Anti Christ

Lesson 15

Who ... or what ... is the antichrist? Evil alliance—or sinister individual? Some say his appearance is still in the future. Others say he appeared long ago in the days of ancient Rome. But the Bible indicates that he is alive today! Bible prophecies teach that this antichrist power will play a crucial role in the final events of earth’s history. Do you know who he is? Are you sure? You need to be, for you can’t understand last-day events until you understand this evil power. Be prepared for one of the most intriguing Study Guides yet!

This Study Guide is based on the book of Daniel chapter 7 and clearly and unmistakably identifies the antichrist. But it is only an introduction. Future lessons will reveal details of some of his activities that will have worldwide impact. What you discover today may displease or sadden you, but please remember that the prophecy of Daniel 7 comes from Jesus, who loves you. Pray for God’s guidance as you delve into this urgent subject. Be sure to read Daniel 7 before studying this lesson.

1. As chapter 7 begins, Daniel sees four beasts coming up  out of the sea. In prophecy, what does a beast represent? What does the sea represent?

1. As chapter 7 begins, Daniel sees four beasts coming up out of the sea. In prophecy, what does a beast represent? What does the sea represent?

“The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth” (Daniel 7:23).

“The waters ... are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues” (Revelation 17:15).

Answer:   A beast represents a kingdom or nation. Water represents multitudes of people or large populations.

2. The four beasts of Daniel 7 represent four kingdoms  (verses 17, 18). Babylon, the first kingdom (Daniel 2:38, 39), is represented as a lion in Daniel 7:4. (See also Jeremiah 4:7; 50:17, 43, 44.) W

2. The four beasts of Daniel 7 represent four kingdoms (verses 17, 18). Babylon, the first kingdom (Daniel 2:38, 39), is represented as a lion in Daniel 7:4. (See also Jeremiah 4:7; 50:17, 43, 44.) What do the “eagle’s wings” mean? What do the “four winds” of verse 2 represent?

“The Lord will bring a nation against you ... as swift as the eagle flies” (Deuteronomy 28:49).

“Says the Lord of hosts: ... a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the farthest parts of the earth. And ... the slain of the Lord shall be from one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth” (Jeremiah 25:32, 33).

Answer:    The wings of eagles represent speed. (See also Jeremiah 4:13; Habakkuk 1:6–8.) Winds represent strife, commotion, and destruction. (See also Revelation 7:1–3.)

The bear with three ribs in its mouth symbolizes Medo-Persia.

The bear with three ribs in its mouth symbolizes Medo-Persia.

3. What kingdom does the bear represent (Daniel 7:5)? What do the three ribs in its mouth symbolize?

Answer:   Read Daniel 8. Notice that the beasts in chapter 8 parallel those in chapter 7. Daniel 8:20 specifically names Medo-Persia as the kingdom that precedes the male goat—that is, Greece—of verse 21. Medo-Persia is the second kingdom—the same power as the bear of Daniel 7. The empire was made up of two groups of people. The Medes came up first (represented in Daniel 7:5 by the bear raising up on one side), but the Persians eventually became stronger (represented in Daniel 8:3 by the ram’s second horn that grew “higher”). The three ribs represent the three principal powers conquered by Medo-Persia: Lydia, Babylon, and Egypt.

The leopard beast of Daniel 7 represents the world kingdom of Greece.

The leopard beast of Daniel 7 represents the world kingdom of Greece.

4. Greece, the third kingdom (Daniel 8:21), is represented by a leopard with four wings and four heads (Daniel 7:6). What do the wings represent? What do the four heads represent?

Answer:   The four wings (instead of two, as the lion had) represent the incredible speed with which Alexander conquered the region (Jeremiah 4:11–13). The four heads represent the four kingdoms into which the empire of Alexander the Great was divided when he died. The four generals who headed these areas were Cassander, Lysimachus, Ptolemy, and Seleucus.

The world empire of Rome is symbolized by the monster beast of Daniel chapter 7.

The world empire of Rome is symbolized by the monster beast of Daniel chapter 7.

5. The Roman Empire, the fourth kingdom, is represented by a powerful monster with iron teeth and 10 horns (Daniel 7:7). What do the horns represent?

Answer:    The 10 horns represent the 10 kings or kingdoms into which pagan Rome was eventually split (Daniel 7:24). (These 10 kingdoms are the same as the 10 toes of the image described in Daniel 2:41–44.) Roving barbarian tribes swept in upon the Roman Empire and carved out land niches for their people. Seven of those 10 tribes developed into the countries of modern Western Europe, while three were “uprooted” and destroyed. The next section will discuss those kingdoms that were rooted up.

Visigoths - Spain

Anglo-Saxons - England

Franks - France

Alemani - Germany

Burgundians - Switzerland

Lombards - Italy

Suevi - Portugal

Heruli - Rooted up

Ostrogoths - Rooted up

Vandals - Rooted up

The little horn of Daniel 7:8 represents Antichrist.

The little horn of Daniel 7:8 represents Antichrist.

6. In the Daniel 7 prophecy, what happens next?

“I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words” (Daniel 7:8).

Answer:   The “little horn” power appears next. We must identify it carefully because the biblical characteristics identify it as the antichrist of prophecy and history. There must be no mistake in making this identification.

7. Does the Bible give clear points identifying antichrist?

Yes. God’s Word gives us nine characteristics of the antichrist in Daniel 7 so we can be certain of his identity. And even though some might find these truths painful, we must be honest enough to accept them as His revealed will. Now let’s discover these nine points.

Answer:  

A. The little horn would come “up among them”—that is, from among the 10 horns that were the kingdoms of Western Europe (Daniel 7:8). So it would be a little kingdom somewhere in Western Europe.

B. It would have a man at its head who could speak for it (Daniel 7:8).

C. It would pluck out or uproot three kingdoms (Daniel 7:8).

D. It would be different from the other 10 kingdoms (Daniel 7:24).

E. It would make war with and persecute the saints (Daniel 7:21, 25).

F. It would emerge from the pagan Roman Empire—the fourth kingdom (Daniel 7:7, 8).

G. God’s people (the saints) would “be given into his hand” for “a time and times and half a time” (Daniel 7:25).

H. It would “speak great words against” or blaspheme God (Daniel 7:25 KJV). In Revelation 13:5, the Bible says the same power speaks “great things and blasphemies.”

I. It would “intend to change times and law” (Daniel 7:25).

Don’t forget—all these identification points come directly from the Bible. They are not some human opinion or speculation. Historians could tell you quickly what power is being described, because these points fit only one power—the papacy. But in order to be certain, let us carefully examine all nine points one by one. There must be no room left for doubt.

8. Does the papacy fit these points?

8. Does the papacy fit these points?

Answer

Answer:   Yes—it fits every point. Let’s take a closer look:

A. It came up among the 10 kingdoms of Western Europe.

The geographical location of the papal power is in Rome, Italy—in the heart of Western Europe.

B. It would have a man at its head who speaks for it.

The papacy meets this identifying mark because it does have one man at the head—the pope—who speaks for it.

C. Three kingdoms were plucked up to make way for the rise of the papacy.

The emperors of Western Europe were largely Catholic and supported the papacy. Three Arian kingdoms, however, did not—the Vandals, Heruli, and Ostrogoths. So the Catholic emperors decided they must be subdued or destroyed. Here is how theologian and historian Dr. Mervyn Maxwell describes the results in volume 1, page 129, of his book God Cares: “The Catholic emperor Zeno (474–491) arranged a treaty with the Ostrogoths in 487, which resulted in the eradication of the kingdom of the Arian Heruls in 493. And the Catholic emperor Justinian (527–565) exterminated the Arian Vandals in 534 and significantly broke the power of the Arian Ostrogoths in 538. Thus were Daniel’s three horns—the Heruls, the Vandals, and the Ostrogoths—‘plucked up by the roots.’ ” It is not difficult to recognize that the papacy fits this point.

Woman in chainsD. It would be different from the other kingdoms.

The papacy clearly fits this description, as it came on the scene as a religious power and was different from the secular nature of the other 10 kingdoms.

E. It would make war with and persecute the saints.

That the church did persecute is a well-known fact, and the papacy admits doing so. Historians believe the church destroyed at least 50 million lives over matters of religious conviction. We quote here from two sources:

1. “That the Church of Rome has shed more innocent blood than any other institution that has ever existed among mankind, will be questioned by no Protestant who has a competent knowledge of history.” 1

2. In The History of the Inquisition of Spain, D. Ivan Antonio Llorente provides these figures from the Spanish Inquisition alone: “31,912 persons were condemned and perished in the flames,” and 241,450 were “condemned to severe “penances.”

Words of Care and Concern

Lest anyone should think that we are attacking fellow Christians by identifying the little horn power, please keep in mind that the prophecy is aimed at a system and not individuals. There are sincere, devout Christians in all churches, including the Catholic faith. Daniel 7 is simply a message of judgment and correction upon a large religious institution that compromised with paganism, as many other churches have also done.

Prophecy Reveals Faults of All Faiths

Other prophecies point out the faults of the Protestant and Jewish faiths. God has true people in all religions. His true people (no matter what their faith) will always humbly accept the correction of the Lord and will not shut their ears and hearts against Him. We should be thankful that God’s Word speaks with impartial honesty on every subject.

Prophetic Time:

Time = 1 year

Times = 2 years

½ time = ½ year

F. It would emerge from the fourth kingdom of iron—the pagan Roman Empire.

We quote two authorities on this point:

1. “The mighty Catholic Church was little more than the Roman Empire baptized. ... The very capital of the old Roman Empire became the capital of the Christian empire. The office of Pontifex Maximus was continued in that of the pope.” 2

2. “Whatever Roman elements the barbarians and Arians left ... [came] under the protection of the Bishop of Rome, who was the chief person there after the emperor’s disappearance. ... The Roman church ... pushed itself into the place of the Roman World-Empire, of which it is the actual continuation.” 3

G. God’s people (the saints) would “be given into his hand” for “a time and times and half a time.”

Several things need clarification here:

1. A time is a year, times is two years, and half a time is half of a year. The Amplified Bible translates it: “Three and one-half years.” 4

2. This same time period is mentioned seven times in the books of Daniel and Revelation (Daniel 7:25; 12:7; Revelation 11:2, 3; 12:6, 14; 13:5): three times as a “time, times, and half a time”; twice as 42 months; and twice as 1,260 days. Based on the 30-day calendar used by the Jews, these time periods are all the same amount of time: 3½ years = 42 months = 1,260 days.

Woman in chains3. One prophetic day equals one literal year (Ezekiel 4:6; Numbers 14:34).

4. Thus, the little horn (antichrist) was to have power over the saints for 1,260 prophetic days; that is, 1,260 literal years.

5. The rule of the papacy began in ad 538, when the last of the three opposing Arian kingdoms was uprooted. Its rule continued until 1798 when Napoleon’s general, Berthier, took the pope captive with hopes of destroying both Pope Pius VI and the political power of the papacy. This period of time is an exact fulfillment of the 1,260-year prophecy. The blow was a deadly wound for the papacy, but that wound began to heal and continues healing today.

6. This same period of persecution is mentioned in Matthew 24:21 as the worst period of persecution God’s people experience. Verse 22 tells us it was so devastating that not one soul would have survived if God had not shortened it. But God did shorten it. The persecution ended long before the pope was taken captive in 1798. It is plain to see that this point, likewise, fits the papacy.

H. It would speak "pompous words" of blasphemy "against [God]."

Blasphemy has two definitions in Scripture:

1. Claiming to forgive sins (Luke 5:21).

2. Claiming to be God (John 10:33).

Does this point fit the papacy? Yes. Let’s first look at the evidence for it claiming to forgive sins, taken directly from its own literature: “Does the Priest truly forgive the sins, or does he only declare that they are remitted? The Priest does really and truly forgive the sins in virtue of the power given to him by Christ.”5 The papacy further undermines Jesus by setting up a system of confession to an earthly priest, thus bypassing Jesus, our High Priest (Hebrews 3:1; 8:1, 2) and only Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5). Next, consider the evidence for it claiming to be God: “We [the popes] hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty.”6 Here is more evidence: “The pope is not only the representative of Jesus Christ, but he is Jesus Christ, Himself, hidden under the veil of flesh.”7

I. It would "intend to change times and law." In a future Study Guide, we will deal with the “times” of this point. It is a major topic and needs separate consideration. But what about changing “law”? The Amplified Bible translates “law” as “the law.” The reference is to changing God’s law. Of course, no one can really change it, but has the papacy attempted to do so? The answer is yes. In its catechisms, the papacy has omitted the second commandment against veneration of images and has shortened the fourth commandment from

The angel told Daniel that the prophecies of this book would be sealed until 1798, the time of the end.

The angel told Daniel that the prophecies of this book would be sealed until 1798, the time of the end.

9. Wasn’t Daniel told to seal up his book “until the time of the end” (Daniel 12:4)? When will Daniel’s prophecies be opened to our understanding?

Answer:   In Daniel 12:4, the prophet was told to seal the book till the “time of the end.” In verse 6 an angelic voice asked, “How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be?” Verse 7 says, “It shall be for a time, times, and half a time.” The angel assured Daniel that the section of the book dealing with end-time prophecies would be opened after the end of the 1,260-year period of papal control, which was, as we learned earlier in this Study Guide, 1798. So the time of the end began in the year 1798. As we have seen, the book of Daniel contains crucial messages from heaven for us today. We must understand it.

All religious teachings must be compared with Scripture to determine their accuracy.

All religious teachings must be compared with Scripture to determine their accuracy.

10. Many Christians today have been misinformed regarding the antichrist. To believe an untruth about the antichrist could cause a person to be deceived. What should a person do when new Bible teachings are encountered?

“These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11).

Answer:   When a new Bible teaching is encountered, the only safe procedure is to compare it carefully with Scripture to see if it is in harmony with God’s Word.

11. Are you willing to follow where Jesus leads, even though it might be painful?

11. Are you willing to follow where Jesus leads, even though it might be painful?

Concluding Remarks

Many momentous prophecies from the Bible books of Daniel and Revelation will be featured in upcoming Amazing Facts Study Guides. God has given these prophecies to:

A. Reveal earth’s closing events.

B. Identify the participants in the final phase of the battle between Jesus and Satan.

C. Clearly reveal Satan’s sinister plans to ensnare and destroy us all.

D. Present the security and love of the judgment; God’s saints will be vindicated!

E. Uplift Jesus—His salvation, love, power, mercy, and justice

Major Participants Will Appear Repeatedly

Key participants in the closing war between Jesus and Satan will appear repeatedly in these prophecies. These include: Jesus, Satan, the United States, the papacy, Protestantism, and Spiritism. Jesus repeats and expands His messages from the prophets to make certain His warnings of love and protection come through with clarity and certainty.

Answer:  

THOUGHT QUESTIONS

1. I always thought the antichrist is a person, not an organization. Am I wrong?

This Study Guide has presented evidence that the antichrist is an organization—the papacy. The words “eyes of a man” in Daniel 7:8, however, do point to a leader. Revelation 13:18 speaks of a man with a number being involved. In Daniel 8, Greece is represented by a goat and its leader, Alexander the Great, is symbolized by a horn. The same is true of antichrist. The organization is the papacy. The pope in office is its representative. The prophecy of Daniel 7 is not saying that popes are evil and that Catholics are not Christians. There are many warm, loving Catholic Christians. The system, however, is called antichrist because it has attempted to usurp Jesus’ authority and attempted to change His law.

2. Do you think it is wise for Christians to pass laws enforcing Christianity?

No. The Bible is clear that all should have freedom to choose the direction they wish to go in matters of conscience (Joshua 24:15)—even if they choose to deny God. The Creator permitted Adam and Eve to choose to disobey even though it hurt both them and Him. Forced worship is not acceptable to God. Forced worship is the devil’s way. God’s way is loving persuasion. History shows that virtually every time the church passed laws to enforce its beliefs, persecution and murder of others resulted. This is a lesson we can learn from the history of the little horn during the Middle Ages.

3. Perhaps I have misunderstood, but my concept has always been that antichrist would be an evil being who openly opposed God. Is this concept incorrect?

We usually consider the word “anti” to mean “against.” It can also mean “in the place of” or “instead of.” Antichrist is guilty of assuming the prerogatives of God. It claims:

A. Its priests can forgive sins—which only God can do (Luke 5:21).

B. To have changed God’s law by dropping out the second commandment (against

worshiping images) and splitting the tenth into two parts. God’s law cannot be changed (Matthew 5:18).

C. That the pope is God on earth.

Satan's Original Plan

Satan’s original plan was to assume God’s position and authority. His aim was to oust God and rule in His place. (See Study Guide 2.) When Satan was ejected from heaven, his aim did not change but rather intensified. Through the centuries he has endeavored, using various human agencies, to discredit God and take over His position.

Antichrist Appears to Be Spiritual

Satan aims to replace God in these last days by deceiving people into following the antichrist, who appears spiritual and holy. The main purpose of the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation is to expose Satan’s traps and strategies and lead people to anchor in Jesus and His Word for safety.

Antichrist Will Deceive Many

Most people will follow the antichrist (Revelation 13:3) thinking they are following Christ. Only the elect will be safe (Matthew 24:23, 24). They will be secure because they test every spiritual teaching and leader by Scripture (Isaiah 8:20). Religious deception is everywhere. We cannot be too careful.

4. Doesn’t the Bible say in 1 John 2:18–22 that there are many antichrists?

Yes. There have been many antichrists down through history who have worked against the kingdom of God. However, there is only one entity that specifically fulfills all the prophesied characteristics of the antichrist. In Daniel chapters 7 and 8 and in Revelation chapter 13, you will find at least 10 identifying traits of the antichrist. These 10 identifying marks are all fulfilled in only one entity—the papacy.

5. In prophecy, does the symbol “beast” mean “beastly” characteristics?

Not at all. God uses the symbolism of a beast to signify a ruler, nation, government, or kingdom. It is His way of depicting governments in prophecy. We do this ourselves to some degree: We have depicted Russia as a bear, the United States as an eagle, etc. The symbol “beast” is not a demeaning, disrespectful term. It is synonymous with “animal” or “creature.” Even Christ is portrayed as a lamb by John the Baptist (John 1:29) and the apostle John (Revelation 5:6, 9, 12, 13). The term “beast” is utilized by God to give us a message about nations and leaders—good and evil.

QUIZ QUESTIONS

1. Which four world kingdoms are represented by beast symbols in Daniel chapter 7? (4)

_____   Sweden.

_____   Egypt.

_____   Greece.

_____   China.

_____   Medo-Persia.

_____   Japan.

_____   Babylon.

_____   Iraq.

_____   Rome.

2. In Bible prophecy, a beast represents a (1)

_____   Computer.

_____   Kingdom or nation.

_____   Creature or alien.

3. The 10 horns on the monster beast represent (1)

_____   Ten years.

_____   Ten special cities.

_____   Angels.

_____   Riches.

_____   The kingdoms into which pagan Rome eventually split.

4. How many tribes or nations were "rooted up" by the little horn power? (1)

_____   Eight.

_____   One.

_____   Six.

_____   Three.

5. The little horn power, or Antichrist, represents (1)

_____   One of Babylon's generals.

_____   An evil ruler from the days of old pagan Rome.

_____   An evil power that will arise after the second coming of Jesus.

_____   Atheism.

_____   The papacy.

6. Check the true statements about the little horn (Antichrist) power from the list below: (3)

_____   It came from Egypt.

_____   It would persecute God's people.

_____   It arose immediately after Babylon fell.

_____   It speaks great words against God.

_____   It attempted to change God's law.

7. In prophecy, "time, times, and a half time" is symbolic of (1)

_____   Three and one-half literal days.

_____   42 years.

_____   1,260 literal years.

8. When did "the time of the end" begin? (1)

_____   A.D. 31

_____   A.D. 1991

_____   A.D. 588

_____   A.D. 1798

9. Antichrist is an organization, rather than a person. (1)

_____   Yes.

_____   No.

10. Antichrist exists today. (1)

_____   Yes.

_____   No.

11. God approves of enforcing true worship by law. (1)

_____   Yes.

_____   No.

12. General Berthier's capture of the pope only wounded the papacy. Its deadly wound began to heal and continues healing today. (1)

_____   Yes.

_____   No.

13. What item from the list below is essential for the spiritual safety of God's people in these end-time days? (1)

_____   Learn to preach.

_____   Pray much in public.

_____   Test every religious teaching by the Bible.

14. Are you willing to follow where Jesus leads, even though it may be painful? (1)

_____   Yes.

_____   No.

666 THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST

As the origin of 666 and the real truth on the number of the beast continues to become more widely known through sites such as this one and others discovering the truth, Satan has begun a counter attack by throwing other numbers into the equation as a diversionary tactic. Numbers like 606 and 616 are now emerging, but these numbers have no significance and are incorrect as you shall soon see from the real truth on 666 the number of the beast. The extraordinary truth on this mysterious number  Solar seal amulet with 666 the number of the beast666 and its origin is about to reveal just how wrong so many can be on Biblical topics, and how Satan can and does keep many deceived and in the dark on extremely important issues such as the number of the beast. This should be a well known truth such as the origin of this solar seal with the number 666 on it.

WHO IS THE BEAST THAT HAS THE NUMBER 666?

The identity of the beast, also known as antichrist can be found from several passages in scripture. For instance, with historical help, Daniel 7 unlocks Revelation 13 and reveals who the beast is, and Revelation 17 in regards to Mystery Babylon also reveals who antichrist is on its own. While we find that individual passages of Revelation, 1 John and Daniel reveal the identity of the beast power, all these passages are like pieces of an even bigger jigsaw puzzle, which all fit together perfectly and further substantiate the truth. There is absolutely no doubt who the beast power is. See is the number of the beast from Satan to find what a beast represents in the Bible.

The reference to 666 as the number of the beast is found in Revelation 13:17-18, which continues into the next chapter with a very severe warning on accepting the mark or the number of the beast. Note carefully in verse 17 that the number of the beast is not the mark and is a separate symbol. Amazingly, most have missed this simple but very important fact. You will also note in Revelation 14:8-9 that the beast is referred to as Babylon and that “SHE made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” The same phraseology is found in Revelation 17:2 referring to Mystery Babylon. The beast is called Babylon with good reason and is referred to symbolically as a she because the Bible also represents her as a woman. A woman symbolically in the Bible is always a Church as the Church is the bride of Christ.

In Revelation 17:1-6 John the Revelator is being shown the “Great whore” who has not been faithful to Christ because of idol worship etc. Note she is called a woman [Church] in verses 3 and 4 and in verse 5 this Church is symbolically referred to as Babylon. See Ezekiel 16:26-32, Jeremiah 3:1-25.

There is a tremendous weight of evidence available that reveals that the beast that has the number 666 in Revelation 13 and 14, and this woman in Revelation 17 are all one and the same. From Daniel 7, Revelation 13 and history we find that this beast power is a Church that changed the law of God, persecuted the Christian saints and is called Babylon in Revelation 14. In Revelation 17, through the reference to her being called a woman, we also know this is referring to a Church and one that persecuted the Christian saints and is called Mystery Babylon. This is not coincidence as they are one and the same Church. The question is: why does God call this Church Babylon?

With further study and research, we find the man at the head of this Church now has the title that once belonged to the Pagan Priests of Babylon and that very significant fact is just scratching the surface. There is a mountain of evidence proving that this Church took on many idolatrous pagan practices of literal Babylon and primarily why God refers to this Church as Babylon.

Revelation 13:18 states that 666 the number of the beast is the number of a man that heads the beast power, which is this Church that God calls Babylon. So the next question is, since this Church took on so much paganism from literal Babylon, is the number of the beast something God gave her because of what resulted from the paganism that she took on from Babylon? In other words, does 666 that is now the number of the beast also come from Babylon? The answer as you would no doubt expect is a resounding YES!

As you discover the origin of the number 666, remember that the Babylonians could not have possibly known about the Biblical reference to 666 as John did not write about the number of the beast for hundreds of years later.

By now I am sure you have concluded that there is only Church that changed God’s law and persecuted millions of Christians through the dark ages and has also taken on many of the pagan practices of Babylon and can be no other than the Roman Catholic Church. This is an unmistakable fact no matter what angle you come at it from scripture and history. See who is the real antichrist and mystery Babylon for very detailed information.

WHY GOD CALLS THE CATHOLIC CHURCH BABYLON AND THE ORIGIN OF 666

So why is 666 the number of a man and just what is the real significance of the number of the beast? The book of Revelation informs us several times that the number of the beast and the mark of the beast revolve around worship and the unmistakable message is to not worship the beast. And Revelation 13:18 is also very clear that 666 is the number of the man ruling the beast power (Catholic Church) but the question we all want answered is why God calls the Catholic Church Babylon and the origin of this mysterious number 666 and how it relates to the Roman Catholic Church and Babylon.

You would imagine that the answer to these questions would be well known but our adversary has made sure that not many know the answers to these questions or why the Book of Revelation refers to the number 666 with such negative overtones. On the next page you will discover why worship is such a significant issue in regards to this mysterious number 666 and the mark of the beast. See the sister site for more on what is the mark of the beast.

Before getting into this fascinating topic, it is important to look at the significance of the Babylonians using the sexagesimal (base-60) number system from which comes 60 minutes in an hour, 60 seconds in a minute, 360 (60×6) degrees in a circle and 60 degrees in each angle of an equilateral triangle etc. 360 divided by 10 = 36 (more on this number soon) and 6 * 6 = 36. It is from this that this mysterious number 666 being the number of the beast came from, which was directly linked with the worship practices of ancient Babylon from around the time of Daniel. See also Daniel 3:1.

The Babylonians worshiped gods that were associated with the sun, moon, planets and stars involved with astrology. Babylonians were also the principle developers of astrology as we know it today and it is because of this that the pagan priests wore amulets called “Sigilla Solis” or “Sun Seal” which symbolized 36 constellations. See also the origin of Babylon and sun worship.

THE ORIGIN OF 666

In this system of worship, they had 36 supreme gods, which included the sun god, which they believed to be the father of all the other gods and so was supreme over all. The Babylonians believed that numbers had power over their gods they worshiped so they assigned numbers to their gods so that they could have power over them. They did this by counting their gods and assigning a consecutive number to each of the 36 lesser supreme gods, and then added up these numbers (from 1 to 36) and assigned the sum to the sun god. The sun god was assigned number 1 as it was the father of all gods and thus was also the male deity. The moon god was assigned number 2 and of course was the female deity. The gods numbered from 3 through 36 were considered the children of the sun and the moon god, which included the various stars and constellations that these gods were associated with. I am sure that you have already guessed by now that the sum of the numbers from 1 to 36 totals 666, which they also assigned to the god associated with the sun as being the father of all their gods. The calculation is simply this:

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 9 + 10 + 11 + 12 + 13 + 14 + 15 + 16 + 17 + 18 + 19 + 20 + 21 + 22 + 23 + 24 + 25 + 26 + 27 + 28 + 29 + 30 + 31 + 32 + 33 + 34 + 35 + 36 = 666

Scholar and Secret Society expert Murl Vance commented the following in his book “Trail of the Serpent.”

“In the astrological religion of Babylon, every god had his sacred number or numbers which were often used in place of the god's name. These numbers indicated the god's place and power among the astrological gods...

Going deeply back into Babylonian astrology we find the real reason for the sanctity for the number 36. The Babylonians divided each of the 12 houses in the zodiac into three rooms, making 36 in all. They then divided the entire remainder of the sky into 36 constellations, and appointed the ruling god of each constellation to rule over one of the 36 rooms of the zodiac. Since the spirits of the departed were believed to go to and dwell in the stars - a teaching still much alive today, there was therefore not a spirit in the heavens, not a star in the sky which was not represented in the 36 rooms of the zodiac, and to swear by the number 36 was to swear by every god in the heavens above, as well as by all the spirits of the departed. The 36 gods were called decans because each ruled over 10 degrees of the zodiacal circle and over 10 days of the 360-day year.

The seven planets or the 7-headed astrological dragon ruled over the 36 decans and over them all, as we have noted, ruled the sun, 'the father of the gods.' It was natural and inevitable that since the summary number of the numbers from 1-36 is 666, this number (called the Grand Number of the Sun), should have been assigned to the sun-god as the cosmic god who not only ruled over all the other gods but also was their heavenly parent. Herein lies the reason for the 'Solar Seals' in use before the time of Christ as amulets to ward off any evil that might come from the 36 decans.” (Vance, pp. 26, 27)

Because the Babylonians saw their gods as being predominantly evil, they feared that one of them may strike them down sometime. This is why they made these amulets with a 6 * 6 matrix with the numbers 1 through 36 on them, which are called numeric matrixes magic squares today. Some positive qualities were credited to some of their gods and particularly the sun god, but overall their gods were seen as being evil rather than good.

Number of the beast amuletThe design of the amulets was to protect them from a god striking them down using his magic power so the amulets had to be as powerful as possible. In order to increase its power, they arranged these numbers in such a way that the sum of any given row, column or diagonal was 111, and therefore the sum of all six rows or all six columns was 666. This was supposed to provide extra protection including from the sun god since this god's sum was present on the amulet. The one above has the god of the sun standing on the lion. This indicated the sun's position in the constellation of Leo during the hot days of August. The back is inscribed “Nachyel,” meaning “intelligence of the sun” and the numbers 1 to 36. The second illustration is also a solar seal, but it honours the star  Solar seal amulet with the number of the beastBasilisco, which was the diminutive form of the Greek basileus (king), thus meaning the same as the Latin regulus. Regulus is the only first magnitude star in the constellation of Leo. The sun and the moon are again clearly seen on this amulet and on the reverse side is the same arrangement of numerals with the actual figure 666 given as the total.

This statement from Murl Vance further explains the need for a person to carry the amulets with them:

“…as to why anyone should use the number 666 lies in the very nature of pagan idolatry, which is … nothing but disguised demon worship. The principle behind all demon worship is fear, and the worship is nothing more than an effort to placate the evil one. Since in the fear religions, all misfortune, sickness, and death are the result of the operation of evil spirits, the worshiper, knowing by his conduct that he is not on God's side and therefore cannot expect, as long as he continues in open rebellion, to have his prayers for help addressed to God answered, turns to the only other supernatural power available to him, Lucifer himself.

One characteristic stands out in any of these fear religions: the worshiper ever tries to stay in the good graces of his god by revering or wearing some symbol representing that god. Not only does he offer his most cherished possessions - perhaps his own children - he must ever, to avoid disaster, have on his person some object in which the spirit of his god dwells, he must carry his god around with him. This is the principle behind all charms, amulets, and magical objects ever found in pagan idolatry.” (Murl Vance, Trail of the Serpent. Pages 108-109).

These amulets were usually made of gold being like the colour of the sun or baked clay tablets and were carried in yellow silk or hung around their neck, which they believed provided protection as long as they carried it with them.

6       32     3       34     35     1

7       11     27     28     8       30

19     14     16     15     23     24

18     20     22     21     17     13

25     29     10     9       26     12

36     5       33     4       2       31

This table as illustrated has the same arrangement of numbers as the above images in a 6 x 6 matrix and is also referred to in numerology as the magic square of the Sun. There are similar magic squares for Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, Mercury and the Moon, all of which have been known for centuries.

The creating of amulets with this number arrangement that belongs to astrology appears to have continued well past the time of Christ. Archaeologists have found amulets with Latin inscriptions, so we know that the Romans were indulging in this practice. Therefore, the number 666 came about from pagan worship practices of the Babylonians and their practice of astrology. The symbolism of sun worship is still used in many areas of the Catholic Church today, not always particularly obvious but often packaged discreetly as to not be noticed by the untrained eye. After the Church became the state religion of the Roman Empire, possessing a 666 solar seal, magic square could get you burned at the stake!

In a very real sense, the numbers representing each god carried by the holder was believed to give them power that they would not ordinarily have. To the worshiper of the Babylonian gods, anyone having such an amulet on himself with the sum reaching to 666 was seen as having power over all the gods and 666 magic squarewould likely have been regarded with some awe and respect. This power would be seen as great because the person had the sum of 666 on them, which gave that person power over even the highest supreme god, the sun god. A person would want authority over even the highest god so that he could control his own destiny and protect himself from evil that any of the gods might do to him. This particular magic square is a baked clay tablet and is written in Arabic.

SUMMARY NUMBERS AND THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST

Note that the numbers 36 and 666 are called summary numbers because they “summarize” the sum of the numbers of the gods. 36 is the summary number for the god numbers 1 through 8, while 666 is the summary number of the god numbers 1 through 36. They are more commonly called triangular numbers, which was an important concept to the ancient Babylonians.

Each god had one or more numbers assigned to it as the sun god not only had the number 666 assigned to it as the sum of the numbers of the 36 gods, but it also had the number 1 assigned to it, which went towards creating the sum of the 36 god numbers. The moon god was assigned the number 2 as it was considered the wife of the sun god, so their most important son was assigned the number 3 and typified all new life, whether plant or animal. The summary number of all three of these gods was 6 because 1 + 2 + 3 = 6. As Murl Vance put it, “As the summary number of the father, the mother, and the son, 6 therefore 'embraced all the powers of the three gods.'” (Murl Vance, page 26) Logically, to swear by the number 6 was to swear by the power of all three of these gods. This was the pagan origin of the trinity doctrine. While speculative, it is possible that this may have something to do with the choice of having 36 gods because 6 * 6 = 36.

THE FALL OF BABYLON

When the Medes and Persians conquered Babylon in 539 B.C., they came with their own religious practices and gods, so had no need of the priests of the Babylonian religious system. Although the Persians were sympathetic towards the Babylonian god Marduk and did accommodate the priests of this god for a while, it appears from history that they eventually fired the priests and used their own. The Babylonian priests left Babylon (probably because they were out of work) and most of them went to Pergamum and some to Egypt where they taught their religious practices to the Egyptians. The Egyptians readily picked up these Babylonian religious concepts and further extended and developed some of the ideas that we find in astrology today.

The teaching of the Babylonian religious practices by the Babylonian priests and their direct descendants went on in the city of Pergamum for centuries afterwards. They taught astrology and making the amulets with the numbers 1 to 36 on them in the special arrangements they commonly used. This continued until about the year 133 B.C. when the last king of the Attalid Empire, (Eumenes’ son, Attalus III) who had his capital at Pergamum, died without an heir and bequeathed his kingdom to Rome. Rome accepted the kingdom and set up the province of Asia, which included Ionia and the territory of Pergamum by 129 B.C. When Alexander the Great came through the region, much of the knowledge of astronomy and astrology that the Babylonian priests possessed was also passed on to the Greeks.

Sometime soon after this, the priests who were still teaching the Babylonian religious practices saw their opportunity and went to Rome. The Romans often adopted the religious practices of other cultures, which also helped the empire survive as long as it did. The Babylonian priests rightly calculated that the Romans would be very willing to learn and follow their teachings. Soon all of Rome filled with their religious teachings and practices. It eventually became so pervasive that people called Rome the “New Babylon.” Early Christians also used the term Babylon as a veiled code word for a particular city to avoid persecution from that pagan power. That city as you have no doubt concluded was also Rome. See also 1 Peter 5:13.

When the Christian Church came along, the practices and beliefs of the Babylonian religion followed right into the Church. Historians have said that it seemed almost the entire city of Rome converted virtually overnight to Christianity, but what actually happened is that the Babylonian religion was simply brought into the Church and the three supreme gods of the Babylonian religion were simply renamed as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Lesser gods became saints of the Church. Their pagan Babylonian religious practices came into the Church right along with it. This made it easy for the followers of the Babylonian religion to convert to Christianity, but it certainly was not a genuine conversion. God condemns these pagan practices, but they brought them into the Church anyway.

History also fully supports this. The pagan Babylonian priests had a chief priest who held the title Pontifex Maximus (translated to Latin meant that he was head pagan priest or literally the Greatest Pontiff). Most have heard the word “Pontiff” applied to the Pope and history explains where that term comes from. Originally, the king of the Attalid Empire held the title of Pontiff, and he passed it on to the Babylonian Priests before he died and they went to Rome. This title was given to Julius Caesar in 63 B.C. thereby making him the supreme priest of the Babylonian Religion and its gods. (This shows that the Babylonian priests arrived in Rome before the time of Julius Caesar or this event could not have happened.)

This meant that the Babylonian religion literally moved into Rome and took it over, becoming head of the Roman government. This title passed from emperor to emperor, all of whom served as chief priest of the Babylonian Religion from then on until 367 A.D., where the Roman Emperor Gratian became the first since Julius Caesar to refuse the title Pontifex Maximus. Before Gratian refused the title Pontifex Maximus, the young Emperor bestowed it upon Pope Damasus I, who became the first Pope in history to hold the title. This made him head of the Babylonian religion when he took the title of Pontifex Maximus. Damasus I was the head of the Christian Church in Rome, and took the title as head of the pagan Babylonian Religion and its collection of pagan gods. Did the Babylonian Religion move into the Christian Church? History says most definitely YES. So why does God call the Papal Church Babylon? The answer should now be becoming clear.

Some dispute that Church leaders brought Babylonian pagan religious practices into the Catholic Church but even Catholic historians admit it. Cardinal Newman in his Development of Christian Doctrine, pages 372, 373 says that the Church incorporated many pagan religious practices into the Church. He claims that the Church sanctified them and that made it safe to bring these practices into the Church. Every year Catholic Pilgrims kiss the feet of the Roman god Jupiter thinking they are kissing the image of Peter. God condemns idolatry, the making of images for worship, and even bowing down before images as part of an act of worship. Yet many images are in Catholic Churches and they teach people to bow down before them. They may be praying to someone else but the act of bowing down before the image, regardless of what or who one is actually worshipping at the time is plainly what God condemns in Exodus 20:4-6.

God condemned the Catholic Church in Revelation by referring to it as Babylon. They brought many pagan religious practices into the Church despite God condemning these idolatrous practises. The Church in Rome seems to believe that it can bring things into the Church that are pagan in origin, make them holy and therefore make them acceptable to God. However, the Bible teaches that only God is holy and only he can make things holy. Here is what Vance said about this:

“Though the early church leaders showed themselves strongly opposed to Gnosticism, many scholars point out that it was later embraced by the Church. Montfaucon [a Catholic scholar quoted by Vance] tells us that demon worship was carried on in the early church by those claiming to be bishops of Jesus Christ, and the Gnostics, as we have already seen, combined the worship of the serpent with the worship of Christ, they combined elements from the Babylonian, Persian, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Hebrew, and Christian religion into the universal or catholic system which embraced all others. It is but natural that they should take over, also, the summary number which includes in its mystic embrace the whole circuit of the heavens and all its gods, the number 666, the secret and most sacred number, we believe, in all paganism.” (Vance, page 113)

Papal throne with zodiacHere is just one example of pagan religious beliefs being incorporated into the very heart of the Papacy. Look at the picture of the artist’s painting of the Papal throne (from the Vatican Museum) and note the zodiac symbols above the throne. Why are these symbols present above the Pope's throne? During Medieval times, the zodiac symbols were carved into the Papal throne (Vance, page 22). One has to wonder why the zodiac, which are clearly pagan symbols, would be carved into the throne of the ruler of the Catholic Christian Church?

There is no evidence that I know of that the Papal thrones have the zodiac on or around them in modern times, but there is clear evidence that they once did have such signs associated with them. The Papacy itself has verified this (Vance, page 89, quoting from the frontispiece of Di Fortuna, published under the auspices of Pope Clement VII). See more on Catholic Church paganism.

The reason the Bible speaks so negatively about 666 is that it symbolizes the power of the person who has this number to have power over all the other gods, which in the case of the Papacy is their claim to be God and to have authority over God and his law, which are false claims. Because the Popes claim both to be God and to have authority over God, they believe that they can change the law of God to suit their own purposes. This is extremely serious to God and He knows it will also lead many to be lost for all eternity. So the above evidence links 666 with ancient sun worshipping pagan Babylon and the Papacy of the Catholic Church, which is dominated by pagan practices and solar images and referred to as Babylon in the book of Revelation. This is just a small part of the evidence that makes this relationship apparent.

Two things came from 666 and this pagan sun worship which is Sun-day worship and the Trinity doctrine. Both come from Babylon and both were brought into Christendom by the Catholic Church whom God calls Babylon. See the pagan origins of the Trinity doctrine for detailed information.

One should now understand the relevance of why God calls the Catholic Church Babylon, and while 666 the number of the beast is not directly satanic, it is indirectly very satanic as it comes out of Babylonian pagan worship. As a result, the Catholic Church has symbolically become Babylon and why we find that the head of this power has the number 666. It was also known a long time ago that various Papal titles such as “Vicarius Filii Dei” which means Vicar of Christ or substitute for Christ, being synonymous with Antichrist, i.e., assuming the power of God on earth, does count or add up to 666 in Roman numerals and Latin etc. All the parallels are amazing such as the numbers on the amulet count to 666 and in the same way the Bible says to count the number of the beast, which also comes to 666. See an excerpt of an article on the known titles of the Pope called “The number of a man” or select for the full original image. See Page 17 for continued article.

To find out why the number of the beast that originated with sun worship has now been given to the head of the Papal Church, I highly recommend reading how sun-day worship actually began around 2000 B.C. and was Satan worship that took place on Sunday. This is essential eye opening reading.

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