Antichrist, 666, mark of the beast are terms that are familiar to most Americans. They know that the Antichrist will be an evil man and that the number 666 is his mark or the mark of the beast as the Bible calls it. The number 666 retains an air of "coolness" about it among some rebellious types of people but the Bible makes it clear there is nothing "cool" about the Antichrist.
There are several books in the Bible that refer to this future global leader whom Christians call the Antichrist. He is called the beast, the man of sin, the son of perdition, a king of fierce countenance, the little horn, and the Wicked one. He will be many times worse than Adolph Hitler and Joseph Stalin. He may be the greatest orator that ever lived and people will believe his initial message of world peace. He will involve himself in Middle East politics and seemingly have the solutions to the problems that have existed in that troubled area for millennia. He will institute a global economic system that the world will readily accept which will lead to global oppression. The world will rebel against God and follow after the Antichrist and worship him as the savior. The Devil will possess him and he will persecute and kill the followers of God in a crusade that will surpass the horrors of the Holocaust. He will lead an army into Israel where he will meet armies from other parts of the world that will result in Armageddon. Tragically, when his time is finished on the earth the world will be completely devastated and billions of people will have died. Only the second coming of Jesus Christ will end his reign on earth.
The Bible sometimes uses prophetic "types" to illustrate future events. The Old Testament sacrificial system actually pointed to the ultimate sacrifice of God's Son. Joseph was a type of the future Messiah in that he was betrayed by his brothers and punished in prison even though he did nothing wrong. He ultimately saved his people because of the wrongs done to him. Jesus said that John the Baptist was a type of the prophet Elijah. So it is with the Antichrist. The prophet Daniel was given several visions by God which showed him what would happen in the future. One of these visions concerned a wicked ruler who arises from the Greek Empire founded by Alexander the great. This ruler was Antiochus Epiphanes who persecuted and massacred the Jews and desecrated their Temple in 168 B.C. He was a type of the Antichrist and Daniel's description of him applies to the Antichrist as well: "23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. 24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. 25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand." (Daniel 8:23-25) According to this passage his demeanor will be fierce or menacingly savage and violent in force. Dark sentences refers to his deceptive ways and the destruction he causes will be on an unprecedented scale. His wrath will be turned on the followers of God. People will follow his crafty and deceitful ways in order to prosper under his reign. He will rise to power with a false message of peace that leads the world to destruction. He will consider himself invincible even to the point where he will stand against the Prince of Peace but this will lead to his downfall.
In recent history there has been a "type" of the Antichrist come onto the world scene. Adolph Hitler was an unknown WWI German soldier in 1919. He was one of millions of men who fought in the Great War. Yet Hitler was destined to become one of the most evil leaders the world has ever seen. His sole asset was the ability to speak to the masses in a manner that enthralled his listeners and caused them to believe in him and eventually worship him. From a small German Workers Party meeting of seven people in 1919 his followers grew into the millions. In 1933 he became the Chancellor of Germany and the following year the undisputed Führer or leader of Germany. In 1938 he signed a peace agreement with Great Britain which led to the infamous Chamberlain declaration, "I believe it is peace for our time." Hitler had deceived the world with a false message of peace which led to worldwide destruction over the following seven years. During this time he exterminated over six million Jews along with untold numbers of other non-Aryan races.
The Antichrist's rise to global fame may start from similar humble beginnings. He could be a minor political figure in some country. He will rise to prominence in his own country. Some believe that the Antichrist will come to power on the continent of Europe. There are primarily two biblical reasons for this assertion. Both of them are in the Book of Daniel. The first has to do with an interpretation that Daniel gave concerning a dream that King Nebuchadnezzar had. In that dream, Nebuchadnezzar saw a great or giant image which may have been a statue. This statue had a head of gold, its chest and arms were made of silver, its stomach and thighs were brass, the legs were iron, and its feet and toes were part iron and part clay. Daniel stated that each of these sections of the image represented a world empire (see Daniel 2:1-45). The head was the Babylonian Empire of King Nebuchadnezzar. The chest and arms would be the Medo-Persian Empire, the stomach and thighs represented the Greek Empire under Alexander the Great, and the legs of iron were the Roman Empire which would trodden down the people. Daniel prophesied concerning this fourth or Roman Empire, "And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and subdues all things: and as iron that breaks all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise." (Daniel 2:40) This is an apt description of the Roman Empire which did conquer the known world with its mighty and disciplined armies. Daniel then states that the toes were made of iron and clay. This means that this final kingdom would be partly strong and partly broken or weak. These ten toes represented ten future kings. Daniel speaks of these kings in a later chapter.
In a vision that he himself had Daniel saw four beasts which represented the same four world empires of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (Daniel 7:1-27). Concerning the fourth beast Daniel said: "After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things." (Daniel 7:7-8) This section again refers to the absolute power of the Roman Empire. There are two things to notice in this passage. The first is that the beast had ten horns of which three fell. The second is the little horn was a man who spoke great things. An angel interprets this vision for Daniel: "Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end." (Daniel 7:23-26) Both the dream of Nebuchadnezzar and the vision of Daniel spoke of the Roman Empire. The ten toes of the statue and the ten horns of the beast are ten kings. Then a great king comes along who will subdue three of the ten kings and will magnify himself against the most High God. This little horn or king will be the Antichrist. The Book of Revelation also refers to these ten kings and the Antichrist who shall come from among them: "And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon [i.e., the Devil - see Revelation 12:9] gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority." (Revelation 13:1-2) Since the Roman Empire and its people gravitated to Europe, some believe that the descendants of the Romans comprise the majority of the Europeans. This leads to the belief that from them the Antichrist will rise to power.
The second passage in Daniel that seems to allude to the Antichrist coming out of the Roman Empire and therefore Europe states: "And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for Himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined." (Daniel 9:26) The prince who destroyed Herod’s Temple in 70 A.D. was the Roman General Titus. Thus, the people of the prince were the Romans who made up his army. Since this was only a foreshadow of the final destruction of the third or Tribulation Period Temple, the fulfillment of this prophetic passage has yet to occur. However, this too appears to be a reference to the Roman Empire and a future prince who will arise out of it. This has led some End-Times scholars to believe that the Antichrist will rise to power through a confederation of European countries such as the European Union. He may indeed ascend to the leadership of the European Parliament since Europe has been historically anti-Semitic and he will be the greatest anti-Semite who ever lived. He will have the support of ten other leaders of whom three he will overcome. At some point early on, he will use his newfound power to insert himself into the politics of Israel and the Middle East. He will make a covenant or peace treaty with Israel (anti-Semitism notwithstanding in order to further his true agenda) and possibly the other nations of the world. Finally, he will oversee the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem and be proclaimed and worshiped by the world as the messiah. Jesus warned of this in His End-Times discourse to His disciples, "5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many...23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. 24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. 25 Behold, I have told you before. 26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. 27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." (Matthew 24:5,23-27) In this last verse Jesus is telling His followers they will know when He comes again because it will be a worldwide event. They are not to be deceived by the Antichrist when his time comes.
Earlier I mentioned Adolph Hitler. His ascendancy came out the economic chaos in Germany that ensued after World War I. He preached nationalism to the German faithful and scapegoated the Jews for all of Germany's problems. This was a message that captivated the German people and eventually led them to follow Hitler into a devastating World War. Likewise, the Antichrist will attain power out of a global economic crisis.
In the Book of Revelation John saw a judgment come upon the earth that caused economic distress. He wrote what God showed him, "5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine." (Revelation 6:5-6) This passage is saying that it will take a day’s wages to buy food at the beginning of God’s final judgment of the earth. Jesus declared that some of the signs before His second coming would be, "7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows." (Matthew 24:7-8) Economic chaos can lead to famines and pestilences. By this time the Antichrist will have attained some prominence on the world scene. It is very possible that he will then present to the world (maybe through the United Nations or European Union) an economic system which will give stability to the global economy. This system will either immediately or eventually evolve into the mark of the beast scenario that John describes in Revelation 13:16-18.
Both Daniel and the apostle Paul allude to the oratorical skills that the Antichrist will possess: "8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things." (Daniel 7:8) "24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. 25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time." (Daniel 8:24-25) "3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God." (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4) The Antichrist has a "mouth speaking great things" and will "exalteth himself above all that is called God". His message will be accepted by the world because the people follow after him and worship him (just like a lot of Germans did to Hitler) as the Book of Revelation describes, "4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?... 8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." (Revelation 13:4,8) The world will become so anti-God that they will welcome the message of the Antichrist. However, they are in for the greatest disillusionment in history.
In the Book of Revelation, John sees another powerful person who helps the Antichrist attain power. He calls him a beast and later on in Revelation he is called the False Prophet, "11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. 15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. 16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six." (Revelation 13:11-18) "20 And the beast [i.e. Antichrist] was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image." (Revelation 19:20) John describes this person as a lamb who speaks like a dragon or like the Devil. The fact that he calls him a lamb and Revelation calls him a false prophet indicates that he is going to be a falsely religious leader. The religion he leads is the cult of the Antichrist. He is very powerful and appears to be able to perform wonders of miracles. His goal is to cause the world to worship the Antichrist and take a loyalty mark to prove they are his true followers. He causes them to worship an image of the Antichrist "which had the wound by a sword, and did live." This wound is a reference to an earlier verse in this chapter that speaks of an assassination attempt that someone will make on the Antichrist, "3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast." (Revelation 13:3) Anyone who does not worship the Antichrist nor take his mark will be killed. Anyone who does receive the mark is doomed forever, "9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name." (Revelation 14:9-11) What this mark is no one knows. It has to do with a global economic system where no one can buy or sell unless they have it. With the advent of the digital age it is possible to track every transaction electronically. Some think that John saw a computer chip being implanted into the right hand or the forehead of the people. The mark is associated with the name of the Antichrist or his number, 666. In any event, I believe a person will have to choose to receive this mark and that no one will receive it accidentally. Otherwise the False Prophet could just make everyone take it and thus everyone's fate would be sealed. However, it is clear that there are those who do not receive it because there is the qualification that no one can buy or sell unless they have it. If John saw everyone receive it then everyone would be able to buy and sell. Also, in the passage quoted above, "If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand" implies that there are those who will not take the mark of the beast. Those who don't receive it will probably exist under some kind of secret bargaining system with each other. The fate of the False Prophet will be the same as that of the Antichrist. They will meet their destruction at the second coming of Jesus Christ.
Daniel 9:26-27 declares, "26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. 27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate." As I mentioned above, this prince is the Antichrist. The word week used in this passage refers to seven years (For a fuller discussion of this passage see ch. 5 of my book Even at the Doors: 5 - 70 Weeks = 490 Years?). Christians refer to this seven-year period as the Tribulation Period. In this passage it states that this future prince or Antichrist will confirm a covenant for one week or seven-year period. Some prophecy students believe this covenant will be a peace treaty. Daniel 8:25 states, "And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many." The apostle Paul in a letter to the Thessalonian Christians tells them about the End-Times and declares, "1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape." (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3) Thus, it is believed that the Antichrist will make or support a peace treaty that probably involves Israel and the Arab countries because the context of this prophecy concerns Jerusalem and the Jewish people.
This prophecy says that the Antichrist will cause the sacrifices and oblations or offerings to stop in the middle of this seven-year period. This indicates that a third Jewish Temple will be built in Jerusalem. The apostle Paul confirms this in a second letter he wrote to the Thessalonican Church, "3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God." (II Thessalonians 2:3-4) The idea that this takes in the "midst of the week" or the middle of the Tribulation Period is confirmed in Revelation, "7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him... 12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. 13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. 14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. 15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. 16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." (Revelation 12:7-9,12-17) In the spiritual realm during the Tribulation, Satan is cast out of heaven. The angel warns the earth that the Devil is now among them and he is seeking vengeance. He possesses the Antichrist as both Daniel and Revelation attest, "23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. 24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully" (Daniel 8:23-24). Daniel states that the Antichrist will be powerful but the power will not come from him. Revelation reveals that it is the Devil who gives him his power, "2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon [the Devil] gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority." (Revelation 13:2) The Antichrist will then reveal his true nature to the Jews who thought he was the messiah and who helped with the building of their third Temple. He will enter the third Temple and declare himself God as the apostle Paul describes, "3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God." (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4) When that happens the Jews will flee Jerusalem and enter into Jordan where Daniel declares they will be protected from his power: "41 He [the Antichrist] shall enter also into the glorious land [Israel], and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon." (Daniel 11:41) Edom, Moab and Ammon are modern-day Jordan. Here Daniel attests to the fact that the Antichrist will not be able to harm this area. Jesus warned the Jews that when the Antichrist or abomination of desolation enters the holy place they are to flee to the wilderness: "15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: 17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: 18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. 19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! 20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: 21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. 23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not." (Matthew 24:15-23) Some believe the wilderness Jesus spoke of was located in Jordan (Ammon, Edom, and Moab) and might even involve the rock city of Petra in that country. When the Antichrist sees that he is unable to harm God's people he will turn his attention to the rest of the world.
Daniel chapter 11 reveals another prophecy "type" concerning the Antichrist, "36 And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. 37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. 38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. 39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain. 40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. 41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. 42 He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. 44 But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. 45 And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him." (Daniel 11:37-45)
There are some interesting descriptions of the Antichrist in this passage. He shall "exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods." This is the same characterization Paul made in 2 Thessalonians, "and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God." Daniel goes on to say that the Antichrist will not honor the "God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all." This begs the question, will the Antichrist be of both Roman and Jewish heritage or is there some other meaning intended? Since he will be an anti-Semite it would seem that he would not be Jewish but it does remain a possibility. The phrase in this passage that states, "Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain" seems to confirm that the Antichrist will make a pact with the Devil (see Revelation 13:2). The rest of this passage speaks of battles that involve the armies of the Antichrist and the "kings" of the north and south. This war arises when he invades Israel or the "glorious land". At first he will be victorious against these enemies but "tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many." These tidings from the east probably refer to the kings of the east mentioned in the Book of Revelation and will lead to his destruction, "12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty...16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon."
Armageddon is thought to refer to the plains surrounding Megiddo in north central Israel. It is here where the armies of the world will meet in a final battle that will end the Tribulation Period and the judgments of God on a rebellious earth. The battle will end with the second coming of Jesus Christ, "11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war. 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written, that no man knew, but He himself. 13 And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He hath on his vesture and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. 17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; 18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. 19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him that sat on the horse, and against His army. 20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh." The gruesomeness of this final battle is described here and in another passage in Revelation, " 14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. 16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. 17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. 19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs." (Revelation 14:14-20) The blood from this battle will fill the plains of Israel clear down to the city of Jerusalem.
While the battle is raging Jesus Christ comes down to earth and destroys the armies of the earth with the "sword of His mouth". This could mean that Jesus simply speaks their destruction just as God spoke the universe into being. It could also mean that Jesus commands the angel with the seventh bowl to commence the final judgment upon the earth, "16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. 17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. 18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. 19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. 20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great." Hailstones weighing up to a hundred pounds each will fall on these armies. That alone could account for all the blood that is spilled on the ground. Either way the apostle Paul alludes to this event in his second letter to the Thessalonians, "8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." (2 Thessalonians 2:8-10) After it is over John says he saw the Antichrist and his False Prophet cast into the lake of fire.
As you have just read, the future Tribulation Period is going to be the most horrible time in human history. It is going to start with a world leader who seems to have all the answers to the world's problems. The people will worship him and follow him and he will lead them to destruction. Daniel described this time in his book, "there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book." Jesus confirmed this when He was telling His disciples about the End-Times, "21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." (Matthew 24:21-22) With the Jews being back in the land of Israel for the first time in 1800 years, how much longer will the world continue to disintegrate before the Antichrist prophecies come to pass? The Jews have already finished making the vessels, utensils, and garments that are to be used in the Temple services. (The Temple Institute) They only need someone to rebuild the Temple.
