The
Man of Sin
WHO IS HE?
Interest continues to mount and speculation
is far-ranging over who the Man of Sin might be and how one can determine this
beforehand. He is to be a charismatic individual, having much political savvy,
and also a great military leader. A goodly number follow Martin Luther's
postulation this might well be the pope. Not the present pope, but the next
head of the Roman Catholic church at the time of the
end.
A number of groups continue to assure themselves that the coming Man of sin is indeed the head of
the Roman Catholic church. History does record many atrocities of the popes in
the past. The dead from the numerous religious wars,
persecutions, crusades, inquisitions, and martyrdom runs into the millions. Until Napoleon the Catholic Church ruled over the emperors and kings of state.
Colonizing the
Both Daniel and Revelation reveal the Man
of sin will cause the death of millions. In fact, he will turn on the saints as
well as the city of
NUMBER 666
The number 666 is looked upon as a
significant clue to the Man of sin, and the following verse is the source of
the number given to this beast system which is soon to come upon the world:
“ 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.” (Revelation 13:18)
By ascribing a numerical value to each
letter of the alphabet one's name then has a numerical value. While the Bible
employs the Hebrew alphabet's gematria to reveal the
number of the beast, numbers are ascribed to our English alphabet to arrive at
the number 666.
THE GREAT FALLING AWAY
Over the years many names have been
suggested by prophecy buffs which fit this 666 puzzle. This includes Willy
Brandt, Eleanor Roosevelt, Ronald Wilson Reagan and Ellen G. White, to name a
few. All of which indicates there is not yet definitive proof who this Man of
sin might be. Yahweh will reveal who it is before the Savior returns:
“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come,
except there come the falling away first, and that Man of sin be revealed, the
son of perdition.” (2Thes. 2:3)
There is
coming a great falling away from the truth of the Bible. We already are aware
that interest in the Bible and things spiritual each year become less and less.
Teaching the truth of the Bible does not interest the vast majority of our
world. This ignorance paves way for the great deception which will be rampant
at the end of the age. Not only did the Savior warn us that deception by the
Adversary would be commonplace, but He and Paul were concerned that even the
very elect would be on the verge of being deceived. In fact, we are told that
Satan already deceives the whole world (Rev. 12:9). But the Bible warns we have
seen nothing compared to the deception which is coming!
In 2Thessalonians 2:4 we are told this Man
of Sin will sit in the
It is then he turns on the saints and all
those refusing his number, mark or his name. The saints refuse to go along with
the Man of Sin, and those who are wise seek to obey Yahweh. The Man of Sin’s
anger is directed at Yahweh Himself and the saints along with the heavenly
host:
“And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against Yahweh, to blaspheme His
Name, and His tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds,
and tongues, and nations.” (Revelation 13:6-7 AV)
How is this man of sin able to deceive the
world into thinking he is the returned Messiah? Being a great military leader
indeed makes him popular, but not only does this man have natural leadership
ability, but Satan himself empowers him to perform great feats and is given
world attention. Besides the Man of Sin whose number is 666, Revelation 13
warns of another beast. The Man of Sin is from the sea but another is from the
earth:
“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.” (Revelation 13:1)
Some scholars feel the sea represents
people; a restless people as in Revelation 17:15 (the waters where the fallen
woman sits). However, the waters here represent people from all over the world,
whereas the sea evidently indicates his origin as the Mediterranean area. Some
have postulated he might be from the Tribe of Dan. Others feel he might be from
ANOTHER BEAST FROM EARTH
This first beast is the Man of Sin and
arises from the sea. The second comes out of the earth:
“And I beheld another beast coming up
out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.” (Revelation 13:11)
While Revelation says there are two beings who will play a major role in the end times, it is the first
beast which arises from the sea on which we want to focus. He is a head of
state, a ruler and a military man. Bible scholars contend the Mediterranean is
referred to here, indicating the beast will arise from the area of the
This second beast is not the “Man of Sin”
but is a religious leader, having two horns like a lamb, possibly imitating the
Savior, speaking with great authority:
“And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs [come] out of the mouth of
the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the
false prophet.” (Revelation 16:13)
Notice the three seem to be in consort,
speaking blasphemies against Yahweh and His saints. The dragon represents the
Adversary himself. The first beast is the "Man of sin," a political
and military leader. The second beast is the religious leader who is able to
perform miracles and pull off stupendous acts and miracles. (This man would be
a world renowned leader much like the Pope.)
BEASTS CAST IN
Those seeking miracles instead of the truth
of the Bible will be led astray as Yahweh sends them a false delusion that they
should believe a lie. Miracles by themselves prove nothing. (John the Baptist
did no miracles, John 10:41.) However, the miracles by the false prophet will
deceive huge numbers who are ignorant of the Bible and its warning of coming
deceptions, who will gladly accept the mark, name or
number of the beast and worship
his image.
“And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought
miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of
the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into
a lake of fire burning with brimstone.” (Revelation 19:20)
Interestingly, the future miracles are a
result of Satan's direct participation. Satan will be actively engaged in his
evil works (as Jannes and Jambres in
“And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and
brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet [are*], and shall be tormented
day and night for ever and ever.” (Revelation 20:10) [*were cast - Bullinger, et ali.]
SON OF PERDITION
The
Savior's warning about being deceived reveals the deception will be so great
that the elect themselves will be in jeopardy:
“For there shall arise false Messiahs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were]
possible, they shall deceive the VERY ELECT!” (Matthew 24:24)
It is as if Yahshua were telling His chosen
disciples who had spent three years with Him studying and learning deeper truth
could almost be swayed by the coming performance of miracles and pompous words
of the greatest of all deceivers. Yahshua implies that even those in close,
personal instruction from the Savior could well be taken in by one who claims
to be deity. They would come within an eyelash of believing the deceiver is the
"promised one." That possibility is growing today.
MIRACLES, SIGNS, WONDERS
If
the very elect are in peril, almost on the verge of believing the coming son of
perdition, what about those who are virtually ignorant of Bible truth? There
are many tactics the deceiver could and likely will use to convince the world
the Man of Sin is indeed the promised Messiah. Both Paul and John emphasize the
coming working of miracles, signs and great wonders:
“Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and
signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them
that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might
be saved. And for this cause Elohim shall send them
strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: (2 Thessalonians 2:9-11)
“And he doeth great wonders, so that
he maketh fire come down _from heaven on the earth in
the sight of men,” (Revelation 13:13)
The stage is already set for this grand
deception. The majority of those attending the churches each Sunday are
ignorant of basic Bible truth. Most often the sermons each week are “be good to
yourself,” or often reached is the “health and welfare,” or “getting it while
we can” and “live a life of luxury,” or “claim the promises of the Bible
today.” Listeners and viewers are promised they can enjoy the good life, for
the Almighty does not want us to suffer any deprivation, but to receive all the
blessings of heaven, NOW, with no effort on our part.
The
great majority of church-goers do not have the understanding of the Bible as
those 50 years ago. They know little of the Old Testament, and are taught
confusing concepts such as going to heaven, we have an
immortal soul, being raptured off to heaven, the
Trinity. Most have no idea how they came to keep Sunday, when the Bible teaches
a Saturday Sabbath. They know precious little of the annual Feast Days which
follow the earth's harvests and reveal Yahweh’s plan of salvation.
MUCH TRIBULATION
The Bible
never promises an easy road to the Kingdom. We are told just the opposite. We
read that Paul and Barnabas kept busy:
“Confirming the souls of the disciples, [and] exhorting them to continue
in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom
of Elohim.” (Acts 14:22)
Very few understand what the Bible says
about prophecy and the future of mankind. Going to heaven to roll around all
day is about as far as their thinking carries. Many feel if they are good
church members, their church will carry them through. They feel anyone studying
prophecy and seeking deeper truth is some sort of oddball Bible-thumper.
However, we are told: “Study to show
ourselves approved unto Yahweh, a workman that needs not be ashamed, rightly
dividing the word of truth.” (2Tim 2:15)
It is these people who in their ignorance
will likely be moved to accept the beast's fraudulent miracles and deceptions
as genuine and support the coming satanic system. It will sound so good, and
appear to be firmly based on the Bible. In fact, there will be many references
made to the Bible, leading many to accept this emerging satanic system
believing it is based upon the Bible.
THE OLD TESTAMENT
The
Old Testament appears as the basis for the grand deception that will be brought
about by the Man of sin. Selection of certain verses and twisting them to fit a
program will easily delude many to believe a lie. Those ignorant of the Old
Testament will easily fall in line with the coming one world program. Few messages
from the pulpits today delve into Yahweh's plan to save both physical and
spiritual Israel, nor do many ministers show the message found in the Old
Testament was the basis for the teachings of Yahshua, for that was all that was
available during His time.
It will be necessary for the Man of Sin to
convince other religions in addition to Christianity that he is the savior
promised as far back as the time of Adam and Eve. Relying heavily upon the Old
Testament to bolster his position, he will seek to persuade the Jews that he is
fulfilling prophecies of the ancient prophets. Portions of Isaiah and Jeremiah,
Ezekiel and even the minor prophets will be used to convince the world he is
the promised Messiah. It would be to his advantage to ignore the New Testament's
warnings of deception, saying the two witnesses of Revelation 11 point to the
man of sin and his false prophet!
REINTERPRET THE NEW TESTAMENT
Re-interpreting the Christian New Testament
to justify his position, the Man of sin will likely concentrate upon the Old
Testament to reach out to the Jews and also to Islam. Old Testament teachings
can be twisted to bring the Islamic people in line with his program. Most of
the Islamic peoples are familiar with the Old Testament, but generally reject the
new. They follow their Koran. Perhaps in questioning the veracity of the New
Testament, the Man of Sin could emphasize the Old Testament and his fulfillment
of various Portions:
Yahweh your Elohim will raise up unto thee a
Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye
shall hearken; (Deuteronomy 18:15 AV)
By casting aspersions on the New Testament,
and basically ignoring it, the Man of Sin could concentrate on verses such as
the above to convince the world he is the Messiah. He could emphasize those
verses in the New Testament that seemingly he has fulfilled.
The Man of Sin likely will attempt to get
the Jews and Arabs to tolerate one another by urging them to unite against the
"aggressors." Are not Jew and Arab both of father Abraham? Why let
sibling rivalry stand in the way of achieving the kingdom on earth? After all,
both believe in the Old Testament. Are both Arab and Jew brothers? With
miracles, smooth talk, granting parcels of land, and being a superb politician,
he will make it happen.
DECEIT AND DECEPTION
Paul
warned of the coming deception:
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; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called Elohim, or that is worshipped; so that he as Elohim sitteth in the Temple of Elohim, shewing himself that he
is Elohim. (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4)
The
falling away from the truth of the Bible has shamefully already taken place,
especially noticeable since World War II. Bible students realize churchianity's most widely recognized and celebrated
"holy times" are nowhere taught in the Bible. Pagan holy days
celebrated by carnal mankind were accepted by the church early on to
accommodate the growing pagan population. The gentile church was filled with
the unconverted and the spiritual decay continues to spread like wildfire
today.
Make no mistake about the Man of sin. He
will be a very charismatic, popular, energetic, engaging, personable, man
apparently having answers to the many problems facing our world.
BIBLE WAYS
What if instead
of going along with the current doctrines of Churchianity,
this Man of sin rejected the present unbiblical stance of the so-called “holy
days.” Suppose he pointed out that xmas, Easter,
Lent, Halloween, were all derived from paganism, and are nowhere commanded or
sanctioned by Scripture? He might be lenient, allowing people to observe these
pagan holidays for a time (as did Alexander and other world rulers) but he
would restore and supposedly enforce the holy days of Leviticus 23.
A move to champion the keeping of the laws
of the Bible would solidify his claim as the Messiah. The Man of sin could
quote Old Testament verses as Isaiah, Jeremiah, or Micah as proof:
“And it shall come to pass in the last days, [that] the mountain of
Yahweh's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be
exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people
shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of Yahweh, to the
house of the Elohim of Jacob; and he will teach us of
his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the
law, and the word of Yahweh from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the
nations, and shall rebuke many people...”(Isaiah 2:2-4)
This same prophecy is found almost exactly
in Micah 4:1-4. Other Old Testament prophecies dealing with Yahweh's laws being
enforced include Isaiah 66:23; Jeremiah 31:31; Ezekiel 45:21-24; Zechariah
14:16-18, etc.
It would be a simple matter for the Man of
sin to teach obedience to the laws of the Bible. Or he might allow his subjects
to worship as they will, but to keep in mind that in the final end, all worship
goes to HIM! He would go on to say that he is going to keep the laws of the
Torah, and that includes the weekly and annual Sabbaths.
By so doing, the Man of sin would convince
the Jews and Arabs as well as most of churchianity,
for he could point to the verses such as Isaiah 66:23 that he is fulfilling
prophecy. He is keeping the Bible's laws. Soon all mankind will be keeping
these laws!
BIBLE HOLY DAYS
In a
further attempt to prove he is the Messiah, when he begins to enforce the Sabbath.
This will surely convince many, for it is indeed the day that will be observed
in the Kingdom. This would explain the following verse which Yahshua warned us:
But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the
Sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the
beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. (Matthew
24:20-21)
Here the Man of sin is enforcing the
Sabbath laws and other laws and appears to be diligently keeping the Torah!
How
could a "Universal Sunday Law" deceive the people? If the Man of Sin
enforced a Sunday Law, kept Easter, xmas, Halloween,
walked around swinging a plate with candles and incense—would the Jews and
Muslims and Christians flock after him? He would be an obvious hoax. The Bible
clearly says that in the Kingdom the Sabbath will be kept. How can this
imposter enforce Sunday when the Bible says otherwise?
The deception will come when this imposter
sits in the Temple and claims to be the Messiah. Would the Jews allow one who
enforces Sunday (and other pagan days) to sit in the Temple in Jerusalem?
Notice: “Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called Elohim or that is
worshipped; so that he as Elohim sits in the Temple
of Elohim, shewing himself
that he is Elohim.” (2 Thessalonians 2:4)
Only one from the tribe of Judah, the line
of David, will be allowed to be in the Temple and sit in the Holy of holies
(Greek = naos).
If he is not a Jew from the house of David, he may well have false credentials
as did Herod who was king during Yahshua's reign.
THE UNITED NATIONS
The Man of sin's flaws in the presentation
of himself as the messiah will be covered by his religious representative, the
second beast of Rev. 13. But from all appearances this imposter will be the
promised savior of the world. Just how this all will be carried out is not
certain, but the United Nations or even NATO certainly would be logical
vehicles he could use to enhance his stature in the eyes of the world.
In spite of the efforts of the United
Nations to prevent war, it has been too weak to interfere in a meaningful way
to stop wars and atrocities. However, the UN still carries some respect, and a
strong, determined leader could rescue this faltering world league of nations
and use it to his advantage.
JERUSALEM, CITY OF THE KING
Being involved in the United Nations would
give the Man of Sin stature and popularity, and he could vault himself to world
popularity. He could meet and persuade world leaders. He would be able to
dictate terms to Israel with the approval of the world body. He could
eventually move the UN headquarters to Jerusalem as prophesied in Daniel:
And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the
glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
(Daniel 11:45)
And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the
mountain of Yahweh, to the house of the Elohim of
Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out
of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of Yahweh from Jerusalem. (Isaiah
2:3)
The city of Jerusalem could well be taken
over by the United Nations which would move there to stabilize the tensions
between Arab and Jew. Perhaps the Man of Sin moves into the Temple in Jerusalem
and there establishes himself as the "King of kings."
This will not be an easy time, but we are
promised that Yahshua will never leave us nor forsake us. The Man of Sin will
attempt to cajole and convince the saints to follow him and he likely will
promise rewards of sorts. Even those in the world will cling to the saints when
they realize Yahweh is on the side of His people:
And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by
flatteries: but the people that do know their Yahweh shall be strong, and do
exploits. And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet
they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many
days. Now when they shall fall, they shall be help with a little help: but many
shall cleave to them with flatteries. And some of them of understanding shall
fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of
the end: because it is yet for a time appointed. (Daniel 11:32-35 AV)
Satan and his demons will be destroyed by
the brightness of the coming of Yahshua. Satan and all his tricks and miracles
and signs will do him no good when he meets up with Yahshua:
And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom Yahweh shall consume with
the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
[Even him], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs
and lying wonders, (2 Thessalonians 2:8-9).
What better ending than to take the
promises found in Daniel and taking that reassurance from Yahweh’s word we can
stand fast in the time of trouble, knowing that those who stand fast and finish
the race will be in the Kingdom with Yahshua!
And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the
whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High,
whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey
him. (Daniel 7:27 AV)
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