May - June 2003

Word of Prophecy

NEWSLETTER

THE ANTICHRIST, THE FALSE PROPHET, AND THE MARK OF THE BEAST

By Bro. Ray Pringle, Sr.

Reprinted from August - September 1994 Word of Prophecy Newsletter

Ladies and gentlemen, your Holy Bible tells in distinct and prophetic detail what world-shaking political and spiritual disasters lie out in the Stygian darkness of our frightening future. Now, from the pen of a true prophet of God, here are the true prophetic revelations that are corroborated fully by the Holy Scriptures of God's Holy Prophets, Jesus Christ, and His Holy Apostles.

THE ANTICHRIST

"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 the beast ... 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 [Satan] gave him 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 [followed] after the beast [the antichrist]. And they worshipped the dragon [the devil or Satan] which gave power unto the beast ... and they worshipped the beast [the antichrist] saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? … and power was given unto him [antichrist] to continue forty and two months … And it was given unto him to make war with the saints [the church of Jesus Christ], and to overcome them: and power was given him [the antichrist] over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations." Revelation 13:1-7.

ANTICHRIST'S DESCRIPTION

The title is taken from I and II John _ "The antichrist!" In Daniel 7:8, he is called "the little horn." In Daniel 11:21, he is called "a vile person;" in verse 36 he is called "the king" who magnifies "himself above every god." In II Thessalonians 2:3, he is titled "the son of perdition." In Revelation 13:1, he is referred to as "the beast rising out of the sea." Riot upon riot, and revolution upon revolution will arise throughout nations of the world, masterminded by the devil, as hordes of revolutionaries and terrorists are unleashed upon existing governments that are already weakened by division and corruption. Ezekiel 7:25-26.

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THE END OR OUR WORLD HAS BEGUN

"Little children, it is the last time [endtime for us]: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time … He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son." I John 2:18, 22. As World War II ended abruptly in August of 1945 after Japan was atom-bombed by U.S. warplanes, an American war correspondent was dispatched to photograph the destruction of Hiroshima. I heard his on-the-scene report over a radio newscast as he stood upon the ashes of the ruined Japanese city from which radioactivity caused by atomic radiation was removed. His report to a war-weary world began with these words: "Ladies and gentlemen, I stand today in the place where the end of the world has begun." What a true prophetic statement from an eyewitness to the devastation caused by man's ultimate weapon of total annihilation _ an ingenious, technological, but diabolical invention to hasten the consummation of man's madness and arrogance at Armageddon!

PREVAILING CONDITIONS FOR THE ANTICHRIST'S RISE

Violence and terror, hunger and famine, earthquakes and pestilence, floods and devastating storms, anarchy and political assassinations will continue to rise in greater magnitude so that no political system nor government can cope with these resulting problems, nor find solutions to them. This is the "distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth" _ Jesus' prophecy of our endtime generation as recorded in Luke 21:25-26.

At this very moment we can see the rise of the magnification of that prophetic fulfillment as the pressing problems of home and abroad, with no known solutions, are thrust upon national and world statesmen. Our newscasts tell us of one government leader after another swept from office by the effects of crisis after crisis, their resistance broken!

THE ANTICHRIST'S PURPOSE

The prophetic scriptures vividly reveal the purpose of the antichrist's oppressive and barbaric world-system of subjugation: "O Assyrian [the antichrist prophetically], the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation [God's chastening]. I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey [as in Daniel 11:24], and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his [antichrist's] heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few [this means many more nations than Israel]." Isaiah 10:5-7. Then the endtime prophecy continues: "Therefore thus saith the Lord God of hosts, O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian … For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction [of the antichrist and his armies] …" Isaiah 10:24-27. Historically, this was the king of Assyria chastening Israel for the Lord, the church of old. Prophetically, the Assyrian is the antichrist chastening both a worldly church, and Israel, and all nations where there are God's true elect. Revelation 13:7; Daniel 7:24-27; Daniel 12:9-10; Revelation 7:9-14.

AMERICA & THE ANTICHRIST

The system of the coming World Government is now being installed subtly, and will soon replace

democracy, as we have known it. "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. The antichrist himself, in person, will not rule America, or Russia, or China, etc. _ but, through his surrogates he will rule directly or indirectly "over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations." Revelation 13:7. This noose, masterminded and implemented by the spirit of the antichrist, is tightening daily about our unresisting necks _ and, as God's true saints, we had better hang together with fierce loyalty, or we will hang separately in the swiftly descending spiritual darkness and persecution upon God's true people.

THE STRONG HAND

The cry of world leaders in government is heard in the United Nations and around the world _ "we need a strong hand from somewhere to stop war and violence, and to force the sharing of food equally among all the have-not nations to prevent hunger and famine." A U.S. Senator once said of this universal consensus of men in government: "We must have a strong world leader to arise who can enforce peace on this violent planet _ and, be he god or devil, we will accept him." That "strong hand" will be the devil's masterpiece, the antichrist!

SPIRIT OF ANTICHRIST IS FAST AT WORK

Few indeed are the strong voices of true patriots and prophets in America. What are we hearing in rhetoric and sermon, the weak simulations of profiles in courage and prophetic pronouncements of Divine Judgment for sin that made America the land of the free and the home of the brave? ANSWER: All we hear are the voices of political demagogues and treacherous soothsaying preachers speaking sweet nothings to their constituents who have itching ears _ who do not want to hear the truth _ who say to the compromising politicians and religious soothsayers: "Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits." Isaiah 30:10. The cry of fools has all but ruined America, as crooked politicians posing as patriots, and soothsaying preachers masquerading as true men of God, lead Americans by the millions (as the fabled Pied Piper of Hamlin led hordes of rats into the sea of destruction) to the very brink of the abyss of moral collapse and spiritual bankruptcy, plus economic extinction. All this is being accomplished through treacherous spiritual and political détente _ i.e., pleasing the greedy and morally degenerate masses of pagan America!

ANTICHRIST _ THE ASSYRIAN

The Assyrian in prophecy is the antichrist _ further proof: "The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand: That I will break the Assyrian in my land [Israel], and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders. This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand [the antichrist's] that is stretched out upon all the nations. For the Lord of hosts hath purposed [that the antichrist shall have power over all nations], and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?" Isaiah 14:24-27.

The antichrist will reign as god-emperor from Jerusalem (II Thessalonians 2:3-4), and he will have power over all nations, traveling more widely than Pope John Paul II, whose throne is in Rome, having authority "over all kindreds, and tongues [languages] and nations." Revelation 13:7. The antichrist will be hailed "Peacemaker", coming to world authority peaceably. After a few months in which he will consoli

date his position of prominence and power, he will be transformed into the brutal "king of fierce countenance" and "the beast" with seven deadly slashing heads. Daniel 7:8; 8:23-24; Revelation 13:1-3. The antichrist, as a mighty conqueror, will assemble the most powerful army, multinational in character, ever mobilized for conquest. Daniel 11:36-45; Revelation 6:1-2. However, he will meet his "Waterloo" at the Battle of Armageddon: "Then shall the Assyrian fall with the sword, not of a mighty man; and the sword, not of a mean man [the average man], shall devour him: but he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be discomfited." Isaiah 31:8. Also: "For through the voice of the Lord shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which smote with a rod." Isaiah 30:31. Christ "shall consume [the antichrist] with the spirit [the sword] of his mouth, and shall destroy [him] with the brightness of his coming." II Thessalonians 2:8.

THE FALSE PROPHET

The False Prophet will be a universally accepted religious leader who will undergird the work of the antichrist _ both will receive their power from Satan. Great miracles will proceed from the False Prophet, in the presence of the antichrist, to deceive the whole world. "And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth [an organized world system]; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. [This beast is the false prophet] … And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And 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 [antichrist]; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast [of the antichrist] should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed." Revelation 13:11-15; also read Revelation 19:20!

THE FALSE PROPHET _ WHO?

Today's myriad of false prophets on TV, on radio, in churches, and in auditoriums with their pseudo-miracles and religious medicine shows (Matthew 24:24) are paving the way for worldwide acceptance of the False Prophet and antichrist. The Catholic and Pentecostal Charismatic Renewal (so-called) will heal the barrier between Catholics and Protestants, and from this unholy communion, the world church will arise. The Pope will be acclaimed as "The Prophet" sent from God, becoming in reality "The False Prophet" of Revelation 13. By a strong delusion from God, Charismatics, many Full Gospel churches, Episcopals, Lutherans, Methodists, Liberal Baptists, etc., will be swept into the World Church of the False Prophet and antichrist. II Thessalonians 2:8-12.

MARK OF THE BEAST

Backslidden and lukewarm members of Christ's church will soon be "tribulation saints," sorely tested by the antichrist in the midst of 3 ½ years of the tribulation period, climaxing this troubled age. Here are three prophetic scenes of God's saints in severe, oppressive persecution and tribulation _ in the antichrist's kingdom:

(1) "And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony [of Christ] which they held … And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their

fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled." Revelation 6:9-11.

(2) "After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands … And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." Revelation 7:9-14. These are saints of Christ's endtime, worldly, idolatrous church that are purged and made without spot or wrinkle or blemish. Ephesians 5:25-27.

(3) "And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire [a symbol of severe persecution]: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass [this is before God's throne. Revelation 4:6], having the harps of God." Revelation 15:2. The saints of God [the church] will face the antichrist and overcome him!

666

"And he [the false prophet] causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. 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 threescore and six." Revelation 13:16-18. This will be a real trial of faith for the saints of God _ it will be either starvation or banishment, or both for those who refuse to submit to worldwide registration, and the mark of the antichrist system. A mark on an identification card will come first _ later, the decree for a mark to be put upon our bodies! Don't worry about the details of the mark, beloved _ God's saints will know it when it is offered with this compelling choice presented: "You cannot buy or sell unless you accept the mark upon your right hand or forehead!"

EXTENT OF ANTICHRIST'S DOMINION

Will his kingdom be a world empire of which he will be god-emperor? For that answer let us examine the prophecy of the scriptures further. Ancient Rome is the Bible symbol of the antichrist's kingdom _ the Roman Empire revived! The revelation begins in Daniel 2 with the vision of a great image _ a man whose head was of gold _ his chest and arms of silver _ his belly and thighs of brass _ his legs of iron, and his feet of iron mixed with clay. Daniel 2:31-33. God revealed to Daniel that this image was representative of all world (civilized world) empires until the time of the end, when a great stone (which is Christ) would smite the image, destroying it, and another kingdom (of God) would immediately arise, which would rule forever. The image's head of gold was King Nebuchadnezzar (Babylon); the breast and arms of silver was Medo-Persia; the brass was Greece; the iron was Rome, and the feet of iron and clay symbolized the endtime kingdom of the antichrist. All these kingdoms were worldwide in extent, so far as ruling over the known inhabited world of their times.

OLD ROMAN EMPIRE

REVIVED...

In Daniel 7, the worldwide empires of the Gentiles are characterized by four great beasts arising out of the sea (unorganized masses of humanity): "The first was like a lion [Babylon] … And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear [Medo-Persia] … After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard [Greece] … After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly ...and it had ten horns [Roman Empire]. I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn [antichrist], 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. Daniel 7:4-8.

BOTH HISTORICAL &

PROPHETIC

The angel of God continued the interpretation of the vision concerning the ten horns (Daniel 7:23-25): "Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom [Rome, historically] upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, [this is, inhabited earth], and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he [the antichrist] 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 shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time [3 ½ years]." The Roman Empire was the most brutal of all the four world empires of past history, and literally devoured and trode down the whole earth as declared in verse 23. Historically the fourth beast was the Roman Empire _ prophetically, the fourth beast with the ten horns is the empire of the antichrist, which will arise out of the sea again. A revival of the Roman Empire is arising out of a sea of violence and terrorism, and the distress of nations, with great natural disasters. The ten common market nations of Europe are the prelude to a world empire headed by the antichrist _ economically, militarily, and religiously. Three nations of this group will be the original supporters of the Antichrist, pushing him to world acceptance. Daniel 7:8, 24.

GOD'S WARNING TO HIS PEOPLE

"At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation [such as America], and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice [and America has rebelled against God's Word], then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them." Jeremiah 18:9-10. "Oh my people, listen to me, says the Spirit of God: You will continue to see an increasing alarming magnitude of droughts, floods, storms, tornadoes, unseasonable freezes and heat waves, dust storms, earthquakes, and pestilences across this land _ a nation marked for God's terrible judgments, especially God's proud, rebellious people _ to humble their hearts before Him."

Another prophetic warning: "If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people [and God will do all these things]; If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and forgive their sin, and will heal their land [note that all God's mercy is conditional, based solely upon the church's repentance]." II Chronicles 7:13-14.

The End.

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REMEMBER, Ladies and Gentlemen, this

prophetic message was written eight years and eight months ago.

Bro. Ray Pringle, Jr.

Visit us on-line at

www.wordofprophecy.org

where you can hear Bro. Ray Pringle, Sr.'s radio broadcasts on your computer, read about his life, and find out more about the Word of Prophecy Fellowship.

Word of Prophecy Newsletter

Published by: Word of Prophecy Fellowship

P O Box 10200, Jacksonville, FL 32247

Editor Bro. Ray Pringle, Jr.

an ordained minister of the

Calvary Chapel Church of God, Inc.

Associate Editor ... June Carpenter

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