Part 5 (1/2)
History fortunately interprets the time here indicated: for, from the command of the King to rebuild Jerusalem, to the death of Christ was 483 years, or sixty-nine weeks of seven years each. This leaves but the one additional week of the seventy before the bringing in of the everlasting righteousness. That one week is here described as the time of most terrible desolation and overspreading of abomination, when the people are under a covenant with another prince. This present age is as a parenthesis in Jewish history and, as no account is made of it in these reckonings, the last unfulfilled week (seven years) of the seventy, before the kingdom is established upon the earth, must be the time between the gathering out of the Church--an event which completes the purpose of this parenthetical age--and the final bringing in of the kingdom.
The last period of seven years of desolation is, however, to be shortened, according to the words of Christ: ”For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened” (Matt. 24:21, 22). It should be noticed that this period cannot be confused easily with any other, for it is referred to as the time more terrible than any other that has ever been, or ever will be (Dan. 12:1; Joel 2:2; Matt. 24:21, 22).
Reference has been made at length to the tribulation period in order to make clear the exact conditions in which the Man of Sin is to appear; for this mighty world-ruler makes his advent in those days of earth's darkness and gloom when all the light of G.o.d has been withdrawn, and the world is left in its own helpless confusion. He appears in the tribulation as the agent of Satan after that mighty head of the Satanic system has been cast out of heaven into the earth (Rev. 12:7-12). The time of the destruction of the Man of Sin is also revealed in that it is mentioned as one of the events in the glorious coming of Christ (Dan.
2:44; 7:11-14; II Thes. 2:8; Rev. 19:20). He, therefore, appears as the culmination of the Satanic effort, and a careful study of his person and character will reveal the fact that he is the most stupendous work of Satan in his enmity against G.o.d.
In connection with the time of the Man of Sin, it is also to be noted that the believer is not directly warned against his person, but is, rather, warned against the conditions that are to prevail as a preparation for his coming. This is due to the fact that the true believers are to be gathered to their Lord before that ”Wicked one”
appears, and they are, therefore, only in danger of being influenced by that which precedes and prepares for his coming. His description is set forth at length only in such pa.s.sages as deal with the whole and final development of the age.
It should also be remembered that the description of this person, like that of the person and work of Satan, is from the standpoint of the holiness of G.o.d; and that which the world will hail as its glorious ideal of perfection is, in G.o.d's sight, the personification of rebelliousness, blasphemy, and treason.
The order of the governments and rulers of the world in this Gentile age is revealed to Daniel in visions which are recorded and interpreted in the book of Daniel. In these visions the Man of Sin appears as the ”little horn” of Dan. 7 and is the last and most G.o.d-dishonoring world-ruler. He also later appears as the ”desolator” of Dan. 9:27; the ”willful King” of Dan. 11:36; the ”abomination of desolation” of Matt.
24:15; the ”Man of Sin” of II Thes. 2:4-8; the rider on the white horse of Rev. 6:2; and the first Beast of Rev. 13. His ident.i.ty is certain, even though he appears under various figures and t.i.tles; for he, like Satan, is so unique in his character, time, and undertakings, that he cannot be confused easily with any other.
In Daniel 2 the order of the kingdoms is set forth by the figure of the great image which, at the last, is suddenly and violently shattered by the ”stone cut from the mountain without hands”: which Stone is Christ, the Corner Stone; and the Stone which the builders rejected. The feet and toes of this image are said to be the last manifestation of human government, and it is this part of the image that is violently shattered by the Stone. Of this termination of earthly rule it is recorded in Dan.
2:44, 45: ”And in the days of these kings shall the G.o.d of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. For as much as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the bra.s.s, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great G.o.d hath made known to the King what shall come to pa.s.s hereafter; and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.”
From this chapter it may be seen that the setting up of the Messianic Kingdom is to be both sudden and destructive to all human governments, and that it is in no way the result of an age of development and progressive improvement.
In Dan. 7 the Man of Sin appears, as has been stated, as the ”little horn” among ten horns; which, like the ten toes of the great image, indicate the extreme end of human authority and power. In this vision the latter end of the kingdoms of the earth is seen to culminate in the one most daring ruler, the ”little horn”, who has ”a mouth speaking great things” and whose look is more imposing than all others; and he it is who makes war with the saints and prevails over them until the coming of the Ancient of days. The inspired interpretation of the vision is given in Dan. 7:23-27: ”Thus he said, the fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall arise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into His hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and destroy it unto the end. 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 dominion shall serve and obey Him.”
In Dan. 11 the reign of the Man of Sin, the willful king, is prophesied in detail; and the fact is stated that the reign and the blasphemous att.i.tude of this last great ruler are both in the purpose of G.o.d. A portion of this remarkable pa.s.sage is here given: ”And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every G.o.d, and shall speak marvellous things against the G.o.d of G.o.ds, and shall prosper until the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the G.o.d of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any G.o.d: for he shall magnify himself above all. But in his estate shall he honor the G.o.d of forces: and a G.o.d whom his fathers knew not shall he honor with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange G.o.d, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.” This last verse is more clearly translated ”and he will practice in the strongholds of fortresses with a strange G.o.d; whoso acknowledgeth him will be increased with glory; and he shall cause them to rule over the many, and shall divide the land to them for a reward” (Dan. 11:36-39).
Beside the collossal disregard for G.o.d, this pa.s.sage presents several important revelations. First: The expression ”the G.o.d of his fathers”
would seem to indicate that the Man of Sin would come from a lineage of Christians. Second: His disregard for the desire of women is evidence of his hatred of the true Messiah; for this reference is probably to the desire of every Jewish woman to be the mother of Messiah. Third: Those who acknowledge the strange G.o.d, (Satan), whom he honors, will be prospered, and the land will be divided unto them and he will give them authority and glory.
In the New Testament the Man of Sin is described as ”the one who comes in his own name,” whom men will receive (Jno. 5:43); ”that man of sin,”
”the son of perdition” (II Thes. 2:3); ”that Wicked _one_” (II Thes.
2:8); and the ”beast” (Rev. 13:1), and to him Satan gives all the power and glory he offered to Christ (Lu. 4:5, 6). Of the many references to him, two pa.s.sages deal with him at length. In the first (II Thes.
2:1-10), his coming is mentioned as directly following the removal of G.o.d's present restraint from the earth; and in the second (Rev. 13:1-8), as has been shown, his coming is said to directly follow the casting of Satan from heaven into the earth (Rev. 12:7-12), and continues until the glorious appearing of Christ, which is described in Rev. 19 and 20.
The former pa.s.sage (II Thes. 2:1-10) is as follows: ”Now, we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him, 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. 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 G.o.d, or that is wors.h.i.+pped; so that he as G.o.d sitteth in the temple of G.o.d, shewing himself that he is G.o.d. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And, now, ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth (restrains) will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked (one) be revealed, whom the Lord 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, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they receive not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”
In this pa.s.sage it is predicted of this mighty person that he will a.s.sume to be very G.o.d, ”sitting in the temple as G.o.d,” and winning the wors.h.i.+p of the mult.i.tude by his miraculous power, signs, and lying wonders; deceiving all who perish, and who would not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved.
Still another and more striking description of this person is given in the second pa.s.sage just mentioned (Rev. 13:1-8): ”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. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon (Satan) gave him his power, and his seat, and his great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they wors.h.i.+pped the dragon (Satan) which gave power unto the beast; and they wors.h.i.+pped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against G.o.d, 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. And all that dwell upon the earth shall wors.h.i.+p him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”
The first, and, it would seem, most important thing that is stated of this being in this Scripture is that one of his heads was, as it were, wounded to death, and his deadly wound was healed. Some have claimed this to be a reference to a previous political defeat followed by reinstatement to power. The expression is, however, most suggestive and significant as an attempt on the part of Satan to imitate, in the Man of Sin, that which was the supreme miracle of the Christ--His death and resurrection. The effort is plainly effective; more so than a mere s.h.i.+fting of political fortune could possibly be; for the statement follows: ”All the world wondered after the beast who had received the deadly wound and yet lived.” After they wondered, they wors.h.i.+pped. First they wors.h.i.+pped Satan, who performed the mighty miracle; and then they wors.h.i.+pped the beast, saying, ”Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?” The terrible blasphemy of the Man of Sin has been emphasized in all Scripture references to him, and is here still more vividly pictured.
The time he is to continue is said to be forty and two months, which would be one-half the tribulation period; and this statement is probably not at all figurative. By his overwhelming supernatural power and wisdom he gains authority over every living thing in the Satanic system, excepting those recorded in the Lamb's book of life. These are not brought under his governing power.
The latter part of the chapter presents still another mighty person, who is also called a ”beast,” but later appears as the false prophet (Rev.
19:20); and who exercises all the power of the first beast, and receives his power from the dragon, Satan. Much is said of this second ”beast,” but his mission is in no way to attract attention to himself.
He co-operates in gaining world-wide wors.h.i.+p and authority for the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. The second beast seems to deal directly with the people and by his mighty signs and miracles, as well as by his authority, he compels loyalty to the first beast. Fire is called down from heaven; and a dumb idol is made to speak and live. He is able to establish a union of all people in trade, imposing a death penalty upon them. And by all these means he furthers the interests of the first beast. The Scripture here referred to is as follows: ”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 (Satan). And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to wors.h.i.+p the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 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. 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 wors.h.i.+p the image of the beast should be killed. 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: 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. 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 three score and six” (Rev. 13:11-18).