New Year's Eve 2012

It's possible that Zechariah was indicating that the Antichrist will be wounded in the arm and right eye by a sword wound.

Revelation 13:3 tells us that someone will kill the Antichrist with a "wound to death."

Zechariah may call him the idol shepherd because the False Prophet will set up an idol or statue of the Antichrist in the rebuilt Temple to be worshipped by the people.
Revelation 13:14,15

In contrast to Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, who gives His life for His sheep, the Antichrist is called the 'idol shepherd.'

His purpose, as an evil shepherd' will be to use and destroy the sheep for his own benefit.

"For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, which shall not visit those that be cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor feed that that standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces.
Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened."
Zechariah 11:16,17

Ancient Assyria, the enemy of Israel, occupied the same area as Babylon until it was defeated in 608 B.C.

Possibly the prophet identified the Antichrist as "the Assyrian" because the world dictator will be the enemy of Israel just as Assyria was in the past.

The prophets identify the Antichrist as a Jew who will rule the Roman Empire, we are told of his connection with the Middle East and the rebuilt capital city of Babylon.

"Therefore thus says the Lord God of hosts: 'O My people, who dwell in Zion, do not be afraide of the Assyrian.
He shall strike you with a rod and lift up his staff against you, in the manner of Egypt'"  
Isaiah 10:24

The coming Prince of Darkness will be a child of this age: of assertiveness, self-promotion and self-will.

He will exalt his own sinful desires against all opposition until he is defeated by Jesus!

In contrast to Jesus who came to "do His Father's will", the Antichrist will "do according to his own will."

"Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done"
Daniel 11:36.

Since "the prince that shall come", the Antichrist, will come out of the Roman people, scholars conclude that he will arise and take over the ten nations of the revived Roman Impire.

"And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.
The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined"   Daniel 9:26

The verse reveals that the Antichrist will be a prince who will lead the revived Roman Empire.

The phrase, "when the transgressors have reached their fullness" reminds us that the fulfillment of these prophecies will not occur until man's sinful rebellion reaches the breaking point.

There is a final point where the Lord draws the line and He will not allow man to go any farther without receiving the judgment of God.

Genesis 6:3, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever."

Mankind's final appointment with destiny is quickly coming to pass!

"And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their fullness, a king shall arise, having fierce features, who understands sinister schemes"
Daniel 8:23

The Antichrist will be a 'king' [or prince] with 'fierce features.'

This prophecy indicates that he will have a striking appearance and will possess geat personal power.

Although given supernatural powers by Satan, the Anichrist will be a man.

He will be a great and powerful speaker, impressing people with his brilliant speech.

"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

The prophet Daniel calls him 'a little horn' in compared to the ten horns that represent ten nations arising out of the boundaries of the ancient Roman Empire.

"Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, 'Thus says the Lord God: Because your heart is lifted up, and you say, 'I am a god, I sit in the seat of gods, in the midst of the seas,' yet you are a man, and not a god, though you set your heart as the heart of a god. . . "
Ezekiel 28:2

                     This prophet called the Antichrist the "prince of Tyre" saying that though he will be possessed by Satan 'yet you are a man, and not a god.'

       The Antichrist will oppose and exalt himself to be worshipped as God exactly as Satan originally tried to rebel and be worshipped by the fallen angels and man as god.

Both Isaiah and Revelation reveal that the city of Babylon will be rebuilt and finally destroyed by fire from heaven from God during the Great Day of the Lord.

The Iraqi government has spent more than $800 million in rebuilding the city.

The wicked city of Babylon will be burned at the same time the Antichrist is destroyed by Jesus when He returns.

"Take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say: 'How the oppressor has ceased, the golden city ceased!'"
Isaiah 14:4

Isaiah addresses the Antichrist by the title, the "king of Babylon," because he will make the rebuilt city of Babylon one of his capitals during his brief reign.

The Lord prophecied about the Antichrist using the title 'your seed' because he will try to do the will of his father, Satan, the 'father of all lies.'

It describes the eternal hatred between Christ and Satan's seed.

The first prophecy in the Bible was made by God to Satan (the serpent) in Adam and Eve's presence.

"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel" Genesis 3:15

Throughout the Old Testament the prophets told of the conflict between God's Chosen People and Satan's world dictator.

From Genesis to Malachi the prophets described this enemy of God under a variety of names and titles that shows his rise, his career and his defeat at the hand of Jesus.

In Revelation 13:12 the prophet John tells us that the False Prophet, "causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed."

Just as the Holy Spirit directs men to worship the Father through Jesus Christ, the False Prophet will force men living during the Great Tribulation to worship Satan through the person of the Antichrist.

The Bible declares that Jesus Christ, though He is truly God, came to "do the will of His Father."

The Antichrist will be a man totally possessed by Satan's power. His purpose will be to serve his father Satan.

The Bible reveals that Satan, the great enemy of God, will present himself in the same manner.

The Satanic trinity is made up of Satan, the Antichrist and the False Prophet.

The mystery of God's nature is present throughtout the Bible as a Trinity.

The Old and New Testaments say repeatedly that God manifests Himself in the form of three persons, the Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit.

Jesus Christ came to serve mankind, to help others and to save the lost.

His servant spirit stands out in stark contrast to the proud and boastful attitudes of our day.

The spirit of this age is self-exaltation.

The song 'I Did It My Way' tells of the self-indulgent attitude of our generation.

This and the spirits of selfishness and lawlessness are spirits of the antichrist manifesting itself in our world today.

It is helpful to consider our own spiritual life and goals in light of the "spirit of Antichrist" that prevails in the world.

Are we seeking to exalt ourselves or are we modelling our lives after Christ.