"False Messiahs" and modern realities

Submitted by Michael S (United States), Jul 13, 2014 at 01:39

Hi, Lujack

I had to check what thread this is part of, because it's easy to veer off course. Ah, you and I both have been connecting what is happening in the Middle East with Bible prophecies -- a worthy pursuit, in my book.

I notice that you are doing something I saw happening a lot in Evangelical circles, but which I have not seen in the Bible. You are conflating a coming world leader (such as the "Beast" or "False Prophet" of the Book ob Revelation) with an "antichrist" or "false Messiah". This may fit in with some subliminal Christian worldview, but it is not in the Bible so far as I can see.

I. Who is "Messiah"?

The Christian understanding of this is obvious -- to them, it is Jesus, in whatever manifestation they imagine him to have. In the Jewish understanding (which I lean toward), it is another matter altogether. First of all, not all the "messiahs" of the scriptures are necessarily the Christian "Messiah". "Messiah" (small cap) simply means "anointed". Sometimes it may be thought of as an individual, and sometimes as a people; it can be a prophet, a king, or a priest. By extension, it can be anyone whom God has "chosen" for a particular task. Even as a Christian, you need to understand this: It's one thing to believe that Jesus is everything he represents himself to be, and another thing altogether to believe things about him through the lens of later Biblical interpreters. I do not pretend to be an expert on where to draw the line: It is not an easy matter, and God hasn't designated anyone, to my knowledge, to have the final word on the matter -- certainly not you, not me, not the Pope, not one of the Chief Rabbis, not the Dalai Lama and not even Balaam's donkey.

If one can't be sure who or what the "Messiah" is or will be, then, one might also have a hard time defining and recognizing any "false" messiah. Let's move on now, to describe some "End-Times" people, spoken of in the New Testament. In the "Old Testament" or TaNaKh, there is only one who seems clearly spoken of, namely the little horn with the big mouth in Daniel 7. He is clearly not Jewish: All the "horns" are "gentiles", or "nations"; and so, logically, is the little horn that rises up among them. To be the promised "Messiah", he would have to be Jewish; and this would hold true also of "false" messiahs.

Revelation speaks of the "beast", who has seven heads and ten horns. This represents, as it pretty clearly explains in the text itself, the major powers of Western history (including the Middle East in the "West"). The seven heads are seven SUCCESSIVE kingdoms, and might be Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome and a "revived" Rome, probably the HRE. The beast also has ten horns, which are described as ruling CONTEMPORANEOUSLY with one another. History shows thes probably to be the great powers of Europe and their ilk, who ruled a Colonial consortium that peaked in its power in World War II. Those nations no longer call the shots in the world, so to speak, but consult with Uncle Sam in all things before making major moves. As Angela Merkel has learned to her chagrin, Washington is continually spying on all of them to make sure no hanky-panky happens on the side.

After the time of the "seven heads" is the time of the singular "beast himself" -- a great power indeed, who rules without his own crown. Perhaps this is some international organization, such as the UN; but I don't have any doubt that the US is the main instrument of the power of that body -- just as it was in Korea around 1950, and in more recent world-wide coalitions. Behind the US, of course, are the people behind the scenes, who run the country, chiefly the bankers, I imagine. According to Rev., there is another creature, the "Dragon" or "Satan", who has the same form as the earthly "beast" and gives his power to it. Considering that our present Capitalist system is based, in the words of the capitalists themselves on "fear" and "greed", I don't have any problems with this concept.

So much for the "beast". Rev. also talks about "The" False Prophet, which does great wonders and has everyone in awe of it. The is the entity that issues out the head- and wrist- implants, physical or allegorical, and induces people to worship the political and economic beast. I connect this "False Prophet" with the atheistic so-called "scientific" community and its spokespersons. They presume to speak great things against the God they do not and cannot know, and they weild great power and influence. And they have deceived literally hundreds of millions of people, enticing them to leave their faith in God and follow them. There are some Jews among them, but they are mostly goiim.

Shalom shalom :-)

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