Will A Resurrected Judas Iscariot Be The Antichrist?

Contrary the the sensationalist sounding title of this post, it is my intention to demonstrate that such a question could very well be answered with a resounding "Yes!" due to the preponderance of Biblical proof texts.

As you know, even though this is a humble online ministry devoted to end times Bible prophecy, it's extremely rare for us to embark upon a lot of 'Pin The Tail On The Antichrist' type stuff.

It's just usually too unproductive in my book and it distracts us from keeping a watchful eye for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ's return. Still, the revealing of the prophesied Antichrist is a major part of the fulfillment of last days prophecy, and so every now and then we'll devote a post to the subject.

Case in point, I think that in 2.5 years of work here (1,700+ posts) we've really only touched upon this theme a handful of times with the crosshairs on candidates like Maitreya, the Pope (whomever holds that office at the time), the President of the United States (specifically Barack Hussein Obama), Prince El Hassan Bin Talal, Prince William, and Raj Patel.

Here's the thing: All of them amount to nothing more than mere speculation. Today, however, I want us to take a different approach for once. I want us to ask: What does the Holy Bible actually say about this man's identity that we can count on from God's Word without speculating?

Boy, A.W. Pink continues to hold my attention -- even now -- several days after I first wrote about him so that he could be included in our 'Prophecy From The Past's Perspective' series. That being said, we need to take another brief departure from that series and our other work for the Lord to highlight this.

Seriously, just wait until you read this. In a word? Stunning. I'll start by pointing out that my research indicates that this is nothing new. Even so, in all my studies to date, I have never come across this view before, which, sadly, demonstrates my own ignorance about what the Word reveals to us. It's incredibly intriguing not because it's 'fresh' and 'new' to me, but mainly because it seems so rooted in Scripture. That's why I reason that even if there are those of you who disagree with all of this it's still far less speculative than attempting to play Pin The Tail On The Antichrist with any of the other potential candidates alive today.

Unless I'm completely missing something here (which is entirely possible), and what you're about to read is more akin to the 19th Century's version of the current 'Muslim Antichrist' seductive nonsense than anything based in truth, this seems to be much more accurate an interpretation than the one many of us have traditionally held to all these years.

Simply put, my recent study on Arthur Pink led me to one of his writings about the coming Antichrist. It literally threw me for a loop and left my head spinning! Now, I'm prayerfully re-considering my entire perspective on this often debated aspect of eschatology: Who will be the Antichrist? Who is the Antichrist?

No further introduction is needed because the title of this post says it all: Will a resurrected Judas Iscariot be the Antichrist? Please just read this with your Bible open so that you can reference all the Scriptural proof he cites and then we'll prayerfully consider things together.

Varied and wild have been the answers to this question. In pre-christian times there were many who regarded Antiochus Epiphanes as the one whom Daniel and the other prophets described. At the beginning of this dispensation Nero was looked upon as the predicted Man of Sin. After the Reformation the Papacy was selected as the fulfiller of the prophecies given through the Patmos seer. And in our day there have been those who consider the Kaiser to be the Son of Perdition. It cannot be denied that each of these infamous characters have manifested various characteristics which will yet be fully displayed by the Anti-christ, yet, they none of them match complete the delineation of the Man of Sin which is given in the prophetic word. There is one Scripture which is quite sufficient to prove that none of those mentioned above are the Anti-christ, a Scripture, moreover, which makes it certain that he has not yet been revealed, and cannot be revealed until after the Rapture of the Church. We refer to 2 Thess. 2:7, 8--"For the mystery of lawlessness doth already work: only there is One that restraineth now, until He be taken out of the way. And then shall be revealed the Lawless One" (R.V.). The One who now "restrains" is the Holy Spirit, and the time when He is "taken out of the way" is at the removal of the Church which is His "temple." Here then is a conclusive argument: the Anti-christ cannot be "revealed" or publicly manifested while God the Spirit is on the earth.

Who is the Anit-christ? Having shown who cannot have been the Anti-christ, let us now consider the positive answer to our question. In the first place, he will be a man, a real man, just as truly man as the Son of God was the Son of Man. The Anti-christ is termed "The Man of Sin" (2 Thess. 2:3). In the second place, he will be a Jew, if he were not he would be unable to make good his claims to be the real Christ; if he were not a Jew he could not deceive the Jews. That he will be a Jew, seems clear from Dan. 11:37. In the third place, he will be the Super-man, he will be a supernatural character, he will be the Son of the Devil. It is clear from Rev. 20:10 that there is an Evil Trinity, as there is the Holy Trinity. The Anti-christ will be the second person of the Evil Trinity as the Lord Jesus is the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. As Jesus Christ was the God-Man, so the Anti-christ will be the Devil-Man.

There are at least three Scriptures which prove the super-human character of the Anti-christ. The first is found in Gen. 3:15. In this verse there is a double"enmity" spoken of: God says, "I will put enmity between thee and the woman," that is, between Satan and Israel, for Israel was the woman that bore Christ (see Rev. 12); "And between thy seed and her seed." Observe particularly that two"seeds" are here spoken of, "thy seed" (the antecedent is plainly the "Serpent") and "her seed" the woman's Seed. The woman's "Seed" was Christ, the Serpent's "Seed" will be the Anti-christ. The Anti-christ then, will be more than a man, he will be the actual and literal Seed of that old Serpent the Devil, as Christ was, according to the flesh, the actual and literal Seed of the woman. "Thy seed," Satan's seed, refers to a specific individual, just as "her Seed" refers to a specific Individual.

The second Scripture which proves that the Anti-christ will be super-human, the offspring of Satan, is found in John 8:44--"Ye are of your father the Devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own; for he is a liar, and the father of it." In the Greek there is the definite article before "lie"--the lie, "The Lie." There is but one other passage in the New Testament where "The Lie" is mentioned and that is in 2 Thess. 2:11 where again the definite article is found in the Greek, and here the reference to the Anti-christ is unmistakable. A threefold reason may be suggested as to why the Anti-christ should be termed "The Lie." First, because his fraudulent claim to be the real Christ will be the greatest falsehood palmed upon humanity. Second, because he is the direct antithesis of the real Christ who is "The Truth" (John 14:6). Third, because he is the Son of Satan who is the arch-Liar. But to return to John 8:44--"When he (the Devil- speaketh (concerning) The Lie, he speaketh of his own." His "own" what? His "own" Son--the remainder of the verse makes this very plain--"for he (the Devil) is a Liar and the father of it" i.e., of "The Lie." The Lie then is Satan's "Son"! The third Scripture which proves that the Anti-christ will be superhuman is even still plainer. In 2 Thess. 2:3 he is expressly said to be "The Son of Perdition."

Who is the Anti-christ? He will be a man, a Jew, a supernatural being, the "Seed" of the Serpent, the Son of Perdition. Where is he today? It is possible that even now he may be on the earth, though personally we hardly think this is likely. But if he is not yet born then the unequivocal answer is, He is in the Abyss or Bottomless Pit (Rev. 11:7). This Scripture contains the first reference to "the Beast" in the Revelation. The question naturally arises, How did he get there? and when was he sent there? In answering this question we are well aware that we shall call down upon us the criticism and censure of brethren that we honor and love, yet, notwithstanding, we must again be true to our convictions and faithful in presenting what we believe to be the teaching of Holy Scripture on this solemn and mysterious subject. When was the "Beast" consigned to the Bottomless Pit? We answer, when Judas Iscariot died! The Anti-christ will be Judas Iscariot re-incarnated. The proof for this startling assertion (we may say, a by no means novel one, though our study of this point has been conducted independently) will now be humbly submitted to the critical attention of our readers.

Who was Judas Iscariot? He was the one by whom the Lord of Glory was betrayed. He was a "man" (Matt. 26:24). But was he more than a man? Let Scripture make answer. In John 6:70 we read, "Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a Devil?" It is hardly necessary to say that in the Greek there are two different words for "Devil" and "demon." There are many demons but only one Devil. Further, in no other passage is the word "Devil" applied to anyone but to Satan himself. Now here in John 6:70 our Lord says of Judas that he is "ho diabolos" not "daimonizomai": the definite article is employed--one of you is "the Devil." Judas then was the Devil incarnate, just as the Lord Jesus was God incarnate. Christ Himself said so, and we dare not doubt His word. Again, in John 17:12 He said, "Those that Thou gavest Me I have kept, and none of them is lost but the Son of Perdition." Here then is the answer of Scripture itself. Who was Judas Iscariot? He was the Devil incarnate; he was the Son of Perdition.

Now let us see how Scripture connects the Anti-christ with Judas and shows that they are one and the same person. In the first place, as we have already pointed out, the first reference to "the Beast" (the Anti-christ) in the Revelation is 11:7, where we read of "the beast that ascendeth out of the Bottomless Pit." We asked, How and when did he go there? And we answered, at the death of Judas. Have we any Scripture which supports this assertion? We believe so. Mark the language used in Acts 1:25, "That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place." Of no one else in all the Bible is it said that at death he went "to his own place." Put these two Scriptures together--Judas went "to his own place," the Beast ascends out of the Abyss. Again, in Rev. 17:8 we read, "The Beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the Bottomless Pit, and go into perdition." This verse is generally understood to refer to the revived Roman Empire and with this interpretation we are in accord, but we believe it is a mistake to limit it to this. In the Apocalypse, the Roman Empire and its final and Satanic Emperor are very closely connected, so much so, that at times it is difficult to distinguish between them. But in Rev. 17 they are distinguishable. In verse 8 we are told that the Beast "shall ascend out of the Bottomless Pit," and that he shall "go into perdition" In verse 11 we are told, "And the Beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition." Now nearly all expositors are agreed that the Beast of verse 11--"the eighth (head, and form of government of the Roman Empire) is the Anti-christ himself; then why not admit the same of verse 8? In both, the designation is the same--the Beast; and in both, we are told he "goeth into perdition." We take it, then, that what is predicated of "the Beast" in 17:8 is true of both the Roman Empire and of its last head or Emperor (the Anti-christ)--of the former, in the sense that it is infernal in its character. Viewing it now as a declaration of the Anti-christ, what does it tell us about him? Four things. First, he "was." Second, he "is not." Third, he shall "ascend out of the Bottomless Pit." Fourth, he shall "go into perdition." The various time marks here concern the Beast in his relation to the earth. First, he "was" i.e., on the earth. Second, he "is not" i.e. now on the earth (cf. Gen. 5:24, "Enoch was not for God took him," i.e. "was not," any longer on the earth). Third, he shall "ascend out of the Bottomless Pit" (where he now is) which agrees with 11:7. Fourth, he shall "go into perdition." We learn then from this Scripture that at the time the Apocalypse was written that the Beast "was not" then on the earth, but that he had been on it formerly. Further, we learn that in John's day the Beast was then in the Bottomless Pit but should yet ascend out of it. Here then is further evidence that the Anti-christ who is yet to appear has been on earth before! If this is not sufficient to prove that the Anti-christ will be a reincarnation of Judas our next Scripture ought to decide the matter. As we have seen in John 17:12 Christ termed Judas "the Son of Perdition" and in 2 Thess. 2:3 we find that the Man of Sin is similarly designated--"that Man of Sin be revealed, the Son of Perdition." These are the only two places in all the Bible where this name occurs, is it not clear then that Judas and the Man of Sin are one and the same person? What other conclusion can a simple and unprejudiced reader of the Bible come to? 1

Who is the Anti-christ? We have dwelt upon his mysterious person, and we would now call attention to a number of passages in Scriptures (which the reader will do well to look up and prayerfully study) in which he is variously denominated and described. He is the "bloody and deceitful man" of Ps. 5:6. He is the "man of the earth" of Ps 10:18. He is the "Head over many countries" of Ps. 110:7. He is the "little horn" of Dan. 7:20-27. He is the "vile person" of Dan. 11:21. He is the "proud man" of Hab. 2:5. He is the rider on the four horses in Rev. 6. He is the "fallen star" of Rev. 9:1. He is the "Beast" of Rev. 13:1-8. He is the "Lawless One" of 2 Thess. 2:8, 9.

As can be well imagined the Scriptures draw a sharp contrast between Christ and the pseudo Christ. It is remarkable how complete the antithesis is. We give a twelve-fold contrast between their various designations. The one is called the Christ (Matt. 16:16), the other the Anti-christ (1 John 4:3). The one is called "the Man of Sorrows" (Is. 53:3, the other "the Man of Sin" (2 Thess. 2:3). The one is called "the Son of God" (John 1:34), the other "the Son of Perdition" (2 Thess. 2:3). The numerical value (the gematria) of the name Jesus is 888, the number of the Anti-christ's name is 666 (Rev. 13:18). The one is called the Seed of the woman (Gen. 3:15), the other the Seed of the Serpent (Gen. 3:15). The one is called the Lamb (Is. 53:7). the other "the Beast" (Rev. 11:7). Christ is called "the Holy One" (Mark 1:24), the Anti-christ is termed "the Wicked One" (2 Thess. 2:8). The one is called "the Truth" (John 14:6), the other "the Lie" (John 8:44). The one is called "the Prince of Peace" (Is. 9:6), the other "the Profane Prince" (Ezek. 21:25). The one is called "the Glorious Branch" (Is. 4:2), the other "the Abominable Branch" (Is. 14:19). The one is called "the Good Shepherd" (John 10:11), the other "the Idol Shepherd" (Zech. 11:17). The one is called "the Mighty Angel" (Rev. 10:1), the other "the Angel of the Bottomless Pit" (Rev. 9:11).

Not only do the Scriptures point a complete contrast between Christ and the Anti-christ in their several names and titles but the same is true in regard to their respective characters and careers. Christ came down from heaven (John 3:13), but the Anti-christ comes up out of the Bottomless Pit (Rev. 11:7). Christ came in Another's name (John 5:43), but the Anti-christ will come in his own name (John 5:43). Christ came to do the Father's will (John 6:38), but the Anti-christ will do his own will (Dan. 11:36). Christ wrought in the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:14), but the Anti-christ will be energized by Satan (Rev. 13:4). Christ submitted Himself to God (John 5:30), but the Anti-christ will defy God (2 Thess. 2:4). Christ "humbled" Himself (Phil. 2:8), but the Anti-christ will "exalt" himself (Dan. 11:36). Christ honored the God of His fathers (Luke 4:16), but the Anti-christ will refuse to do so (Dan. 11:37). Christ cleansed the Temple (John 2:14-16), but the Anti-christ will defile the temple (Matt. 24:15). Christ ministered to the needy (Luke 4:18), but the Anti-christ will refuse to do so (Zech. 11:16). Christ was rejected of men (Is. 53:3), but the Anti-christ will be accepted by all the world (Rev. 13:4). Christ "leadeth" His flock (John 10:3), but the Anti-christ will "leave" his flock (Zech. 11:17). Christ was slain for the people (John 11:51), but the Anti-christ will slay the people (Dan. 11:44). Christ glorified God (John 17:4), but the Anti-christ will blaspheme God (Rev. 13:6). Christ was received up into Heaven (Luke 24:51), but the Anti-christ goes down into Hell (Rev. 19:20).

The remarkable career of the Anti-christ is sketched in a number of different Scriptures, some of which we shall now briefly consider. In Daniel 7 the prophet is given a vision of the four great world-empires--Babylonish, Medo-Persian, Grecian and Roman--which are symbolized by as many "beasts." The fourth beast is described in verse 7--"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 (referring to the conquests under the Caesars), and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it (entirely different in its form of government); and it had ten horns." In verse 24 these "ten horns" are said to be "ten kings that shall arise" which corresponds with Rev. 17:12 where the Roman Empire revived and in its final form is again in view. In Dan. 7:8 we read, "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 a man, and a mouth speaking great things." The "little horn," which occupies a prominent place in this chapter, symbolizes the Anti-christ who will be the Head of the revived Roman Empire. The part that he will play is described in verses 20 to 26 in this same chapter. "And of the ten horns that were in his head (i.e., of the beast which represents the Roman Empire), and of the other (the Anti-christ) which came up, and before whom three fell (three of the kings); even of that horn that had eyes (symbol of intelligence), and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most high; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom (which looks forward to the Millennium). Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom on earth (i.e., the fourth universal kingdom after the Times of the Gentiles had begun), 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 are ten kings that shall arise (in the Tribulation period): 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 (the "times and laws") shall be given into his hand until a time (a year) and times (two years) and the dividing of time (half a year--three and a half years in all). But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end." Here we are told, first, that the Anti-christ will "have a mouth speaking very great things: which we know from 2 Thess. 2 refers to his audacious claim to be God Himself. Second, that he will "make war with the saints." These "saints" are the godly Jewish remnant which will refuse to render him homage and in consequence will be slain (cf. Rev. 20:4). Third, he will "speak great words against the Most High" which clearly identifies him with the Man of Sin. Fourth, he will "think (purpose) to change times and laws," the reference being to the religious feasts and festivals of Israel which the Anti-christ will abolish, for everything which bears testimony to God he will seek to destroy. Fifth, his "dominion" shall be taken away from him, for at the close of the Tribulation period he will be cast into the Lake of Fire (Rev. 19:20).

In Daniel 8 the "little horn" is mentioned again. Many regard this "little horn" as symbolizing a different personage from the one brought before us in the previous chapter, and this, because here he is said to arise out of the third kingdom (Greece), whereas in chapter 7 he is seen coming up out of the fourth (the Roman Empire). But this we regard as a mistake. To us, this method of interpretation appears very much like the reasoning of the Jews who of old denied that their Messiah could come out of Nazareth because it was written that He should be born in Bethlehem. Or, to make these two "little horns" separate characters seems to us like the device of the ancient Rabbis who taught there would be two Messiahs, the one suffering Messiah and the other a triumphant Messiah. No; rather do we regard each of the "little horns" as representing the same person, but viewing him in different connections and relationships. That each of the "little horns" do point to the Anti-christ seems clear from a comparison of what is predicted of them with what is said of the Anti-christ in other places.

To quote now from Daniel 8: "And out of one of them came forth a little horn which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land (Palestine). And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground and stamped upon them (probably a symbolical reference to his deposing of certain rulers, corresponding with the plucking up of the "three kings" in the previous chapter). Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away (which action clearly identifies him with the Anti-christ), and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. And a host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practiced and prospered" (vss 9-12). Here again the Anti-christ is seen subduing governmental powers and enlarging his own kingdom. Here again we see him inflated with egotism--"magnifying himself," which is a characteristic mark of all the prophecies which describe the Anti-christ, a mark by which we are enabled to identify him. And here again we see him opposing the Jews, and destroying that which bears witness to God--"taking away the daily sacrifice."

In Dan. 11:36-45 we have another prophetic picture of the character and career of the Anti-christ. We do not quote the whole of this passage but merely the first two and last verses of it. "And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself (the last two words showing that he is the same character as symbolized by the "little horn"--compare 8:11) above every god, and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods (cf. 7:25). and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. 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. 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." Here we are told the Anti-christ will be a "king." He will be king of the Jews and king over the restored Roman Empire in its ten-kingdomed form. He will be a king of kings. His blatant impiety is pointed out in the words "he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself against every god." The words "Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers" call attention to his Jewish nationality. "Nor the Desire of women" (cf. Haggai 2:7) is a Hebraism for the Messiah. The birth of the Messiah was the great hope of Israel and every Jewish maiden desired above everything else to have the honor of being the mother of the promised One. The Anti-christ then will deny both the Father and the Son (see 1 John 2:22). The closing verse refers to his destruction.

In 2 Thess. 2 we also read, "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day (the day of Christ--the Millennium) shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that Man of Sin be revealed, the Son of Perdition; 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. ** For the Mystery of Iniquity doth already work: only He who now letteth (restraineth) will let (restrain), until He (the Holy Spirit) be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked One be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming (to the earth itself) even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and will all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, they that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe the Lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (vss. 3, 4, 7-12). Incredible as it may seem, Satan will be permitted to travesty the miracle of Bethlehem. Observe that the incarnation of the Son of God is termed "the mystery of godliness" (1 Tim. 3:16) while, above, the incarnation of the Son of Perdition is styled "the mystery of iniquity." Satan is going to send forth his own son into this world, born under supernatural circumstances and combining in his person the human and Satanic natures. The daring blasphemy of the coming Anti-christ is also mentioned again. He will "sit in the Temple" a re-built Temple in Jerusalem "shewing himself that he is God." He will assume the place and prerogatives of the true Christ, will in fact claim to be Christ Himself. His audacious claim will be supported by imposing credentials, for he will work miracles by which he will deceive the whole world, Apostate Christendom, previously "spued out" by Christ (Rev. 3:16) will be given over by God to believe the Lie, that is, they will be completely deceived and will readily accept the Anti-christ as the Lord Jesus. But his end is sure. The Lord shall "consume him with the spirit of His mouth, and destroy him with the brightness of His coming."

One other Scripture must suffice. In Rev. 13 we read, "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 (the Devil) gave him (the Anti-christ) his power, and his seat, and great authority. 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. 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? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, and His tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. 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" (vss. 1-8).

The last quoted Scripture is a case in point where it is difficult to distinguish between the kingdom and its king, the empire and its emperor. The "beast" which is here seen rising out of the "sea" symbolizes the revival and restoration of the old Roman Empire and corresponds with Daniel's fourth beast. In Scripture the "sea" figures the restless nations away from God. Revelation 13 contemplates a time of political upheaval and social disturbance. Out of revolutionary conditions will issue the revived Roman Empire, the last head of which will be the Anti-christ. Many students of prophecy regard the head of this Empire as another person than the Anti-christ. It is supposed there will be two men on earth at this time, the one controlling political affairs, the other dominating the religious realm. But we fail to see anything in Scripture which justifies this distinction. On the contrary, it seems most in accord with analogy to believe that just as the Lord Jesus will yet combine these offices and functions, so the pseudo christ will fill this double role. 2 It is true there will be two Satanic characters on earth during the Tribulation period and the second of these if brought before us in the second "Beast" of Rev. 13. This second Beast we regard as the "False Prophet" of Rev. 19:20; 20:10. He is the third person in the Trinity of Evil. That the Second Beast of Rev. 13 is Satan's parody of the Holy Spirit (the Third Person in the Holy Trinity) rather than of Christ Himself, seems clear from what is here predicted of him. Just as the Holy Spirit "speaks not of Himself" (John 16:13) but is here to glorify Christ, so the second Beast causes men to worship the first Beast. And just as the advent of the Holy Spirit was accompanied by the descent of tongues of fire (Acts 2:3), so this second Beast "maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men" (13:13). Finally, that the second Beast (and not the first) is the "False Prophet" is abundantly clear from Rev. 19:20 where we are told, "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." The marks of identity here are so plain that it seems impossible to mistake them. In Rev. 13 it is the second Beast that "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;" and here in Rev. 19 it is the False Prophet that is said to have "wrought miracles before him" with which he deceived the Beast's worshipers. Hence we unhesitatingly affirm that the False Prophet is the Second Beast of Rev. 13.

We do not now attempt a full interpretation of the symbolical description of the Anti-christ contained in what is said above of the first Beast, a hint here and there is all we shall essay. The Anti-christ will combine in his personality the characteristics of the leopard (beauty and subtlety) of the bear (strength and cruelty), and of the lion (boldness and ferocity). He will be vested with full power and authority from Satan as the Lord Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit. He will compel the admiration of the whole world and will be universally worshipped. He will be a warrior of international renown and none will be able to resist his terrible power. But his career will be cut short: after his rise to full power only forty-two months, or three and a half years, will be allowed him by God.

Putting together the various Scriptures at which we have little more than glanced, we learn that the Anti-christ will be a supernatural being--the Son of Perdition; that he will be revealed subsequent to the departure of the Holy Spirit from the earth (which occurs at the Rapture of the saints); that he will be the greatest soul-destroyer that has ever trod this earth. He will be the Super-Man for whom the world is already looking. He will personify all the godless culture of the last days, and will be endowed with a supernatural wisdom. He will be the consummation of vileness--"the Wicked One;" he will be the personification of evil--"the Man of Sin;" he will be the incarnation of the Devil--"the Son of Perdition." He will pose as the Christ of God and will substantiate his claims by performing wonderful miracles. He will be welcomed and cordially received by all Christendom. He will utterly deceive the majority of the Jews who will hail him as their long-expected Messiah. He will rule over a restored Roman Empire thus travestying Christ who, in the Millennium, will sit as a priest upon His throne. He will be a warrior of world-wide renown, a statesman of unrivaled skill, a man of transcendent genius, before whom the exploits of Caesar, Charlemagne and Napoleon will appear trifling. Kings will be his toys and thrones his playthings. Toward the close of his reign he will throw off his mask, no longer assuming to be the real Christ, but standing forth in his own colors he will deny both God the Father and God the Son, will seek to exterminate the Jews and everything else which bears witness to the living God; will set up his own image in the rebuilt Temple at Jerusalem, and under pain of death will compel all to worship it and receive his mark upon their bodies. But he will meet with summary judgment at the end, as we shall yet see.

-- The Revelation and Career Of The Anti-Christ

[It is further to be noted that the Anti-christ is twice termed "Death and Hades" (Is. 28:18; Rev. 6:8) as if to intimate he came from Hades the place which receives the souls of the dead. See "Appendix" P. 397.]

I know that was extremely lengthy,but what do you make of it? Compelling, right? Well, just wait because there's still a little more to this concept.

Actually, that wasn't the first time Pink proposed this possibility (I use the word 'possibility' here only because the thought is still so foreign to me despite the fact that the Biblical proof is sound). This next excerpt is from an article first published in Studies In The Scriptures, a monthly magazine edited by A. W. Pink. In 1923, a book appeared that was composed of various similar essays from the aforementioned magazine. This book was titled The Antichrist and it was written by none other than Arthur Pink.

In hindsight, I probably should've led with this instead of the other work of his on this subject. I suppose this will serve and an excellent summary of the case he presents (using Scripture, of course).

What follows are 7 Biblical proofs by Pink as to why the future Antichrist will be none other than a reincarnated Judas Iscariot...

1. In Psalm 55 much is said of the Antichrist in his relation to Israel. Among other things we read there, "The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords" (v. 21). The occasion for this sad plaint is given in the previous verse- "He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him: he hath broken his covenant". The reference is to Antichrist breaking his seven-year Covenant with the Jews (see Dan. 9:27; 11:21-24). Now if the entire Psalm be read through with these things in mind, it will be seen that it sets forth the sorrows of Israel and the sighings of the godly remnant during the End-time. But the remarkable thing is that when we come to vv. 11-14 we find that which has a double application and fufillment- "wickedness is in the midst thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her street. For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him: But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company". These verses describe not only the base treachery of Judas toward Christ, but they also announce how he shall yet, when reincarnated in the Antichrist, betray and desert Israel. The relation of Antichrist to Israel will be precisely the same as that of Judas to Christ of old. He will pose as the friend of the Jews, but later he will come out in his true character. In the Tribulation period, the Nation of Israel shall taste the bitterness of betrayal and desertion by one who masqueraded as a 'familiar friend'. Hence, we have here the first hint that the Antichrist will be Judas reincarnated.

2. "And your covenant with Death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with Hell shall not stand; when the overflowring scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it" (Isa. 28:18) The "Covenant" referred to is that seven-year one which is mentioned in Dan. 9:27. But here the one with whom this Covenant is made is termed "Death" and "Hell!". This is a title of the Antichrist, as "the Resurrection and the Life" is of the true Christ. Nor is this verse in Isa. 28 the only one where the Son of Perdition is so denominated. In Rev. 6 a fourfold picture of him is given&emdash;the antithesis of the fourfold portrayal of the Lord Jesus in the Gospels. Here he is seen as the rider on differently colored horses, which bring before us four stages in his awful career, and when we come to the last of them the Holy Spirit exposes his true identity by telling us, "and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him" (Rev. 6:8). Now "Hell" or "hades" is the place which receives the souls of the dead, and the fact that this awful name is here applied to Antichrist intimates that he has come from there.

3. Above, we referred to Matt. 12:41-43 to prove that Antichrist will be a super-human being, a fallen and unclean "spirit ": we turn to it again in order to show that this coming Incarnation of Satan has previously been upon earth. The history of this 'Unclean Spirit" is divided into three stages. First, as having dwelt in "a man"; second, as having gone out of a man, and walking through dry places, seeking rest and finding none this has reference to his present condition during the interval between his two appearances on earth. Third, he says, "I will return to my house". This Unclean Spirit, then, who has already been here, who is now away in a place where rest is not to be found, is to come back again!

4. In John 17:12 we have a word which, more plainly still, shows that the Antichrist will be Judas reincarnated, for here he is termed by Christ "The Son of Perdition". But first let us consider the teaching of Scripture concerning Judas Iscariot. Who is he? He was a "man" (Matt. 26:24). But was he moree than a man? Let Scripture make answer. In John 6:70 we read, "Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a Devil?" It is hardly necessary to say that in the Greek there are two different words for "Devil" and "demon". There are many demons, but only one Devil. Further, in no other passage is the word "devil" applied to any one but to Satan himself. Judas then was the Devil incarnate, just as the Lord Jesus was God incarnate. Christ Himself said so, and we dare not doubt His word.

As we have seen, in John 17:12 Christ termed Judas "the Son of Perdition", and 2 Thess. 2 :3 we find that the Antichrist is similarly designated- "That Man of Sin be revealed, the Son of Perdition". These are the only two places in all the Bible where his name occurs, and the fact that Judas was termed by Christ not a "son of perdition", but "the Son of Perdition", and the fact that the Man of Sin is so named prove that they are one and the same person. What other conclusion can a simple and unprejudiced reader of the Bible come to?

5. In Rev. 11:7 we have the first reference to "the Beast" in the Apocalypse: "The Beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit". Here the Antichrist is seen issuing forth from the Abyss. What is the Abyss? It is the abode of lost spirits, the place of their incarceration and torment&emdash; see Rev. 20:1-3, and Luke 8:31, "deep" is "abyss" and cf. Matt. 9:28. The question naturally arises, How did he get there? and when was he sent there? We answer. When Judas Iscariot died! The Antichrist will be Judas Iscariot reincarnated. In proof of this we appeal to Acts 1 :25 where we are told, "that he mav take part of this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place". Of no one else in all the Bible is it said that at death he went "to his own place". Put these two scriptures together: Judas went "to his own place", the Beast ascends out of the Abyss.

6. In Rev. 17:8 we read, "The Beast that thou sawest was, and is not: and shall ascend out of the Bottomless Pit, and go into perdition". This verse is generally understood to refer to the revived Roman Empire, and while allowing that such an application is warrantable, yet we are persuaded it is a mistake to limit it to this. In the Apocalypse, the Roman Empire and its final and satanic Head are very closely connected, so much so, that at times it is difficult to distinguish between them. But in Rev. 17 they are distinguishable. In v. 8 we are told that the Beast "shall ascend out of the Bottomless Pit, and that he shall go into perdition". In v. 11 we are told, "And the Beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seventh, and goeth into perdition". Now nearly all expositors are agreed that the Beast of v. 11- the "eighth" (head, and form of government of the Roman Empire- is the Antichrist himself; then why not admit the same of v. 8? In both, the designation is the same- "the Beast"; and in both, we are told he "goeth into perdition."

We take it, then, that what is predicated of "the Beast" in 17:8 is true of both the Roman Empire and its last head, the Antichrist: of the former, in the sense that it is infernal in its character. Viewing it now as a declaration of the Antichrist, what does it tell us about him? Four things. First, he "was". Second, he "is not". Third, he shall "ascend out of the Bottomless Pit". Fourth, he shall "go into perdition". The various time-marks here concern the Beast in his relation to the earth. First, he "was", i. e.. on the earth. Second, he "is not", i. e. now on the earth (cf. Gen. 5:24, "Enoch was not for God took him"; that is, "was not" any longer on the earth). Third, he shall "ascend out of the Bottomless Pit," where he now is, which agrees with 11:7. Fourth, he shall "go into perdition". We learn then from this scripture that at the time the Apocalypse was written the Beast "was not" then on the earth, but that he had been on it formerly. Further, we learn that in John's day the Beast was then in the Bottomless Pit but should yet ascend out of it. Here then is further evidence that the Antichrist who is vet to appear has been on earth before.

7. "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 east alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone" (Rev. 19:20). This gives the last, word concerning the Antichrist. It makes known the terrible fate which awaits him. He, together with his ally, will be cast alive into the Lake of Fire. This is very striking, and confirms what has been said above, namely, that the Antichrist will be one who has already appeared on earth, and 12 as been in "the Abyss" during, the interval which precedes his return to the earth. And how remarkably Rev. 19:20 corroborates this. The Antichrist will not be cast, eventually into the Abyss, as Satan will be at the end of the Millennium (Rev 20 :1-3), but into the Lake of Fire which is the final abode of the damned. Why is it that he shall not be cast into the Abyss at the return of Christ? It must be because he has already been there. Hence, the judgment meted out to him is final and irrevocable, as will be that of the Devil a thousand years later, see Rev. 20:10.

-- The Antichrist Will Be Judas Reincarnated

Again, how incredibly thought-provoking that is, right?

Pesonally, I can't get over this Judas Iscariot angle myself. Look, I know that people always state that it's futile for us Christians who study end times prophecy to be so curious about the identity of the Antichrist -- and they have a point to an extent -- because that being won't be revealed to the world until the "falling away" we read about in 2 Thessalonians 2:3. But that doesn't change the fact that the introduction of the Antichrist to the world will be a major fulfillment of end times prophecy and that's why it's worthy of our discussion. Plus, we must "study to shew thyself approved unto God" (2 Timothy 2:15) in all things, right?

Interestingly enough, there is a widespread 3-part Sermon (Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3) on this very same subject from a man by the name of Al Neal that I found and listened to before writing this for all of you. Of special interest to me (and hopefully you) as it pertains to this topic, are the following notes I took while listening to Neal during this 3-hour lecture of his from a few years ago...

-- We need to teach who the Antichrist is from the Scriptures and not from secular sources like books (opinions) on the matter. What are those Tribulation saints going to do? Go down to the nearest Christian Book Store and find a book that seems to describe a particular leader on the scene at the time, or is it better for them to trust the divinely inspired, holy, revealed Word of God?

-- The key problem (that we've all been guilty of to some extent one time or another) is that we let other people and books written by other people determine what we believe about the Antichrist, which is a sad state of affairs for this generation, but not entirely surprising since it's a generation that no longer reads the Bible (or no longer reads it as much as it should).

-- The 'Beast' was a 'man' we're told. Not a thing, not a city, not an ideology, not a system, but a man.

-- Notice the connection between the Gospel of John and the Book of Revelation! Specifically, John 13-Revelation 13 and John 17-Revelation 17!

-- Notice the uncanny, supernatural similarities between John 13 and Numbers 13 (4th Book/13th Chapter of Old Testament and 4th Book/13th Chapter of New Testament)!

-- The Gospel of John is the only Gospel that tells us that Judas Iscariot kept the bag and that he was stealing what was inside of it.

-- 'Judas' means 'Judah', 'Ish' is the Hebrew word for 'a man' and 'Cariot' is a translation of an old city (Cerioth; see Book of Joshua) so literally 'Judas Isacariot' means 'A Man From Cerioth In Judah', and that means that Judas Iscariot was the only Apostle from Judah -- just like Jesus Christ! Thus, we have the expected 'Real vs. Counterfeit' paradigm established!

-- An excellent point was made that we seemed to have overlooked time after time whenever this discussion comes up. First, notice how the Holy Spirit inspired the writers to note how the two Angels told them that "this same Jesus" (Acts 1) with the distinction being "this same" one in comparison to the future counterfeit Christ who will come to deceive the whole world in the person of the Antichrist. The point is that no world leader alive on the planet today could really garner the world's attention like that, right? So, it stands to reason (using the Word as our guide) that the Antichrist will come in a like manner (i.e. come from the sky) to trick the global population into believing his claims and into following him, right? Either that, or some former world leader would come back to life to astound the world. I think it's clear that the former is the most likely scenario based on Scripture.

-- 1 Samuel 28 is where we look for hints about the Bottomless Pit that the Antichrist (Judas Iscariot) ascends out of. The story of Lazarus connects too.

-- Neal says the Bottomless Pit is inside the Earth, which sounds like Hollow Earth Theory stuff if you're familiar with that. The Antichrist will ascend out of this Bottomless Pit into the sky (like Jesus Himself did), and will then descend in Rome at the Vatican in St Peter's Square he says, and he will be wearing black (because the Angels saying that Jesus who ascended was clothed in white was not a minor detail; it was there for a reason so that we could distinguish the real from the fake), and may even present himself to the world as an 'extraterrestrial'/'other dimensional being' of some sort.

-- In Part 3, Neal shares some remarkable truths about Peter and the Roman Catholic Church based entirely on Scripture. I especially found his comment about the possible correlation between the Catholic mark on the forehead on Ash Wednesday and the coming "Mark of the Beast" sobering.

-- "Judas the son of Simon" is also a BIG clue here!

-- Judas is called "a devil", but Jesus is addressing the devil IN Peter. Peter is not a devil like Judas. There is a difference.

Friends, I'd say that this truth that we've been led to (or led to re-discover) is an important one, and I can't help but to marvel over it's timing. Don't forget, it was that 100-year-old book on the Book of Daniel's prophecies that I found a few weeks ago that started this journey.

I mean, when you stop to think about it, there's probably so much that we can discern from this, isn't there? For instance, I haven't taken the time to go through both lists myself just yet to apply Acts:17:11 (so please exercise caution), but this 2-part outline on what God's Word tells us about Judas Iscariot himself might be a good place for us to start...

Judas Iscariot: The False Apostle, The Coming Antichrist (Part 1)

Judas Iscariot: The False Apostle, The Coming Antichrist (Part 2)

I also came across another Bible study from the UK that cited an often missed commentary on this Judas-Antichrist link from the Book of Zechariah too. Again, it's all very compelling stuff for sure.

God willing, perhaps we'll go deeper with this study following the completion of the rest of this series. If so, then I can't even begin to imagine what the Lord might reveal to us.

Will a resurrected Judas Iscariot be the Antichrist? From the perspective of this humble Christian, yes, that definitely appears to be the case as demonstrated by His Word. If we are to use the Bible to interpret the Bible, and if "Sola Scriptura!" is our battle cry, then we seem to be left with this conclusion.

So, we see that there definitely is a very strong Biblical case to be made for the coming Antichrist to be none other than a resurrected Judas Iscariot.

I'd love to hear what the rest of you have to say after studying His Word for yourself and then praying about it. Just remember that we don't have to agree about everything to be agreeable.

Keep looking up!

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Posted in: A.W. Pink,Al Neal,Antichrist,Bible Study,Book Of Daniel,False Christs,Image Of The Beast,Mark Of The Beast,Prophecy Basics,Revelatory Revival,Seven Seals,White Horse