Theories as to the identity of the anti-Christ have been abundant for generations. What are the identifying features of this man of sin? How will we protect ourselves from the force of his overpowering attraction when he finally exercises his influence throughout the earth?

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		“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...One of he heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast” (Revelation 13:3).

 John (writer of the Revelation) was brought forward nineteen hundred years to witness an overwhelming deception that would cause all of mankind to stand in awe and worship. Men shall exercise faith in something they think is Holy. It is hard to believe that the world we live in today could ever possess such an interest. But events have now aligned themselves in such an order that the heart of man is ready to accept a great delusion.

- What does this Beast represent? -

 Simply stated, a prophetic beast is a group of nations who submit themselves to the ideologies and laws of a central government. God revealed this knowledge to the prophet Daniel when he said, “The fourth BEAST shall be the fourth KINGDOM upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces” (Daniel 7:23). No kingdom has ever exercised a greater destructive force upon the consciences of the nations of earth than has the Holy Roman empire. Its legacy continues today in the form of the Papacy. Yet today, the Papacy is powerless compared to the force she once demonstrated during the period of the dark ages.

- Seven Heads are Seven Kings -

 If the beast represents the remains the Holy Roman empire, at what point in history were we to see the Vatican re-emerge as a dominant force? “The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, ONE IS, the other has not yet come” (Revelation 17:9-10). John’s vision reveals that the Papacy’s bloodiest season of destruction would occur at the time of the sixth king. But of which nation shall this King emerge? Vatican City holds the answer! Not only is it seat of a church, but in 1929 it was established as an independent nation. This fact sets the Vatican in a unique position among nations.

- Seven Kings are Seven Popes -

 Let us now count the heads of state since the creation of the Vatican as an independent nation in 1929:

This lineage of Papal heads is correct, but death “appears” to have ended John Paul II’s 26 year reign. If I continue to uphold that Pope John Paul II is the anti-Christ, I must logically conclude that the 6th pope is not  really dead! Certainly this thought sounds unbelievable but according to John’s revelation, the world would be captivated by a king who appears to have died, but miracul-ously, the King “seems” to have come back to life.

 “One of the heads of the beast “seemed” to have had a fatal wound but the fatal wound had been “healed” (Revelation 13:3).

- The 8th Pope comes from the Seven - 

 The prophecy of Revelation 17 foretells of an event designed to shake the world just prior to the commencement of the last days. “The Beast that was, and is not, he is the eighth, and is OF THE SEVEN”. This simply means that anti-Christ comes from the seven kings (popes) listed in the table on the left. This is God’s forewarning to the Servants of God, for scripture predicts that a false Christ would arise whose primary objective is to completely “deceive the very elect” (see Matthew 24:24).

- Who brings healing to the Pope? -

 “And they worshipped the DRAGON which gave power unto the beast” (Revelation 13:4).The prophecy makes it very clear that the wondrous act to come will be conducted through satanic means; not a heavenly act of God. As far back as the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, we can see that Satan was permitted to imitate certain aspects of the power of God to deceive the masses; yet only one can truly restore life to a dead soul and He is Jesus Christ who said; “I am the resurrection, and the life” (John 11:25).

 “The great dragon...that old serpent, called the Devil... deceiveth the whole world” (Revelation 12:9). This demonic symbol goes back the deception in the Garden of Eden. There Satan first ventured forward in his efforts to separate the human race from Heaven. If he would have openly presented himself to Eve as a rejected angel and tried to persuade her to join his rebellion, she would have immediately fled from his presence. But Satan was far too clever to risk losing the opportunity to corrupt her. Clothing his true purpose in a deceptive form would be a far more effective method of capturing our human race. So instead, Satan transformed himself as Serpent (Dragon).

- 666 and the number of the Beast -

 This name, “IOANES PAULUS SEGUNDO” is Latin for the name - John Paul Second Born” - (or born again). "Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred, three score, and six” (Revelation 13:18).

 - What men will do after the deception-

 “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” (Revelation 13:4)? A brilliant Satanic deception! set to strike at the world at the opportune moment, a move designed to set the Vatican on that pedestal she has desired from her inception. The beast she rides shall ascend to power quickly, intending to forever capture his unsuspecting prey. All those who love not the truth will submit to his system of  false worship. “But the people who know their God will firmly resist him. (Daniel 11:32) 

Written by Tim Czapiewski