Most people enjoy being entertained by a good who-done-it mystery. However, there is a real-life mystery that is destined to impact the very lives of everyone living---especially Jehovah's Witnesses. The enigma involves identifying the so-called "antichrist" and "man of lawlessness". The following information has been provided in the hope that each lover of truth can be aided to fortify their faith in the truth.
The common theme of every Hebrew prophet, with the exception of Jonah, has to do with the corruption, desolation and subsequent restoration of Israel. What should be of interest to all of Jehovah's Witnesses today is that a closer examination of the prophecies having to do with ancient Israel reveals that many aspects of God's judicial decisions actually apply to the Christian organization. Since the time that the Israel of God was first established in 33 CE, Jehovah has not passed judgment upon his spiritual nation. There is, however, every reason to believe that God's judgment upon his people and the entire system of things will soon commence.
According to the greatest prophet, Jesus, Jehovah's judgments would be brought about during a period designated as the "conclusion of the system of things" when "the angels will go out and separate the wicked from among the righteous." Since no such separation has yet taken place, it is evident that the conclusion of the system of things has not commenced. The reason that this is important in connection with solving the mystery of the antichrist is because the antichrist and man of lawlessness appear during the judgment; during the last hour and presence of Christ. So, let us first take a fresh look at the sign of Christ's presence.
When queried by his apostles as to when his presence and the conclusion would occur and what would be the sign that they should look for, Jesus gave a brief outline of events that are familiar to all of Jehovah's Witnesses. Jesus said: "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be in one place after another pestilence and food shortages; and there will be fearful sights and from heaven great signs." (Luke 21:10-11)
Luke 21:9 says that, "these things must occur first, but the end does not occur immediately." However, in Matthew's account of Jesus' words, he adds: "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken." "Immediately after the tribulation of those days" leads the reader to believe that the events that Jesus described as a "beginning of pangs of distress," the wars, earthquakes, food shortages and pestilence, would be followed promptly, immediately, by the collapse of the system of things, which is signified by the sun being darkened and other frightening heavenly phenomenon denoting cataclysmic events. Then, sometime after that comes the absolute end.
Revelation verifies the same ordering of events is to occur in rapid succession when the seven symbolic seals are unsealed. Yet, now it has been nearly 90 years since the First World War supposedly marked the beginning of the death pangs upon this system, and still the things that Jesus said would occur immediately after that initial tribulation have not taken place. So, how is it that we should understand the expression "immediately after"?
Another problem with our pinpointing 1914 as the year marking the beginning of the pangs of distress, is that Jesus went on to say, "when you see all these things, know that he is near at the doors." "All these things" would include the heavenly phenomenon and numerous other things that, as previously pointed out, have not become evident yet. Furthermore, Jesus said in the next verse "that this generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur." Clearly, Jesus intended to use a generation to establish a time frame. In order for Jesus' words, "when you see all these things," to have any relevance, it must be that individuals could observe all the foretold events as they unfold.
As it stands, the present generation has no firsthand recollection of World War One. The events of 1914-1919 no doubt greatly impacted those living then, but it has little relevance for people today. The fact of the matter is that the generation that suffered the First World War has long since passed away and the present generation has still not seen "all these things" come about that Christ foretold. Not to belabor the point, but, it simply is not reasonable that the conclusion of this system commenced nearly a century ago.
Another aspect of the sign of Jesus presence is what is written at Matthew 24:10-13, it reads: "Then, also, many will be stumbled and will betray one another. And many false prophets will arise and mislead many; and because of the increasing of lawlessness the love of the greater number will cool off. But he that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved."
Has this part of Jesus' prophecy been fulfilled yet? The Watchtower has interpreted the foretold "increasing of lawlessness," as pertaining to the rising tide of violence and criminal activity in the world in recent decades. However, the context indicates that the increasing of lawlessness occurs within the Christian congregation. Furthermore, in the Scriptures, lawlessness is connected with religious hypocrisy and apostasy. For example, in the 7th chapter of Matthew, those who merely make a pretense of following Jesus are judged as being "workers of lawlessness." There is no reason to believe that those who claim to have prophesied and done powerful works in the Lord's name are condemned because they are mere petty criminals.
Another facet of prophecy that should be reconsidered is where Jesus said: "And many false prophets will arise and mislead many." Elsewhere in scripture, namely II Peter, Jude, and Revelation, false prophets are described as certain men who operate quietly from within the congregations. Indeed, Jesus went on to specifically forewarn his disciples that during the tribulation, false prophets and false christs could present a very real spiritual danger to even the chosen ones. But, in order for such deceitful workers to have any influence over Jehovah's chosen ones, it would be necessary for them to be inside the organization; posing as teachers and guides.
Symptoms of the foretold increasing of lawlessness within the organization may be seen in the many cases of child abuse and cover-up that have occurred in recent years. For another example of lawlessness and betrayal on the part of the Watchtower Society, we could point to the secret NGO affiliation that the Watchtower had with the United Nations. Yet, while many have apparently been stumbled by these hypocritical and lawless acts, we cannot say that the zeal of the greater number has cooled off as a result. But, since Christ's presence is apparently yet future, it appears that the organization is destined by prophecy to suffer a complete moral and spiritual breakdown during the conclusion of the system of things. Those who are ultimately saved must eventually successfully run a virtual gauntlet thrown down by the false prophets. They must overcome the stumbling blocks and survive the acts of betrayal on the part of their brothers. They must endure the hypocrisy and confusion that is destined to engulf the congregation in the days to come.
Similar to Jehovah's Witnesses today, Christians in the 1st century were in a constant state of expectation concerning Christ's return. However, approximately 20 years into the Christian era, Paul sent out an important word of caution to the brothers. At 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2, he wrote: "However, brothers, respecting the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we request of you not to be quickly shaken from your reason nor to be excited either through a verbal message or through a letter as though from us, to the effect that the day of Jehovah is here."
The apostle went on to say: "Let no one seduce you in any manner, because it will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness gets revealed, the son of destruction."
According to the apostle's revelation, the presence of Christ and his ultimate manifestation to the world would be preceded by an apostasy among Christians. According to the Watchtower, the man of lawlessness is the clergy class that developed hundreds of years ago as a result of Christianity gradually drifting away from the truth into apostasy. While there is no question that conglomeration of sects and denominations known as Christendom is an apostate and fraudulent form of Christianity, we want an answer to the question: Is the man of lawlessness really the clergy class?
If so, then Paul's prophecy really does not provide very much helpful information as regards when the parousia might begin since the apostasy occurred many centuries ago. On the other hand, the prophecy certainly gives the impression that the apostasy occurs as an immediate prelude to Jesus' presence and that it is a growing concern among God's people up until the moment that Christ intervenes. Please consider the following.
The prophecy says that the man of lawlessness "sits down in the temple of The God, publicly showing himself to be a god." We recognize that God's temple is the entire body of anointed believers at any given time. For instance Paul wrote at 1 Corinthians 3:16, saying: "Do you not know that you people are God's temple, and that the spirit of God dwells in you?"
And again at 2 Corinthians 6:16: "For we are a temple of a living God."
And again at Ephesians 2:20-22: "And you have been built up upon the foundation... while Christ Jesus is the cornerstone. In union with him the whole building, being harmoniously joined together, is growing into a holy temple for Jehovah. In union with him you too, are being built up together into a place for God to inhabit by spirit."
So, the man of lawlessness sits down in the midst of Jehovah's organization, in the intimate group of the anointed sons of God, and he presumptuously exalts himself above everyone, including Christ himself. It is understandable why we have come to the conclusion that the clergy make up a composite man of lawlessness. Particularly in view of the way that the Pope of Rome has seated himself in such an exalted position and has been virtually worshipped for centuries by Catholics. The Catholic Pontiff claims authority over the temple of God because of supposedly having inherited the position from the original apostle Peter in what is called the doctrine of apostolic succession. As far back as the 1850s it was recognized that the Pope certainly seemed to fit the profile of the man of lawlessness. [LINK]
But, can it really be said that the clergy now sit in the temple of God? Since the clergy merely preside over apostate Christianity, how is it that at the time that Christ rips the mask off of the man of lawlessness he is said to be sitting in the very temple of God? Take note that the prophecy does not say that he merely claims to be sitting in God's temple, as the clergy merely claim to represent God; it says that he actually sits down in Jehovah's temple.
Another problem with the Watchtower's present interpretation is that according to the prophecy, the man of lawlessness is only revealed during Christ's presence. But, as discussed above, and in numerous other essays, there are many facets of the sign of Christ's presence that simply are not in evidence. Also, it can be scripturally proven that 1914 was not the end of the Gentile times and neither was it the beginning of the so-called time of the end or conclusion of the system of things. (See essays: Was 1914 the End of the Gentile Times? And also, What and When is the Time of the End?) That means that the exposure of the clergy that the Watchtower has sponsored over the years is not a result of Christ's presence.
We have not grasped the truth that the presence of Christ is the end of our faith. The parousia is not a long drawn out period that spans several generations, whereby we must continually endure and keep on the watch even during Christ's presence. For example, the letter of James says: "Exercise patience, therefore, brothers, until the presence of the Lord. Look! The farmer keeps waiting for the precious fruit of the earth, exercising patience over it until he gets the early rain and the late rain. You too exercise patience; make your hearts firm, because the presence of the Lord has drawn close."
If we must exercise patience until the presence of the Lord, why is it that we must continue to wait patiently for decades even after the time when we suppose that the long-awaited presence began nearly a century ago? We have not really heeded the apostle Paul's advice to "not be quickly shaken from your reason nor to be excited either through a verbal message or through a letter as though from us." In effect, the Watchtower Society has given us verbal messages and apostolic-like letters that have caused us to be shaken from our reason so that we have not reasoned on these matters properly. We have for many years been aroused to excitement to the effect that the day of Jehovah was imminent. We have been seduced into believing the very thing Paul warned against when he urged: "Let no one seduce you in any manner."
At some point, likely during the actual parousia, Jehovah's Witnesses will have to come to grips with the fact that Christ's presence did not begin in 1914 as we have imagined. It will no doubt be a very disturbing and traumatic experience for many to have to endure. But, what poses an even greater spiritual danger is that since Christ's presence has not commenced yet, it means that the man of lawlessness has not been revealed either, as we now suppose. And since the man of lawlessness is sitting in the very temple of God at the time that Christ exposes him during his parousia, the clergy cannot possibly make up a composite man of lawlessness that sits down in the midst of Christ's brothers. The reason being that it is impossible at this time for the clergy to hold that kind of authority over Jehovah's Witnesses, for the reason that they simply have no credibility or influence with us.
Reasoning on the matter, it is evident that the man of lawlessness is to emerge from among Jehovah's anointed ones in the future; that being the case, then, he must come from within the highest levels of the Watchtower Society. The apostasy that Paul said must come first, is not the apostasy from Christianity that began centuries ago and ultimately took the form of Christendom. The apostasy that immediately precedes Christ's presence takes place among Jehovah's Witnesses and is presided over by the man of lawlessness! That explains, too, why there is, and will be further, an "increasing of lawlessness" in the Christian congregation, seeing that we are subject to the insidious influence of the man of lawlessness.
One vital clue that may help us toward solving the mystery concerning the identity of the man of lawlessness is that Paul called him "the son of destruction." Significantly, the only other place in the Scriptures where that phrase is used is in connection with Judas. At John 17:12, Jesus said in prayer: "When I was with them I used to watch over them on account of your own name which you have given me; and I have kept them, and not one of them is destroyed except the son of destruction, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled."
One scripture that was fulfilled in Judas was Psalms 41:9, which reads: "Also the man at peace with me, in whom I trusted, who was eating my bread, has magnified his heel against me."
Also, the 109th chapter of Psalms is prophetic of the son of destruction. It reads: "Let his days prove to be few; his office of oversight let someone else take."
In order to betray another's confidence, it is first necessary to win their confidence. So, just as the original son of destruction was a trusted confidential associate of Christ and an overseer along with the 11 other apostles, so too, the man of lawlessness must be those who are in trusted positions of oversight among the faithful slave and Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses. Like Judas, they share in eating the bread of the Lord's evening meal along with Christ's brothers. Being respected overseers, they are in a position to deal treacherously with their brothers and eventually become outright betrayers. Interestingly, some aspects of the 109th Psalm do not fit the man Judas; such as the 16th verse, which says: "But he kept pursuing the afflicted and poor man and the one dejected at heart, to put him to death." Such Psalms may describe the future activities of the man of lawlessness.
During the outbreak of the time of trouble that lies ahead of us, when Jehovah's organization is laid low, no doubt confusion and discouragement will become widespread. Psalms 10:9-10 speaks of the afflicted and discouraged ones who fall prey to one that lies in ambush. It reads: "He keeps lying in wait in the concealed place like a lion in his covert. He keeps lying in wait to carry off some afflicted one by force. He carries off the afflicted one by force when he draws his net shut. He is crushed, he bows down, and the army of dejected ones has to fall into his strong claws."
The Christian writers foretold that animalistic men would infiltrate Christ's flock during the last days. Jude likened them to submerged rocks below the water that pose as potential stumbling blocks for innocent Christians. Jude also likened the apostates in our midst to Cain, who, of course, murdered his brother. In that regard, Jesus foretold that during his presence family members would actually hand their own relatives over to be put to death and that many would hate one another and betray one another. No doubt, under the duress of the tribulation, many will succumb to the influence of the Devil and the man of lawlessness, by betraying their brothers.
Just as the apostles were oblivious to Judas' deflection, even after Christ gave him the identifying morsel, so it is that the one described as a lion lurking in his covert must be the man of lawlessness, who up to this point has remained concealed within the Society. He will evidently remain so up until the time that Christ finally exposes and destroys him. The point at which his net draws shut upon Jehovah's unsuspecting people will be during Christ's parousia, when the foretold increasing apostasy and lawlessness within the organization causes the love of the greater number to cool off. In other words, when things do not proceed as we have come to expect, many will become dejected, thus making them vulnerable to falling prey to the predatory son of destruction lurking in our midst.
Back in the 109th Psalm, verse 20, the betrayers of Christ are spoken of in the plural, as those resisting Christ and speaking evil against him. Likewise, the 29th verse issues Jehovah's curse upon those resisting Christ. The Hebrew word for "resister" or "opposer" is satan. Satan's name literally means the Resister or Opposer. This expression is also associated with the man of lawlessness, where Paul said of him: "He is set in opposition." In other words, he is an opposer.
Another prophecy that was fulfilled in Judas, the original son of destruction, was Zechariah 11:12-13. That is where it was foretold that the wages of Jehovah's useless shepherd would be 30 pieces of silver, which was to be thrown into Jehovah's treasury. Matthew 27:3-5 records the actual fulfillment of that prophecy. It reads: "Thus Judas, who betrayed him, seeing he had been condemned, felt remorse and turned the thirty silver pieces back to the chief priests and older men, saying: "I sinned when I betrayed righteous blood." They said: "What is that to us? You must see to that." So he threw the silver pieces into the temple and withdrew, and went off and hanged himself."
Jehovah has designed prophecies in such a way that some minor aspects take place long before the much grander fulfillment. Thus, the ancient fulfillment merely supplies an addition pattern for what is to come much later. So it is that, just as Christ was betrayed at the conclusion of his three and one-half year ministry, we may expect the earthly ministry of the body of Christ to conclude by a similar experience at the hands or their betrayers. There are, in fact, numerous Psalms that speak of that very thing.
So, as Zechariah foretold concerning the shepherd, Christ, being struck so that the sheep would be scattered, so it is that the 11th chapter of Zechariah goes into much more detail than simply could have applied to the 1st century flock.
For example, Zechariah 11:4 reads: "This is what Jehovah my God has said, 'Shepherd the flock meant for the killing, the buyers of which proceed to kill them although they are not held guilty. And those selling them say: "May Jehovah be blessed, while I shall gain riches." And their own shepherds do not show any compassion upon them."
Just as Judas betrayed the Son of man with a kiss for 30 pieces of silver, those wicked shepherds who betray the sheep for their own enrichment also hypocritically bless Jehovah. That indicates that they pose as Jehovah's Witnesses in order to gain authority over Jehovah's trusting sheep. Apparently the evil shepherds that sell the sheep to the slaughter make up the composite man of lawlessness. In order for the man of lawlessness "to sit down in the temple of the God," apparently, it is necessary that Jehovah must allow him to completely control his organization for a brief period of time.
That seems to be what Zechariah 11:15-16 foretells, where it says: And Jehovah went on to say to me: (concerning the evil slave or shepherd) "Take yet for yourself the implements of a useless shepherd. For here I am letting a shepherd rise up in the land. To the sheep being effaced he will give no attention. The young one he will not seek, and the broken sheep he will not heal. The one stationing herself he will not supply with food, and the flesh of the fat one he will eat, and the hoofs of the sheep he will tear off."
Who might the "buyers" prove to be whom the useless shepherds sell Jehovah's sheep? Zechariah 11:6 answers, saying: "So here I am causing mankind to find themselves, each one in the hand of his companion and in the hand of his king; and they will crush to pieces the land, and I shall do no delivering out of their hand."
This verse indicates that the judgment upon God's congregation occurs in the context of a time of tribulation upon all of mankind. Let the reader keep in mind that the book of Zechariah was written after Jerusalem was desolated by the Babylonians. Therefore, the king that the prophet speaks about cannot be referring to Nebuchadnezzar. Since this part of the prophecy had no apparent application to the first century, it must be a judgment reserved for a future time.
According to the prophecy of Daniel, the king of fierce countenance, also known as the king of the north, is destined to tyrannize mankind and bring to ruin all of the holy ones as he stands in the holy place of God. Zechariah 11:6 harmonizes with many other prophecies that have revealed nothing short of a global fratricidal holocaust as this world's final judgment.
Again, Judas' betrayal of Christ seems to set the pattern for what is to come. At the time of Christ, the Roman Empire was the king of the north. The Jewish priests and Pharisees, along with Herod, were determined to destroy Christ, and so they allied themselves with the Romans through Pilate. Judas, then, betrayed the Son of man into the hands of the Roman soldiers who were serving the king of the north.
The apostles were inspired to interpret the 2nd Psalm to that situation. At Acts 4:25-28 we read: "'Why did nations become tumultuous and peoples meditate upon empty things? The kings of the earth took their stand and the rulers massed together as one against Jehovah and against his anointed one.' Even so, both Herod and Pontius Pilate with men of nations and with peoples of Israel were in actuality gathered together in this city against your holy servant, Jesus, whom you anointed, in order to do what things your hand and counsel foreordained to occur."
But, the 2nd Psalm has a much grander fulfillment that culminates when Christ dashes all the nations as with an iron scepter. Since the 11th chapter of Zechariah also had only a partial fulfillment in the first century, the useless Judas-like shepherds that are destined to betray the sheep into the hand of a king, must pertain to the man of lawlessness somehow selling out Jehovah's sheep to the United Nations when once it begins to rule the world as the final manifestation of the king of the north. During the tribulation, it is possible that the Watchtower, if faced with it own collapse and bankruptcy, may treacherously make some sort of deal with the United Nations in order to try and stay afloat. We will see.
At 2 Thessalonians 2:7, Paul wrote: "The mystery of this lawlessness is already at work." Indeed, many of Jehovah's Witnesses have been mystified when they have learned of the Watchtower's NGO affiliation with the United Nations. Others have been deeply disturbed by the unsatisfactory way in which the Society has handled child abuse and made compromises in other areas. Such things cause us to question how the Watchtower could be so hypocritical. The only satisfying answer is that we are witnessing "the mystery of this lawlessness already at work."
In the letter of 1 John, the apostle writes: "Young children, it is the last hour, and, just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now there have come to be many antichrists; from which fact we gain the knowledge that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of our sort; for if they had been of our sort, they would have remained with us. But they went out that it might be shown up that all are not of our sort. And you have an anointing from the holy one; all of you have knowledge."
This passage is useful as it verifies that the antichrist emerges from among anointed Christians. Even as Judas went out from among the apostles, John indicates that there have been many antichrists, all of whom "went out from us." True to scripture, up to this point there have been many of Jehovah's Witnesses who have professed a heavenly hope that have apostatized from the truth and gone out of the organization. In recent years, one such individual was even a member of the Governing Body. So, while there have been many anointed ones who have become antichrists, still, there is a singular, ultimate antichrist that is coming during the last hour. That means that he has not gone out from among us yet.
It is interesting that at Revelation 2:2, Christ commends the Ephesians during the Lord's day because, as he says: "You cannot bear bad men, and that you put those to the test who say they are apostles, but they are not, and you found them liars." It is not reasonable that those who claim to be apostles operate outside the Christian congregation. There would be no reason for anyone to put them to the test, as their fraudulent claims would have no credence with true Christians to begin with. This lends weight to the idea that the coming antichrist and man of lawlessness will assume leadership and control of Jehovah's organization; much like the satanic agents in the first century whom Paul dubbed "the super-fine apostles." Only those who know Jehovah and Christ, and who love the truth, will be able to prove them liars.
Like many Bible books and inspired letters, even though they were written centuries ago, they are like time capsules, in that they speak in the present tense to a future time. So it is, that when John says, "Young children, it is the last hour," while applying in a limited sense to the conclusion of the apostolic era in the first century, those living during the last hour are really those anointed Christians who would be alive during the conclusion of the system. Since Revelation 17:12 speaks of all the kings of the earth supporting the 8th king for a symbolic "one hour," during which time they unitedly fight against Jehovah and his anointed one, that one hour is also itself the last hour that the apostle John spoke about, marked by the coming of the antichrist. That being the case, we cannot separate the activities of the 8th king from those of the antichrist. Indeed, the prophecies appear to overlap in this regard.
Consider what Daniel 11:36 says concerning the king of the north, where it says: "And the king will actually do according to his own will, and he will exalt himself and magnify himself above every god; and against the God of gods he will speak marvelous things. And he will certainly prove successful until the denunciation will have come to a finish; because the thing decided upon must be done."
Now, compare this with the description of the man of lawlessness at 2 Thessalonians 2:4, which reads: "He is set in opposition and lifts himself up over everyone who is called "god" or an object of reverence, so that he sits down in the temple of The God, publicly showing himself to be a god."
Now we must use our powers of reason to solve the mystery of the antichrist that is coming. Since both prophecies have to do with developments that occur during the judgment, or the denunciation, as Daniel words it, how many entities can there possibly be that exalt themselves over every other god or object of reverence? Reasonably, there can only be one that successfully exalts themselves over all others. Therefore, we may draw the conclusion that during the time of the end, when the king of the north floods over into all the lands, including the land of the Decoration, and even plants his palatial tent in Jehovah's holy mountain, that Jehovah's organization is going to be controlled by the king of the north.
And, just as Judas was allied with the king of the north in order to betray and destroy Christ, so too, the man of lawlessness must eventually be revealed as a mere agent and spokesman for the 8th king.
The man of lawlessness represents satanic agents, false apostles, antichrists, who exist as moles and saboteurs within the Society presently. Like Judas, they stand at the ready; destined by the word of God, to betray God's sons into the hands of Satan's imperial tyrant during the last hour. During the time of the denunciation, the antichrist will have come, in order to attempt to mislead the organization into destruction.
Now, we are in a position to grasp the meaning of 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12, as it relates the basis for Jehovah's judgment upon his people. "But the lawless one's presence is according to the operation of Satan with every powerful work and lying signs and portents and with every unrighteous deception for those who are perishing, as a retribution because they did not accept the love of the truth that they might be saved. So that is why God lets an operation of error go to them, that they may get to believing the lie, in order that they may be judged because they did not believe the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness."
The scripture indicates that in order for a person to be saved from an adverse judgment they must demonstrate a love of the truth. Reasonably, in order to love the truth, a person must first know the truth. Jehovah's Witnesses know the truth. At least we have a doctrinal foundation that allows us to have genuine faith in Jehovah and Christ. So, the operation of error that God allows, must go forth among his people and not Christendom, as we now suppose. Since the verse says, "that they may be judged," and God's judgment day has not commenced yet, we cannot say exactly what form the operation of error will take.
However, we may be sure that it is something with which we are not yet confronted. Jesus issued a similar warning when he told us: "Then if anyone says to you, 'Look! Here is the Christ,' or 'There!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will give great signs and wonders so as to mislead, if possible, even the chosen ones. Look! I have forewarned you."
The time Jesus was referring to as, "then," will be during the parousia and tribulation. Jesus had just foretold that God's holy place would become desolated and the tribulation cut short, and "then" the false Christs and false prophets are to appear. Notice, too, that the false Christs would perform great wonders and exhibit powerful portents so that even the chosen ones could be influenced by the deception if they did not heed Jesus' warning. That's exactly what Paul also foretold; namely, that the man of lawlessness would perform "every powerful work and lying signs and portents."
While Satan the Devil has always sought to mislead mankind away from Jehovah God, with more or less success, his most powerful acts of deception are reserved for the end of the world. That's because he already has in place the phony ideology and religious and political apparatus to thoroughly deceive the whole world at the critical stage of Christ's arrival like a thief in the night. And, yes, he has the means in place to deceive even Jehovah's chosen ones, if that were possible. The man of lawlessness appears posed to work his mischief upon Jehovah's Witnesses by diverting attention from Christ at his actual parousia.
Jesus' specific warning to his disciples not to be taken in by any sensational claims having to do with Christ supposedly being in the "wilderness" or in "the inner chambers," no matter how convincing, indicates that there will be powerfully deceptive claims to that effect. While there have been a few messianic claimants in recent decades, it is interesting that the commonality of numerous cults and sects is that they all are ardent promoters of the so-called New World Order.
Besides the mainstream Catholic and protestant religions, that have for many decades, promoted ecumenism and world government schemes, numerous other divergent cults, sects, and NGOs attach messianic hopes to world government.
For example the Bahai faith [LINK] heavily promotes the United Nations as a messianic government.
The Unification Church of Reverend Sun Moon, the so-called Moonies, are powerful advocates of the end of the nation state system and the creation of a global empire under UN control.
The pantheistic, so-called New Age movement, [LINK] has also been instrumental in creating in people's minds an expectation that the advent of global government is the cosmic answer to man's problems. There is even the carefully crafted expectation that the messiah walks among us, perhaps to be revealed in the "inner chambers" of the United Nations at a future time. For example, a character by the name of Benjamin Crème is viewed by many as a forerunner of messiah or perhaps the messiah himself.[LINK] [LINK]
Situated in the mainstream of American politics, is the bizarre political alliance between the right-wing Evangelical movement and Zionism.
Right-wing fundamentalists in Christendom, allied with Ultra-Orthodox Jewish Zionists, have been pitted against Islamic extremists. This appears to be a principle driving force behind the headlong rush to set off Clash of Civilization that the Anglo-American policy makers have envisioned for the world.
War between Islam and Christendom in the Middle East has the potential to initially appear as Armageddon, giving credence to the Fundamentalists, who, at some point, will no doubt announce that Christ has arrived. Fundamentalist leaders apparently imagine that it is their Christian responsibility to hasten Christ's return by provoking Armageddon.
Evangelical doctrine has brainwashed millions of people and prepared their minds to believe the very thing that Christ warned his disciples not to believe. According to Christ, his presence will be as the lightning that spreads across the entire sky so that it is not necessary for Christ's true disciples to be in any specific location in order to recognize his kingly presence. But, according to fundamentalists' teaching, Jesus is going to physically come back and even touchdown on the very same tiny little Mount of Olives from where he ascended. As ludicrous as that sounds, when large scale war inevitably erupts in that region, possibly, even likely, involving the use of weapons of mass destruction, it will appear to those deluded ones as if Christ is about to arrive in the "wilderness" of the Middle East, just as many have already been preconditioned to expect.
In the vacuum created when our own faulty interpretations concerning Christ's presence, supposedly having begun long ago in 1914, collapse under the weight of reality, it would not seem at all improbable that the man of lawlessness might, in an atmosphere of war-induced confusion and hysteria, add his voice to those announcing the messiah's arrival.
In connection with the sudden and terrifying collapse of the present Anglo-American dominated system, we may expect that the miraculous recovery of the beast will be accompanied by the "great signs" performed by the false prophet. Revelation 13:13-14 says: "And it performs great signs, so that it should even make fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the sight of mankind. And it misleads those who dwell on the earth, because the signs that were granted it to perform in the sight of the wild beast, while it tells those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the wild beast that had the sword stroke and yet revived."
The making of an institution in the wake of a terrifying calamity is in keeping with the historical pattern set after the past two world wars, when political organizations were set up, ostensibly to prevent future wars. After the First World War, of course, came the League of Nations. Then, after WWII, the United Nations was instituted. There is little question, then, that the next world war, along with the inevitable financial collapse and anarchy, will serve as the pretext for introducing a global Soviet-style system as the savior of the world.
Since the wild beast has not yet received the sword stroke [ESSAY] and thereafter miraculously revived, we cannot say that the prophecy has been fulfilled that calls for the fabricated image of the wild beast to come to life. While the bureaucratic infrastructure is in place to implement a global government, such a thing is not a reality yet. The independent nations still wield a considerable amount of sovereignty. We may therefore anticipate that the future sign of Christ's presence, of 'nation rising against nation and kingdom against kingdom,' will, in reality be World War Three. We may in fact presently be witnessing the preliminary phase of "rumors of war" that Christ foretold. [LINK]
As a result of the now-looming preordained catastrophe, the present governmental heavens will go into full eclipse, followed by a seemingly miraculous recovery of the system, only in a radically different form. However, when the scarlet-colored beast emerges from the abyss of death with the harlot mounted on top, it is evident that various false religious institutions comprising Babylon the Great will still exist and will exercise considerable influence and control.
In view of the fact that so many of the world's religions have been employed to condition the public's mind and to propagandize in behalf of global government, it is inconceivable that such a scheme is not demonically inspired for the purpose of ensnaring mankind during the critical last hour of test.
Contrary to present Watchtower interpretations, it is evident that false religion is not destroyed at the beginning of the tribulation for the simple reason that false Christs and false prophets are in operation during the tribulation. If false religion were done away with at the very start, what would be the source of the great signs and wonders that deceive the masses into accepting false Christs? However, once false religion has served the interests of the empire, after global government has become a reality, then we may expect the beastly political system to annihilate organized religion out of existence.
But, because the Watchtower has dogmatically and insistently asserted that Christendom and all other religions are suddenly destroyed at the beginning of the tribulation, and that the Watchtower alone survives due to Jehovah's protection, Jehovah's Witnesses will also be vulnerable to becoming confused and confounded when things do not develop as we have been led to expect.
The prophet Micah calls for this very thing, where he says in the7th chapter of the book bearing his name: The day of your watchmen, of your being given attention, must come. Now will occur the confounding of them. Do not put your faith in a companion. Do not put your trust in a confidential friend. From her who is lying in your bosom guard the openings of your mouth."
In harmony with Micah's call to guard ourselves from our own brothers, Christ foretold that many would hate and betray one another during a period of increasing lawlessness. If that seems unlikely, just imagine the confusion that will occur among Jehovah's Witnesses, when, rather than the babylonish mistress of sorcery going down during the tribulation, it is the Watchtower that falls instead. What a humiliation for us! What a disgrace upon our faithful slave! Worst of all, what reproach we will bring upon Jehovah God! Yet, that is exactly what we are facing.
That's why Micah 7:7-9 goes on to voice the distress of Jehovah's loyal ones during that time. It reads: "But, as for me, it is for Jehovah that I shall keep on the lookout. I will show a waiting attitude for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me."
Then, as if speaking to the harlot of Babylon, Micah goes on to say: "Do not rejoice over me, O you woman enemy of mine. Although I have fallen, I shall certainly rise up; although I dwell in darkness, Jehovah will be a light for me. The raging of Jehovah I shall bear---for I have sinned against him---until he conducts my legal case and actually executes justice for me. He will bring me forth into the light; I shall look upon his righteousness. And my enemy will see, and shame will cover her, who was saying to me: "Where is he, Jehovah your God?" My own eyes will look upon her. Now she will become a place of trampling, like the mire of the streets."
So, the stage is certainly set in many different respects. From a global strategic standpoint, the future of the world has never appeared more ominously threatening. A Doomsday scenario is definitely in the making. The global financial system is in the final stages of bankruptcy. Terrorism has proven that it has the capacity to carry on irregular warfare anywhere on the planet with devastating effectiveness. The Anglo-American dual world power seems determined to provoke continual war with the nations dubbed as the new Axis of Evil. Numerous festering hotspots in the Middle East, Kashmir, on the Korean peninsula, China and Taiwan, could conceivably, simultaneously erupt into widespread global warfare. The specter of widespread food shortage, coupled with the release of man-made and natural pestilence has the potential to uniquely fulfill the sign of Christ presence and the conclusion of the system of things.
On the religious front, numerous phony Christs appear to be pre-positioned to misdirect their followers into Satan's final trap. Among Jehovah's Witnesses, there is a palpable sense of apathy and growing discouragement among many brothers and sisters. The leadership seems to be oblivious to the growing discontent in the organization and appears primarily concerned with keeping the status quo. Lurking just beneath the surface, patiently waiting, is the predatory antichrist---the man of lawlessness.
Surely, the time has arrived for the scripture to be fulfilled: "The day of your watchmen, of your being given attention, must come. Now will occur the confounding of them."
Copyright © 2002, by Robert King
All Rights Reserved.