We are told in Rev 17.12-13 that the ten horns, which are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, receive authority as kings with the beast for “one hour” (a short time). These give their power and authority to the beast. What caused them to give their power and authority to the False Messiah? We believe there will be a great crisis and they are so scared that their survival is at stake. As a result of this crisis England, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Italy and four other nations send representatives to a meeting. Ten representatives have been given authority from their countries to act accordingly because, evidently, there is not time to go to each legislature to approve whatever is agreed to. There is someone in that meeting who they give their power and authority to because he has convinced them there is only one way to deal with this crisis.
This man says, “I have a plan and the only way we can survive is to follow it. We must combine all our forces together. We can no longer be individual states in a European union with ten different armies and legislatures to go through to get anything done. We will have one government, one economy, one avenue of power to accomplish what needs to be done. Give me the power and authority that has been given to you and I will make you a ruler over your nation, and we will stop this threat right now.” Of course, once he receives the power, and the ten representatives receive their power, they aren’t going to give it up. So, what we need to find out is what is causing this crisis and panic.
How does the False Messiah come to power? There will be ten rulers who arise in Europe, the old Roman Empire. They are not absolute rulers of their own countries as implied by these verses in Rev 17.12-13 (“have not yet received a kingdom”) , but they are representatives. Something has happened to cause these representatives to meet and act for their respective countries. Rev 17 and 18 talks about the destruction of Babylon. The Scriptures are full of descriptions about the fall of Babylon, and we believe that Babylon is the United States (see “Is America Babylon” on this site for more information).
In Rev 18.3 we read that the merchants of the earth were made rich by Babylon. Then moving on to Rev 18.9-10, we find that the key word in these verses is “fear” in v 10. This is how the False Messiah rises. Ancient Babylon was seen as indestructible and who could destroy it, much less in one day or one hour. But it was, and the world was shocked. In Rev 18.11-15 we learn that the merchants of the earth weep because nobody will be buying their cargo’s anymore. John is listing the merchandise of his day that made empires great. Fear in v 10 is the keyword for how the False Messiah will come to power so fast. Who are the “merchants of the earth?” In the commentary on Isaiah, Vol 1, by Rabbi A.J. Rosenberg, p 250, he says that Kittim were merchants who dealt with Babylon. They were seafaring merchants in Jewish eschatology. Kittim is found in the Dead Sea Scrolls and Rabbinic commentaries, and they identify Kittim as Rome. So, what do we have so far?
Babylon is the United States in prophecy. The United States will be destroyed in one day (one hour, very quickly).
Fear strikes Europe because they may be next. An emergency meeting is called in Europe with ten nations sending representatives. These ten representatives (the ten horns) are not absolute rulers of their countries, but are given total power as “kings” to act on behalf of their countries. The “little horn” (False Messiah) proposes they give him their power and authority, thus control over their countries, because he has a plan to save Europe. They give him this power and the False Messiah takes over Europe. So, with that in mind, read Rev 17.12-13 again.
In Dan 7.8-11 it says that the “little horn” came up among the the ten horns and three were pulled out by the roots. This little horn had “eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth uttering great boasts.” Dan 7.20 says basically the same thing. Dan 7.24-25 says that this little horn “will subdue three kings and he will speak out against the Most high.” Three times in this chapter we are told that the False Messiah speaks with great, boastful words. What is the Lord trying to communicate to us? The False Messiah will be a great orator who can move masses with his words. These words will captivate the people.
Two of these verses we looked at spoke of the “eyes” of the False Messiah. This may suggest “charisma” and a hypnotic effect on the people. We have seen this many times with politicians, musicians and actors. There have been many other examples of this in the past like Hitler. He cultivated his speaking style. He practiced his hand gestures, voice inflections, staring at the crowd and his facial expressions. Now, all men have eyes, so why does Daniel mention his eyes? Evil leaders in the past have been noted as having “piercing eyes.” So, we have two features discussed is Scripture about the False Messiah, his eyes and his mouth. It also refers to his appearance in Dan 7.20.
We know that Saul was the people’s choice for king and he was tall, dark and handsome. David was God’s choice. Absalom (“Father of Peace”) had good looks, too. He had no blemishes in him (2 Sam 14.25). There is a passage (one of many) that tells us about the image of the False Messiah. The Abomination of Desolation centers on the beauty of the False Messiah. Isa 44.13 says that there is an idol that is made, and “another shapes wood, he extends a measuring line; he outlines it with red chalk. He works it with planes, and outlines it with a compass, and makes it like the form of a man, like the beauty of a man, so that it may sit in a house.” On the contrary to this, let’s look at the true Messiah in Isa 53.2-3. He is a root out of dry ground with no form or comeliness. There is no beauty that people would be drawn to him or desire him. He is despised and rejected by men, acquainted with grief and sorrows. People hid their faces from him and he was not esteemed.
Now, let’s go to Dan 7.24-25 again. These verses say that the False Messiah will change the times, or “zim’nim”, which is another word for the festivals of God in Aramaic, and he will change the law, or “dat”, which is the Aramaic equivalent to the Torah. It also says the tzaddikim (saints) will be persecuted. What does all this mean? The False Messiah will change the calendar and the biblical festivals, which will be celebrated at the time because there is an operating Temple and priesthood. He will also do away with the Torah, which is called “lawlessness” in the Scriptures. But, wait a minute, that has already been done! In the second and third centuries A.D., Jewish believers and non-Jewish believers began to part ways. This separation was complete by the time of Constantine in the fourth century A.D. He became the “head” of Christianity and he wasn’t even a “Christian” until his deathbed.
He integrated various forms of paganism into Christianity (from Mithraism, Saturnalia, etc). The first documented “Christmas” (“mass of Christ”) was celebrated in 336 A.D. Constantine took a Roman god by that time called “Sol Invictus” (the unconquerable sun) from Mithraism, and the birthday of this god was December 25th, and made it a holiday by putting it together with the birth of “Jesus” and presto, we have the “mass of Christ” on December 25th. He has replaced the birth of Yeshua at the biblical festival of Sukkot with the “Christ Mass.” He will replace Passover with Easter, and the “New Testament” will replace the Tanak as the centerpiece of their teaching. He will also change the Torah commands. For example, he replaces the Sabbath with Sunday (“day of the sun” Sol Invictus).
The Council of Nicaea laid down the basic principles of Christianity. They did everything possible to “wipe out all traces of Judaism that still remained among the tenets and practices of Christianity” (“History of the Jewish People, from Yavneh to Pumbedisa”, Mesorah Publications, p 183). Constantine is a picture of the False Messiah, but the False Messiah will take all of this to a new level. Antiochus Epiphanes forbid the study of the Torah. That’s why the game called the “Dreidel” is played at Chanukah. They were allowed to gather and “gamble” but the games they played were centered around the Torah. If no Greeks were around, they studied the Torah openly. If they were, they played games that centered around the Torah but looked like they were gambling.
In Part 6, we will begin with the timing of the rise of the False Messiah.
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