and children into slavery. The city walls were torn down and the old citadel of the Temple was fortified as a Greek garrison (the Akra). Then Antiochus attempted to obliterate the Jewish religion by forbidding Temple sacrifices, traditional festivals, Sabbath worship, and the rite of circumcision upon pain of death. Torah scrolls were ordered destroyed, and every town in Judea was commanded to sacrifice to the Greek gods. An altar was erected over the altar of burnt offering in the Jerusalem Temple, and sacrifices were offered to the Olympian high god, Zeus.
https://pages.uncc.edu/james-tabor/the-jewish-world-of-jesus-an-overview/

     Deceitfully, Antiochus ordered his armies to carry out this attack on the Sabbath, when Judea would be least prepared to defend themselves:

     [Antiochus Epiphanes sent] Apollonius with an army of twenty-two thousand men, commanding him to slay all those that were in their best age, and to sell the women and the younger sort, who coming to Jerusalem and pretending peace waited until the holy day of the sabbath, when taking the Jews keeping the holy day, he commanded his men to arm themselves. And so he slew all who were going to the celebration of the sabbath, and running through the city with weapons slew great multitudes. (2 Maccabees 5:24-26)

     There is no exact total on how many Jews were massacred, but the books of 1st and 2nd Maccabees confirm that the Jewish temple itself was converted over to a temple of Zeus, the highest god of the Greeks, and that they were commanded throughout the cities of Judah to worship this god instead:

     [And on] the fifteenth day of the month Casleu, in the hundred forty-fifth year, they set up the abomination of desolation upon the altar, and built idol altars throughout the cities of Judah on every side. (1 Maccabees 1:54)

     [The] king sent an old [wise] man of Athens to compel the Jews to depart from the laws of their fathers, and not to live after the laws of God, and to pollute also the temple in Jerusalem and call it "The Temple of Zues Olympus." (2 Maccabees 6:1-2a)

                                     

     What then followed was an attempt to torture the Jews into obedience to this law. Those who refused to defy the laws of God were sentenced to death by torture, yet many still refused to disobey the laws of God:

     When Eleazar in this manner had made eloquent response to the exhortations of the tyrant, the guards who were standing by dragged him violently to the instruments of torture. 2 First they stripped the old man, though he remained adorned with the gracefulness of his piety. 3 After they had tied his arms on each side they flogged him, 4 while a herald who faced him cried out, “Obey the king’s commands!” 5 But the courageous and noble man, like a true Eleazar, was unmoved, as though being tortured in a dream; 6 yet while the old man’s eyes were raised to heaven, his flesh was being torn by scourges, his blood flowing, and his sides were being cut to pieces... 12 At that point, partly out of pity for his old age, 13 partly out of sympathy from their acquaintance with him, partly out of admiration for his endurance, some of the king’s retinue came to him and said, 14 “Eleazar, why are you so irrationally destroying yourself through these evil things? 15 We will set before you some cooked meat; save yourself by pretending to eat pork.” 16 But Eleazar, as though more bitterly tormented by this counsel, cried out... 17 “[It] would be irrational if having lived in accordance with truth up to old age and having maintained in accordance with law the reputation of such a life, we should now change our course 19 and ourselves become a pattern of impiety to the young by setting them an example in the eating of defiling food. 20 It would be shameful if we should survive for a little while and during that time be a laughingstock to all for our cowardice, 21 and be despised by the tyrant as unmanly by not contending even to death for our divine law. 22 Therefore, O children of Abraham, die nobly for your religion! 23 And you, guards of the tyrant, why do you delay?” 24 When they saw that he was so courageous in the face of the afflictions, and that he had not been changed by their compassion, the guards brought him to the fire. 25 There they burned him with maliciously contrived instruments, threw him down, and poured stinking liquids into his nostrils. 26 When he was now burned to his very bones and about to expire, he lifted up his eyes to God and said, 27 “You know, O God, that though I might have saved myself, I am dying in burning torments for the sake of the law. 28 Be merciful to your people, and let our punishment suffice for them. 29 Make my blood their purification, and take my life in exchange for theirs.” 30 After he said this, the holy man died nobly in his tortures. (4 Maccabees 6:1-6, 12-30)


Why They Anticipated A "Man Of Lawlessness"

     Why then did Paul describe the coming Antichrist as a "lawless one,” who would fulfill the "mystery of lawlessness"? The belief was that the Antichrist would follow in the footsteps of Antiochus Epiphanes, who eventually placed a ban on the keeping of Jewish laws and instead encouraged the Jews to deliberately break them:

     [Antiochus] had sent letters by messenger to Jerusalem and the cities of Judah that they should follow the strange laws of the land, and forbid burnt offerings and sacrifice and drink offerings in the temple, and that they should profane the sabbaths and festival days, and pollute the sanctuary and the priesthood, set up altars and groves and chapels to idols and sacrifice swine's flesh and unclean beasts... to the end that [the Jewish people] might forget the law, and change all the ordinances. (1 Maccabees 1:37-38a, 45-50)

     The temple was filled with partying and rioting by the Gentiles, who entertained prostitutes and practiced fornication with women within the confines of the holy places... The altar also was filled with profane things which the law forbid. Neither was it lawful for a man to keep the sabbath days or ancient feasts, or to profess himself at all to be a Jew...[for] there went out a decree that whosoever would not conform themselves to the customs of the Gentiles should be put to death. (2 Maccabees 6:3-6, 8-9)

     Then many of the people were gathered unto them, that is, every one that forsook the law. And so they committed evils in the land, and drove the Israelites into secret places, even wheresoever they could flee for safety... and when [the Gentiles] had torn in pieces the books of the law which they found, they burned them with fire. And wheresoever there was found any book of the testament, or if anyone consented to the law, the kings's commandment was that they should put him to death. Thus did they by their authority unto the Israelites every month... on the 25th day of [every] month they performed sacrifice upon the idol altar, which was upon the altar of God, at which time, according to the commandment, they put to death certain women who had caused their children to be circumcised. And they hanged the infants about their necks, and rifled through their houses, and slew those who had circumcised them... and there was very great wrath upon Israel. (1 Maccabees 1:56-64) 
 
     These things were likewise prophesied to happen in Daniel:

     And he shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out (i.e. persecute and oppress) the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change times and laws ... (Daniel 7:25)
 
     And for one week (i.e. one seven year period) shall the covenant be established with many, and in the midst of the week my sacrifice and drink offering shall be outlawed. And within the temple shall be placed the abomination that leads to desolation ... (Daniel 9:27)
   
     ... and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and prohibit the perpetual sacrifice, and place the abomination that leads to desolation. (Daniel 11:31)

     The signature act the Jews were commanded to commit to prove they were forsaking the law of Moses was to eat swine's flesh, which is what Antiochus IV Epiphanes was doing before torturing those who refused. It appears Caligula threatened to force the Jews to do the same thing, for when a Jewish delegation came to meet with Caligula and implore him not to set up his statue in the temple at Jerusalem, the emperor seemed to pay them no attention while asking why it was that they didn’t eat swine’s flesh. This was actually a veiled threat. Caligula was not merely asking a question. He was suggestively insinuating they might want to start developing a taste for pork, because the day was coming when they would be forced to do so.


Evidence That Points To Our Time, Not Theirs

     Rome certainly attacked and conquered Jerusalem in AD 70, but several Biblical prophecies were not fulfilled regarding the Antichrist at that time. First of all, the abomination of desolation was NOT set up by the Romans. In fact, when they conquered the city they simply leveled the Jewish temple to the ground, just as Jesus prophesied they would (Matthew 24:2). Some have tried to say the "abomination" was the standards carried by the Roman army. Another argument is that it was a statue to Jupiter built by Emperor Hadrian 70 years after the fact, when he built a pagan temple upon the ruins of the Jewish temple. Both these interpretations are bogus, and clear attempts to explain away the obvious: That it is an event still set to be fulfilled at a future time. Nor was it fulfilled by either Antiochus or Caligula, since Jesus was clearly pointing forward when He told His disciples, "When you see the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place" (and Antiochus lived 150 years before they were even born), and Caligula was assassinated before he ever got the chance to set up the abomination himself. This means that the "Beast" of Daniel and Revelations could NOT have been the Roman Empire.
     Also, Revelations states that the abomination that causes desolation that is set up will be made to speak:

     And I saw another beast arising out of the earth... and it misled those dwelling on the earth by reason of the signs which it was given to perform before the beast, saying to those who dwelt on the earth to make an image of the beast which had the wound of the sword and lived. And to it was given to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should also speak, and bring about that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. (Revelation 13:11, 14-15)

     While the early church likely interpreted this to be possible only through some extremely powerful form of magic, the reality is this is likely describing the use of a hologram, which is technology that exists today but was completely unknown to people 2,000 years ago, when images could only be made out of stone.
     Lastly, the empire would be comprised of ten nation-states, not one:

      Then I enquired carefully concerning the fourth beast, for it differed from every other beast, being exceedingly dreadful. Its teeth were of iron and its claws of brass, devouring [its victims], and utterly breaking them to pieces, and it trampled the remainder with its feet, and concerning the ten horns that were in its head and the other that came up, and rooted up some of the former... And he said, "The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom on the earth, which shall excel all other kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth and trample and destroy it. And the ten horns are ten kings that shall arise, and after them shall arise another who shall exceed all the former ones in wickedness, and he shall subdue three kings. (Daniel 7:19-20, 23-24, LXX)

     The Roman Empire was ruled over by one king and one king only: The emperor. The various provinces were given into the care of Proconsuls, Praetors and Prefects, none of which were anywhere near on the level of a king, meaning once again that the Roman Empire could not have been the Beast of Daniel and Revelation.       
     So again, what conditions needed to exist for the Antichrist to arise? For starters, an empire ruled over by ten separate nation-states must be in place already; an empire that will become the most dreadful militaristic empire in human history. It will possesses undying hatred for the Jewish race and their religion, and attempt to bring about their extinction if they do not convert. As will be shown in Part 2, those who worship this beast will also practice the ancient and barbaric custom of beheading, and this sign again points to Islam. The population of the ten most dominant Islamic nations of the world right now are between 95 and 100% Muslim, which means they are not going to be changing their religion anytime soon. And they would most certainly united under the common cause of establishing a worldwide Islamic Caliphate on earth if someone emerged whom they believed was the Mahdi Allah promised to send. Most if not all Muslim nations are already at enmity with the nation of Israel, and despise them. And numerous Muslim leaders have already publicly vowed the extermination of the Jewish race when the Mahdi comes.
     In conclusion, these signs suggest we are living in the end-times. False interpretations of prophecy that say these things have already come to pass are keeping people in a state of spiritual sleep. Jesus said these would be the signs that would precede His coming, not take place 2,000 years too soon and leave people wondering why He still hadn't returned two millennium later.







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Extras:
Archeological remains of a temple built for the worship of Emperor Gaius Caesar (Caligula):