Expert: Griff Ruby - 11/6/2008

Question
Dear Griff,

            I believe in Jesus as God and man. I believe Jesus was the Christ. I had a dream a few nights ago that I saw the antichrist, he was a Gnostic, not at christian!

The heretic Cerenthus lived in the second half of the first century, dying about 100 AD. He was an early Gnostic teacher. As did other Gnostics, he believed that Jesus was an ordinary man, upon whom “the Christ” descended at His baptism, and who departed from Him before the crucifixion, and went back to Heaven. Only the human Jesus was crucified. According to Cerenthus, the “spirit Christ” was another being. This was the heresy of Gnosticism.

The early Christian historian Eusebius quotes Irenaeus, who told of hearing from Polycarp, who was a disciple of John, that John was in a gymnasium in Ephesus when he heard that Cerenthus had entered. John ran out of the gymnasium saying, “The building will collapse because the enemy of truth is inside” (J. D. Douglas, editor, Who’s Who in Christian History, Tyndale House, 1992, p. 148).

Many scholars believe that I John was written against Cerenthus and his false teachings, and the teachings of other early Gnostics, who believed in a Docetic “spirit Christ,” and denied Christ’s human body. It is against this backdrop that our text was given,

“And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world” (I John 4:3).

Let us consider three simple thoughts in this verse.

I. First, the spirits.

Our text says,

“Every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God…” (I John 4:3).

The Apostle John spoke of the Holy Spirit in I John 3:24. Then in the next verse (4:1) the Apostle said,

“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try [test] the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (I John 4:1).

Dr. J. Vernon McGee said,

We are dealing here with the spirit world, and the Bible has a great deal to say about it…Not only are there good angels who serve God, but there are also fallen angels. They too are called spirits in the Scriptures. The Gospels speak a great deal of the fact that in Christ’s day there were “unclean spirits.” That is what is known as demonism; we call them demons because the Scriptures use that term (J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1983, volume 5, pp. 799-800).

Dr. Henry M. Morris said the same thing when he pointed out that, “False teachers are influenced by demonic spirits, I Timothy 4:1” (Henry M. Morris, Ph.D., The Defender’s Study Bible, 1995, note on I John 4:1). The Apostle Paul said,

“We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12).

Dr. McGee said, “As this verse [Ephesians 6:12] suggests, the Devil has his demons pretty well organized” (ibid., p. 800). Dr. John MacArthur, though wrong on the Blood, correctly said, “By juxtaposing ‘spirits’ with ‘false prophets’ John reminds his readers that behind human teachers who propagate false doctrine and error are demons inspired by Satan…Human false prophets and teachers are the physical expressions of demonic, spiritual sources” (John MacArthur, D.D., The MacArthur Study Bible, Word Publishing, 1997, note on I John 4:1).

We are told to “try [test, prove] the spirits whether they are of God” (I John 4:1). But how can we test to see if the teachings that we hear are from God – or if they are demonic in origin? That takes us to the next point.

II. Second, the test.

The test is a very simple one. It is given at the beginning of our text,

“Every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God…” (I John 4:3).

Now, I want you to notice one little word here, the word “is.” That is the correct translation. It is translated “has” in all the modern translations, including the New King James. But the word “has” does not give us the correct meaning. The English word “is” gives the meaning conveyed in the original Greek. This is not a minor thing at all. Many false teachers are willing to say that Christ “has” come in the flesh. That is not the test here. The test is whether or not they confess that Jesus Christ “is come in the flesh.” The words “is come in the flesh” appear twice, once in verse two and once in verse three, in the Textus Receptus Greek. Both times it is exactly the same in Greek. The Westcott and Hort text leaves this phrase out in verse three. But that makes little difference regarding this test, because this phrase is given in verse 2 as the positive side of the test. The way you can tell whether the teaching is from God, or from demons, is this:

“Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God” (I John 4:2).

Now I am not a Greek scholar. I am a Christian writer and preacher. But I have enough sense to know a Greek scholar when I see one! Dr. A. T. Robertson was a Greek scholar. For many years he was professor of Greek New Testament at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Dr. Robertson said,

“The test…follows. That Jesus Christ is come in the flesh (Iesoun Christon en sarki eleluthota). The correct text (perfect active participle predicate accusative), not the infinitive (eleluthenai, B Vg). The predicate participle…describes Jesus as already come in the flesh (his actual humanity, not a phantom body as the Gnostics held)” (A. T. Robertson, Ph.D., Word Pictures in the New Testament, Broadman Press, 1933, pp. 229-230).

Thus Dr. Robertson argues for the English word “is” instead of “has.” Dr. Robertson, in his own translation, gives the word “is” rather than “has,” as given in the modern translations, on the basis that the word “eleluthota” is given, not the word “eleluthenai” (is come, not has come) (ibid.).

The Jamieson, Fausset and Brown commentary (William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1976 reprint, note on I John 4:2) makes this crystal clear. Their widely known commentary correctly said,

Man is required to confess it openly, as in teaching. Jesus Christ is come in the flesh – a twofold truth confessed: that Jesus is the Christ; and that he is come [eleluthota, perfect [tense]; not a mere past historical fact [that He has come], but present and continuing in its blessed effects] in the flesh (invested in flesh; not with seeming humanity, as the Docetae [Docetic Gnostic heretics] afterwards taught) (Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., volume III, part three, p. 640).

The perfect tense of “is” indicates the continuation and present state of completed past action. The word “eleluthota” indicates the continuation and present state of a completed past action. The word “eleluthota” indicates the progress of the action is continuing on in full effect. Therefore “is,” in the perfect tense, shows that Christ continues, “is come in the flesh,” not that He “has” come in the flesh. That is the conclusion of both Dr. A. T. Robertson and the Jamieson, Fausset and Brown commentary.

Why is this important? Simply because the words “is come” are as close as you can get to the Greek in an English translation. The first century Apostle tells us that “Christ is come in the flesh” (I John 4:3). This is a far cry from relegating His coming in the flesh to the past. The correct rendering into English is, therefore, “is come in the flesh.” He became flesh in the virgin’s womb. He was born in the flesh. He did His ministry while in the flesh. He rose from the dead in the flesh. He ascended back to Heaven in the flesh – glorified flesh. He is seated at the right hand of God in His resurrected and glorified flesh and bone body. This truth is graphically illustrated in the Gospel of John, when the physically resurrected Christ spoke to doubting Thomas,

“Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side” (John 20:27).

Again it is illustrated when Jesus appeared to His Apostles soon after His physical resurrection and said,

“Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have” (Luke 24:38-39).

Then Jesus went with them to the Mount of Olives,

“And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven” (Luke 24:51).

This was the very same, glorified, resurrected flesh and bone Jesus they had met several times after His bodily resurrection. Then He ascended back to Heaven. The Disciples stood looking up, but two angels said to them after He ascended,

“This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).

Those are not new thoughts. They may seem new, but they are not. That has been the view of mainstream Christians for close to two thousand years. And it all boils down to what our text teaches,

“And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God” (I John 4:3).

Jesus Christ “is” come in the flesh. The “is” there shows it was not something He did only in the resurrection of His body, for He continues to live on in Heaven in that same glorified flesh and bone body today – up in Heaven, at the right hand of God, as we are repeatedly told in the New Testament. Jesus Christ “is” in glorified flesh today. Jesus Chris is come in the flesh!

Anyone who denies that Jesus Christ is incarnate, living right now, in a resurrected and glorified flesh and bone body, has been led astray by Satanic forces. Anyone who says that Jesus is a spirit “is not of God,” but has been led into heresy by “that spirit of antichrist.” Which leads us to the last point.

III. Third, the Antichrist.

Our text tells us of “the spirit of antichrist.” The prefix “anti” can mean “against” or “in place of.” In regard to the word “antichrist” it is both. The “spirit of antichrist” is Satan, and he is “against” Christ, and he wants to put someone else “in place of” Christ. So, the spirit of antichrist is against the real, glorified flesh and bone resurrected Jesus (who is up in Heaven), and the spirit of antichrist puts someone else in His place.

Now, I want you to turn over the page to II John, verse 7. Here again is that same test,

“For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist” (II John 7).

Once again Dr. Robertson upholds the idea of the King James (“is come”) when he says the verse is “treating the Incarnation as a continuing fact which the Docetic Gnostics flatly denied” (Robertson, ibid., p. 253). One of the best tests to tell if a religion is a cult, or a false religion, is simply to ask them, “Is Jesus Christ alive in a flesh and bone resurrected and glorified body right now?” The cults and false religious systems will hedge on it at best – and nearly all of them will say “no” right away. Like the Gnostics of the first century, they believe in a “spirit Christ.”

The weak new-evangelicals will say “He has risen” (in the past), but the King James Bible correctly translates it, “He is risen” (right now!), cf. Matthew 28:7. They want to make Christ’s resurrection a past event. My friend, the bodily resurrection of Christ is not a past event, it is a present reality!

The cults and false religions are against the living Christ, and they put “another Jesus” in His place, and the “other Jesus” is energized by, and counterfeited by demons, as we saw in I John 4:1-3. Satan is the deceiver who lies behind the coming Antichrist. He is “that spirit of antichrist” (I John 4:3).

Now turn back to I John 2:18. Let us stand and read this verse aloud.

“Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time” (I John 2:18).

You may be seated.

The Apostle John fondly calls these young Christians “little children.” Dr. Zane Hodges said,

John’s general warning against the world is now followed by a warning against one of its end-time manifestations. The readers knew about the predicted [coming] of the Antichrist and needed to be alerted to the appearance of many who would display his traits of hostility towards God’s Christ. This is a clear indication that history has entered a climactic era: the last hour. Despite the lapse of centuries since John wrote, the climax of all things [draws near] in a special way. The stage has been set for history’s final drama (The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, edited by Dr. John F. Walvoord and Dr. Roy B. Zuck, Victor Books, 1983, note on I John 2:18).

The Tim LaHaye Prophecy Study Bible says,

In this passage [I John 2:18], John reminds his readers that the Antichrist is coming in the future. Then, he adds that many antichrists have already come. These are Christ-denying false teachers who prefigure the ultimate Antichrist yet to come in the future (The Tim LaHaye Prophecy Study Bible, AMG Publications, 2000, note on I John 2:18).

How will we know who the final Antichrist is? I am convinced that he is the “man of sin” spoken of in II Thessalonians 2:3-4,

“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 2:4).

Dr. Henry M. Morris said,

He will make a seven-year treaty with Israel…re-establishing their temple worship at Jerusalem, but will break that treaty after three and one-half years, and will install his own…image in the temple, proclaiming himself to be the god whom all men must worship (The Defender’s Study Bible, ibid., note on II Thessalonians 2:4).

Thus, the final Antichrist will be the climax of all those before him who had the “spirit of antichrist” (I John 4:3). The final Antichrist will not pass the test of I John 4:2-3. He will not confess “that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh” (I John 4:3). He will refuse to believe that Jesus Christ alone is God in the flesh (God incarnate).

But Jesus Christ alone is God incarnate. Jesus Christ is the only one who died on the Cross to pay for your sins. Jesus Christ is the only one of whom it can be said,

“He is not here: for he is risen, as he said” (Matthew 28:6).

“It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God” (Romans 8:34).

“He was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God” (Mark 16:19).

And this Jesus is the only true Christ. And this Jesus is the only one who can save you from judgment for your sins. And it is this Jesus that you must come to by faith.

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved”
  (Acts 16:31).

He is coming again, He is coming again,
The very same Jesus, Rejected of men;
He is coming again, He is coming again,
With power and great glory, He is coming again!

Most people assume that the Bible teaches that an end-time Hitler-like super dictator—“the antichrist”—in league with the devil will one day arise to rule the world. Think of it as the computer game to win we need Christ on our side he is like the points in the game. So in every game there is a deceiver depending what game you are playing, but you get my point its like the famous 3D movie Spykids game over, the antichrist is the deceiver.

Yet nowhere in Scripture does the Bible refer to THE antichrist. Most people don’t realize this—including most professing Christians!

Now is the time to stop assuming. Now you can know what God’s Word actually says about antichrist—as long as you allow the Bible to interpret itself!

Only One Antichrist?
The term “antichrist” is found in only four scriptures, all written by the Apostle John: I John 2:18, 22, 4:3 and II John 7. Originally written in Greek, it means “an opponent of the Messiah”—in other words, against Christ.

John warned Christians, “Little children, it is the last time: and as you have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time” (I John 2:18).

Notice that it says, “MANY antichrists”—plural, more than one. The term is not limited to just one person.

Verse 19 further explains that they came from within God’s Church. “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest [obvious] that they were not all of us.”

John wrote these verses near the close of the first century and the end of his 60-plus-year ministry. Of Christ’s original twelve apostles, he was the only one still living at that time. He witnessed the birth of God’s Church on Pentecost, A.D. 31 that is the Catholic church.

He saw it grow like the proverbial mustard seed as it spread across the Roman Empire, and saw it viciously attacked by massive religious deception.

Halley’s Bible Handbook, p. 673, explains that antichrist “is commonly identified with the Man of Sin (II Thessalonians 2), and the Beast of Revelation 13. But the Bible itself does not make the identification. The language implies that John’s readers had been taught to expect an antichrist in connection with the closing days of the Christian era (vs. 18). However, John applies the word, not to one person, but to the whole group of anti-Christian teachers (2:18; 4:3).

The New Testament idea seems to be that the spirit of antichrist would arise in Christendom, manifesting itself in many ways, both within the Church and without, finally culminating in one person, or an institution, or both.”

These antichrists existed not only during John’s time, but throughout the 2,000-year history of the Church—even to our time.

While the Bible says that there are many antichrists, it also shows that the Beast and the False Prophet of Revelation 16:13 will be two of the last great antichrists.

The Gnostics
Among these deceivers were the Gnostics. They claimed to have “special knowledge” (Gnosticism comes from the Greek word meaning “knowledge”), which they considered higher than Holy Scripture. They used their “special knowledge” to lead people into lasciviousness—license to sin. They deceived many, teaching that transgressing God’s law is of no moral consequence.

According to the MacArthur Study Bible (New King James Version), “Gnosticism was the most dangerous heresy that threatened the early church during the first three centuries.”

Again, antichrists are deceivers. They deceive by denying Christ: “Who is a liar but he that denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denies the Father and the Son” (I John 2:22).

But how do they do this?

It is unlikely that antichrists in John’s time, such as the Gnostics, went around saying, “I deny Christ.” If they had, they could not have blended with true Christians.

The Gnostics taught that matter (flesh) is entirely evil and spirit is entirely good. Led by Cerinthus, a false teacher in Ephesus, this cult denied that God, who is Spirit, literally became flesh.

Instead, some believed that when Christ lived on the earth, He did not have a real body—it only “seemed” real. They believed Christ was a kind of “phantom.”

Others believed that the divine Christ (spirit) joined with the human Jesus (flesh) at baptism, and left Him just before He died. Since Christ did not die, they reasoned, He did not need to be resurrected from the dead.

Both ideas are false. They deny that Jesus Christ was once a flesh-and-blood human being, tempted like all men and capable of sinning, but did not (Heb. 4:14-15).

Here is the problem with their reasoning: If Christ was not flesh, then He was never tempted to sin. If He was never tempted, He was never capable of sinning. If He was incapable of sinning, then He did not overcome sin and could not set an example for us to do the same (Rev. 3:21; I Pet. 2:21).

But John 1 says that Christ (who was God) did become flesh: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God…And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us…” (vs. 1-2, 14).

Matthew 4 describes Christ being tempted by the devil: “Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil…And when the tempter came to Him, he said, If You be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread” (vs. 1, 3). If Christ was never flesh, how could He be tempted? James 1:13 states, “God [as a Spirit—John 4:24] cannot be tempted with evil.”

But Hebrews 4:15 states, “But [Christ] was in all points tempted like as we are...” The key is that ALL flesh is subject to temptation.

Christ said in John 16:33, “I have overcome the world.” How can this be true if He never became flesh, was never tempted and therefore was never capable of sinning?

As you can see, the false doctrines of Cerinthus and the Gnostics are based on human reasoning. They defy the plain, simple truth of Scripture.

Trinity Doctrine Denies Christ
The Gnostics denied that Christ literally became a flesh-and-blood man. But there are other ways to deny Christ!

For example, the Trinity doctrine promotes the idea that God is “three Persons and one nature,” and that Christ is “one Person and two natures.” Somehow, one “nature” of Christ died at the crucifixion, while the other continued to live.

But how can one half of one third of one Being die? Are you confused? You should be. This is doctrinal confusion—and “God is not the author of confusion,” but of decency and order (I Cor. 14:33, 40).

Read what the New Catholic Encyclopedia says about the Trinity: “…one should not speak of Trinitarianism in the New Testament without serious qualification…(W)hen one does speak of an unqualified Trinitarianism, one has moved from the period of Christian origins to, say, the last quadrant of the fourth century. It was only then that what might be called the definitive Trinitarian dogma ‘one God in three Persons’ became thoroughly assimilated into Christian life and thought.

“Herein lies the difficulty. On the one hand, it was the dogmatic formula ‘one God in three Persons’ that would henceforth for more than 15 centuries structure and guide the Trinitarian essence of the Christian message…On the other hand, the formula itself does not reflect the immediate consciousness of the period of origins; it was the product of three centuries of doctrinal development.”

In other words, the false idea of “three beings in one God” did not originate with the New Testament Church. Neither Christ nor the original twelve apostles taught it. Nor did Paul.

Instead, the Trinity doctrine simmered in the minds of false Christians for about three centuries. By the fourth century, it became the official doctrine of the great universal church.

The Trinity denies and limits the nature of God, falsely teaching that He is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It denies Scripture, which shows that God is a Family. He is reproducing Himself, expanding His Family with many sons. These sons—Christians—are spiritually begotten by God’s Holy Spirit, which empowers them to develop godly character. Later, at Christ’s Return, they will be changed from mortal to immortal, from physical to spiritual, from the human kind to the God kind. The Trinity doctrine both limits God and denies His Master Plan of Salvation for mankind.

So Gnostic religion will be the one world goverment. The antichrist will be in this religion as well as Nazism. So he will be Gnostic/Nazi.

Only One God, One Being?
Another doctrine of antichrist is the idea that God is only one Being. False teachers quote verses such as “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord” (Deut. 6:4). They claim that Jesus is not God, but only a Son of God.

These ignore what the Bible records in John 10. In verse 30, Christ said, “I and My Father are one.” The Jews responded by picking up stones to stone Him to death (vs. 31). “Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shown you from My Father; for which of those works do you stone Me? The Jews answered Him, saying, For a good work we stone You not; but for blasphemy; and because that You, being a man, make Yourself God” (vs. 32-33).

Read the rest of the chapter. Notice that Christ did not say, “You misunderstood what I was saying.” No, Jesus was saying that He was God, just like the Father is God.

In the beginning of the same book, John records that Christ was God from the very beginning (John 1:1-2, 14). Any teaching contrary to this is antichrist!

Doctrine of Lawlessness
Perhaps the most common way antichrists deny Christ is through evil works. They do not understand I John 4:3 and II John 7, which warn against those who “confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh.” Some Bible versions, such as the Williams translation, render “is come” more clearly as “continues to come,” meaning Christ is coming in the flesh right now.

Although Christ came in the flesh 2,000 years ago, He is also coming in the flesh right now in the lives of Christians. He is actively working in them, living His perfect, sin-free life THROUGH them daily (Gal. 2:20). He is guiding them to become perfect—spiritually mature—just like Him (I Pet. 2:21).

But antichrists deny Christ by their evil works. They claim that Christ kept the law for them, therefore, they don’t have to keep those “harsh commandments.” They forget that Paul wrote that God’s law is “holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good” (Rom. 7:12).

Paul also wrote, in Titus 1:16, “They profess that they know God; but in works they deny Him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.” Antichrists are against Christ—against His laws and way of life.

But God gives His Holy Spirit to those who obey Him, who keep His commandments, allowing Christ to live His perfect life through them. “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight” (I John 3:22). Verse 24 explains, “And he that keeps His commandments dwells in Him, and He in him. And hereby we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit which He has given us.”

What Is the Spirit of Antichrist?
I John 4:3 states, “And every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof you have heard it should come; and even now already is it in the world.” (See verses 1, 4-6.)

Notice that it says “IT”—not “he”—“should come,” and that “IT”—not he—“is already in the world.” An antichrist is more than just a person or group of people. It is an attitude, an idea, a teaching!

The spirit of antichrist can be applied to people, authorities, attitudes and actions. It permeates all cultures, subcultures and societies of the world. This is because this world is currently led and deceived by Satan the devil (II Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2; Rev. 12:9).

The spirit of antichrist already blankets the world as mankind continues to rely on himself to bring world peace, justice, etc—denying the power of Christ and rejecting His help and rule.

But, as the end of Satan’s reign draws near, this spirit will be personified by two men who will soon arise and deceive mankind during the worst time of trouble in human history. Neither man will be the antichrist, but both will embody and represent this world’s spirit or attitude of antichrist!

Christ said that the dark times ahead will be “as the days of Noah were” (Matt. 24:36-39). People will rely on themselves instead of looking toward God. They will continue to follow their own ideas.

More religious deceivers will arrive on the “Christian” scene, antichrists who will pass themselves off as God’s people, deceiving many through mighty miracles (Rev. 13:13-14).

One such leader, the final great False Prophet, will lead the world to worship the Beast as God (II Thes. 2:3; Rev. 16:13; 19:20)! This deception will be so great, so widespread, that they will even deceive mankind into fighting Christ at His Second Coming (Rev. 16:9, 13-16; 17:13-14).

The seeds for these stunning events have been planted and will soon sprout. But God promises a way of escape for those who diligently seek Him (Rev. 12:7-9, 13-16).


Unrest grows daily around the world. Terrorism mounts. Bad news increases, while good news is increasingly scarce. Conditions worsen daily!

Also, human decadence and immorality, famine, disease, racism and competition among ethnic rivals, and crime and violence are exploding. Where are these downward trends leading? Will human life survive?

Sobering world conditions make this question loom larger than ever before. Nothing that has occurred over the past 6,000 years even remotely compares to what is yet to come upon this world!

The Bible foretells a time of world peace, happiness, abundance and universal prosperity. Many may think there is no hope for this world—but there is! Wonderful good news lies beyond today’s bad news. The great Creator God will soon intervene and save humanity from itself. But before this occurs, world trouble will greatly increase—intensifying to staggering proportions. This will be followed by unexpected and cataclysmic events that will shake the whole world! Civilization as we know it will forever change.

Signs, seals, symbols, vials, visions, trumpets, thrones, plagues, angels, beasts, heads, horns, witnesses, woes, wars, numbers, multitudes, messages and mystery! Revelation contains all of these terms. But what do they mean?

Most believe that the book of Revelation is sealed, closed from understanding. It is called a mystery book without meaning. Yet it is an entire book of important—vital—meaning. It is filled with answers. The above terms can be unlocked! They can be understood—and this eye-opening booklet contains the necessary keys!

You will be intrigued—even fascinated—by the clarity of what can be known from the book of Revelation. Events are building to a final culmination—a tremendous CLIMAX! You can know them.

One-third of the Bible is prophecy—the future written in advance! The Bible is approximately 750,000 words, with about 250,000 devoted to many, many prophecies. Almost half the books of the Old Testament are included in either the so-called “major” (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel) or “minor” prophets (Hosea, Joel, Amos, Jonah, Micah, etc.).

The apostle Paul explained that the New Testament Church was “…built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets” (Eph. 2:20). Recognize that, since the Church stands on the words of the prophets, Christians must understand prophecy. If God commands men to “live by every word of God” (Matt. 4:4; Luke 4:4; Deut. 8:3), He would not exclude the full third that is prophecy!

The prophet Daniel spoke of a time when “…many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased” (12:4). Then, speaking of the end time, he said, “…the wise shall understand” (vs. 10).

Christ directly paraphrased Daniel in the New Testament Olivet prophecy. This is where He answered the disciples’ question about the sequence of events to occur at “the end of the age.” He reinforced Daniel’s statements about those events by saying, “Whoso reads, let him understand” (Matt. 24:15).

God has opened up—revealed!—to His servants what lies ahead. He wants you to understand. He does not want you confused, ignorant or fearful of the future.

Then what are the wise to understand? Important keys exist, which open up Bible prophecies. But the world knows nothing of them! No wonder so many claim that the meaning of Revelation cannot be explained. How could they understand without the keys?

Imagine. Forty-two percent of Americans actually believe that they can consult the dead about matters involving the future. But mankind refuses to seek and consult GOD. Only He can reveal the future. Mankind cannot, through intelligence, human reasoning or scientific discovery, know or discern events to come. And many “religious” people believe that the book of Revelation offers no help anyway, because it cannot be understood.

But God is working out a supreme Master Plan, involving every human being. However, Daniel 12:10 adds, “…but none of the wicked shall understand,” because God will not reveal His plans to those who do not obey Him!

Psalm 111:10 says, “A good understanding have all they that DO His commandments.” God only gives understanding to those who do what He says!

Revelation Means a Revealing
After Daniel finished recording the prophecy, he asked God to explain what it meant. Though Daniel was used to record the book, even he did not understand it (12:8): “I heard, but I understood not.” God answered, “Go your way…the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end” (vs. 9 – the Moffatt translation is even stronger by rendering this “till the crisis at the close.”)

While Daniel was not allowed to understand it, those who live in the time of the end can! And we have seen that the wise DO!

We will see that this awesome revelation of future events was sealed with seven separate seals. It is crucial to understand another key point: The seven seals in God’s hand essentially span all but the last two chapters of the book! The seven seals are opened one by one, in sequence. Each reveals future events before they happen. Only Christ is qualified to remove the seven seals and open the book to understanding.

The Greek word apocalypse is translated “revelation.” This English word actually means to reveal—not conceal, hide, veil or close up. The dictionary definition of revelation is: “The act of revealing or disclosing; something revealed, especially a dramatic disclosure of something not previously known or realized.”

In the first verse of the book, the apostle John recorded Christ’s words, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ…to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass.” Near the end of the book, Revelation 22:10 states, “Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.”

Comprehend John’s words. The time for understanding the book of Revelation IS now at hand!

God reveals a basic framework for understanding future events. This framework is primarily laid out in Daniel and Revelation. Daniel, recorded over 600 years earlier, sets the stage for the larger and more detailed book of Revelation, which describes events found nowhere else in the Bible.

Revelation outlines a long series of events that relate to one another in a continuous flow—comprising an entire story. These occur in order of time sequence. (The center of this booklet contains two overview graphs—an outline and a story flow—to which the reader may occasionally refer.) Also, Christ periodically insets certain events into the course of the Revelation. You now understand the first key to unlock the book!

Grasp this central, all-important point. While there are keys to understanding Revelation, the book itself is the single greatest key to understanding almost all other prophecies in the Bible!

The Signs of Christ’s Coming Parallel the Seven Seals
One of the basic rules of Bible study is to always let the Bible interpret itself. This is probably never truer than in the book of Revelation. This will be done as we progress through the opening of the seven seals.

Since John sees many symbols, we need to be able to understand the actual events that they represent. Otherwise, we will not know what is being described.

How do we do this?

Mark 4:10-12 and Matthew 13:10-15 hold another key to understanding how Christ teaches. In both places, He explained that He spoke in parables so that His true servants would understand Him—but others would not! Carefully read these verses: “And when He was alone, they that were about Him with the twelve asked of Him the parable. And He said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them” (Mark 4:10-12).

Note exactly what Christ said! Only His servants could understand His real meaning. Others might think they do—but they cannot!

Christ never leaves His servants in the dark about matters He wants them to understand. But He does record them in ways that keep them hidden from the view of all others. This will help you see why so few understand a book that has been read by so many.

We have already touched upon the principle that the “wicked” (the unrighteous) do not understand events at the close of the age. But those who have God’s Spirit (Acts 5:32; John 16:13) will understand. Only through God’s Spirit leading those that are obeying Him can they understand the truth. Recognizing and accepting these two verses is of vital importance to every reader of this booklet—and of the book of Revelation. All who do not seek to obey God, while they may sincerely seek to understand the many truths of Bible prophecy, are wasting their time.

Jesus explained, in plain, clear language, the key events of the last days preceding and leading to the time of His Second Coming. Remember, Jesus’ disciples asked Him privately, “Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the world [age]?” (Matt. 24:3; Luke 21:7).

We must briefly examine the critical Matthew 24 chapter for vital clues, which explain the symbols that we will study in Revelation. Christ gave a list of six different events that are to happen before His Second Coming. They precisely parallel what we will read beginning in Revelation 6.

First—false prophets and false christs (vs. 5). Second—wars (vs. 6) throughout the age, culminating in the end time with world war (vs. 7). Third—famines (vs. 7). Fourth—pestilences (vs. 7). It is at this point that Christ inserted a reference to the destruction of Jerusalem, in A.D. 70, because this was a forerunner, or type, of the yet future siege of Jerusalem and final “battle of Armageddon” (review Matthew 24:17-28 with Luke 17:30-37). Therefore, Matthew 24:9-28 (also Luke 21:12-24) applies to the period of A.D. 70—but only as a forerunning type of the final time of the end to which His warning refers literally!

Fifth, in Matthew 24:21-22, Christ explains that the Great Tribulation occurs. Sixth are the Heavenly Signs (vs. 29)—when the stars fall and the sun and moon are darkened. The sign of Christ’s coming (vs. 30) occurs at this same time. His actual coming is right on the heels of it.

We will now examine Revelation, chapter by chapter.

Chapter 1: Christ the Revelator and the Book’s Theme
Understanding who is the actual author of the Revelation—and understanding the critically important theme, the centerpiece of the book, is vital. Without these keys, many have bogged down into either arguments about whether “the Lord’s Day” (vs. 10) is a reference to Sunday—or whether John, instead of Christ, authored the book.

Why does almost everyone refer to this book as “The Revelation of St. John the Divine”? Nowhere does it refer to John as either divine or the Revelator.

Notice: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him, to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass; and He sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant John: Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw” (vs. 1-2).

Did you notice that the book of Revelation contains Jesus Christ’s words, as the Revelator, not John’s words? John was merely a scribe—a secretary taking dictation.

Anyone who carefully examines this verse will plainly see that the Revelation originated with God (the Father), who gave it to Christ. Christ sent and signified the Revelation by His angel, who then gave it to John, “Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw” (vs. 2). John merely recorded these events, preserving them for the servants of Jesus Christ—His end-time Church.

As soon as the book was copied and canonized (circa A.D. 100), the founders of the developing universal church at Rome denied its origin. The highly authoritative, and famous 11th edition of The Encyclopedia Britannica states, “Instead of this [Rev. 1:1] the Church substituted the name of the disciple through whom the message was delivered for that of his Master, and designated our Apocalypse ‘The Apocalypse of John.’ This title was familiar before the end of the 2nd century” (vol. 23, p. 212).

If the world’s best minds cannot even discern the book’s correct title—and Author—how could they discern its message?

Christ used John to “bare record of” (vs. 2)—write down—what He was revealing. In short, John wrote three things: (1) The word of God, (2) the direct testimony (words) of Christ, and (3) what he saw in vision.

With this background, you now understand the introduction to the book.

If you need any help with explaining a few things I am here... I am a youth minister in training right now. I am a 22 year old girl who walks by faith not by sight, I am living for Christ!

I have a few questions:

As a Catholic woman I fear that since we had Bush for 8 years straight was he the beast or the antichrist? According to freelance journalist Wayne Madsden, "George W Bush's blood lust, his repeated commitment to Christian beliefs and his constant references to 'evil doers,' in the eyes of many devout Catholic leaders, bear all the hallmarks of the one warned about in the Book of Revelations--the anti-Christ."

Madsen, a Washington-based writer and columnist, who often writes for Counterpunch, says that people close to the pope claim that amid these concerns, the pontiff wishes he was younger and in better health to confront the possibility that Bush may represent the person prophesized in Revelations. John Paul II has always believed the world was on the precipice of the final confrontation between Good and Evil as foretold in the New Testament.

Before he became pope, Karol Cardinal Wojtyla said, "We are now standing in the face of the greatest historical confrontation humanity has gone through. I do not think that wide circles of the American society or wide circles of the Christian community realize this fully. We are now facing the final confrontation between the church and the anti-Church, of the Gospel versus the anti-Gospel."

The pope worked tirelessly to convince leaders of nations on the UN Security Council to oppose Bush's war resolution on Iraq.

Vatican sources claim they had not seen the pope more animated and determined since he fell ill to Parkinson's Disease! In the end, the pope did convince the leaders of Mexico, Chile, Cameroon and Guinea to oppose the U.S. resolution. I feel that either Bush or Irans president are the ones spoken of the bible...

Madsen contends that "Bush is a dangerous right-wing ideologue who couples his political fanaticism with a neo-Christian blood cult."

I feel the Iran President is the Antichrist and Bush the old President of last year was the false prophet!

Do you believe that God really founded Catholicism?

Do you think we are the true ISRAELITES? OF THE BIBLE?

Do you think the Pope is the Redemption and the Iranian president is the antichrist?

The reason I ask you this is because I feel something funny about the Iranian President he has been reigning for 38 years and he said that he had felt a blue orb around him and all the leaders stopped and looked at him and then he said a hand was holding them and they did not blink!

So isnt that kind of suspicious to you? O and I am called to the Poor clare sisters.  

Answer
There are still a number of things to work on:
Let's start with the easiest:  "Madsen contends that 'Bush is a dangerous right-wing ideologue who couples his political fanaticism with a neo-Christian blood cult.'"  Granted Bush is not a Catholic, but this "blood cult" garbage is an accusation which is beyond the absurd.  However unpopular he has somehow become, I think when there comes to be some distance from this time America (or what's left of it or became of it) will look back and realize that he was probably one of the greatest Presidents this country has had, along with Reagan, since at least Theodore Roosevelt, and more likely Abraham Lincoln or even the Washington-Jefferson group.  But what people think of President Bush is really beside the point.
More important:  "Do you believe that God really founded Catholicism?"  Of course I believe that.  I wouldn't be here if I didn't.  I wouldn't be sane if I didn't, not knowing all that I know of Christian history, Scripture, and theology.  One get's the idea that you have doubts (probably from reading all of those Protestant sources, and now even some sources that ridicule the dogma of the Trinity! - Good grief, that's not even Christian!), and that being the case how can it be that, as you say, "I am called to the Poor clare sisters"?  If your were to decide to go along with your doubts about the Church, would you still go and join the Poor clare sisters?  Do the Poor clare sisters know about these doubts of yours?  If so, then what do they think?
So, now to your big ticket question:  Do I think the great final "Captain 666" of Biblical prophesy of the end times will be a Gnostic?  No doubt at least in a general sense which I will explain shortly.  But would he be a card-carrying member of any of the various Gnostic cults confronted by the Apostle John in the Bible?  Unlikely, though I admit not absolutely impossible.  I can however give you credit for one thing.  Some time ago you raised the possibility that Obama was the Antichrist.  While I gravely doubt that even he would be that harbinger of the end of the world, I have no doubt that he plans to bring an end to the American nation as we have all known it thus far; that is his own personal agenda.  And it remains to be seen whether America will let him.  They just might.  He has however managed to be the first to provide a closer approximation to the Great Antichrist than even Hillary Clinton, and that takes some doing.
But really, all of this speculation about the Antichrist is merely that, speculation.  What is so much more important is our own spiritual growth and perfection.  It is so much easier (and tempting, in the sense of being tempted by the devils, etc.) to give attention to all the things in the world that need fixing, and over which we have no power, than it is to give attention to all the things in ourselves that need fixing, and which God has given us the grace to fix if only we would use it.
Most notably I see you are still relying on Protestant writings for your interpretation of the Bible, and especially with regards to prophetic speculation.  Has no Spiritual Director or regular confessor told you anything about this?  This is the source of your doubts, and obviously you have not proven capable of seeing through their false information (or their false take on true information, as again I will get to presently), as most would not, which is why the Church has classically forbidden Catholics to read religious works that do not (or in this day cannot have) received an imprimatur and/or nihil obstat.
There is however one salient point that these Protestants have brought forth, and this is the really only interesting part of all this.  The whole point about how Jesus Christ IS come in the flesh (and not merely Jesus Christ HAD one time in the past come in the flesh) is an important one, and one which Dr. J. Vernon McGee and Dr. Henry M. Morris and Dr. A. T. Robertson and Jamieson, Fausset and Brown would have been wise to apply in their own lives, having preached it so well, but unhappily did not.
For the reality of Christ being in the flesh is not merely about Him possessing some physical body, as distinct from some merely spiritual body (whatever that would be) while floating about in Heaven, for if that had been the case, what would the demons care whether that were true or not, and whether people believed that or not?
The real point of that valid Scriptural fact is that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh of His own visible Mystical Body, the Church, a visible institution He founded with the right and the power to does or does not belong to it, that Church of whom it is said in Scripture that "If he will not hear the Church, let him be to you as an outsider," that Church concerning of whom He said "He who hears you hears Me."
To those of the First Century, "Jesus Christ is come in the flesh" meant that His Holy Church was His Mystical Body operative in this fallen world.  The ancient Gnostics all wanted to overthrow that Church, to deny it any reality.  It is this denial which they really meant when they denied that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh.  It is this visible Church that not only the Gnostics, but indeed every sort and manner of heretic, schismatic, and apostate has rejected, thus showing their denial that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh as His Church.  How these Protestant commentators you quoted could have seen this Scriptural point and yet not come running to that Church which is Christ's own visible and fleshly body they have just affirmed, I do not know.  God shall require an answer of them, and at the Great White Throne judgment, we shall all hear what that answer really is, lame as it shall no doubt prove to be.