Will the Antichrist rule the entire world?
A common belief about the Antichrist is that he will rule the entire world. A majority of Christians think that he will bring the world together into a one-world government. This is something that I have believed for many years. You can probably guess that I was quite shocked when writer Joel Richardson made the claim that the Antichrist will not rule the whole world. The idea that the Antichrist will not have authority over all nations goes against what the church has accepted for a long time. In this article, I want to examine the arguments made in favor of a limited Antichristian empire to see whether or not the claim is true. Will it hold up? Let’s find out.
The Antichrist’s Kingdom is primarily a ten-nation confederacy
Let’s start with a look at a detail that the Bible makes often: the Antichrist’s kingdom is primarily a ten-nation alliance. This appears in different places in Scripture. First, Daniel 2:41-44, the dream Nebuchadnezzar’s statue, teaches that the statue has ten toes. The ten toes are said to be ten kings that are overthrown at Christ’s second coming. The ten kings make a return in Daniel 7:7, 20-24. In this chapter, the ten kings, called ten horns, are said to come from the fourth kingdom, just as the ten toes of Daniel 2 extend out of the fourth section of the statue. Out from among the ten kings comes an eleventh, identified as the Antichrist.
The ten horns return in Revelation 13:1 and 17:12-14. In the latter, they are said to give their authority and power to the beast. These passages all seem to indicate that the backbone of the Antichrist’s power will come from these ten nations. This, of course, does not mean that only ten nations will fight for the Antichrist. These ten nations will be the most powerful of his allies and will form the foundation for his conquests.[1]
The military conquests of the Antichrist
Scripture also indicates that the Antichrist will partake in some military conquests. Daniel 11:39 tells us that he will attack the mightiest fortresses. It is possible that the mightiest fortresses are the strongest nations that exist during the time of the Antichrist (will America be one of them?). A couple verses later (11:41) Daniel says that the Antichrist will invade Israel. Verses 40-43 tell us that Edom, Moab, and Amman (modern-day Jordan) are delivered from his hand and submit to him. However, he does invade and conquer Egypt, Nubia (Sudan), and Libya. It also says that he will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood (indicating that these invasions are sudden and swift).
Daniel 11:44 says that the Antichrist will hear of news and rumors from the north and east that will alarm him. If the Antichrist is controlling the entire world then why would he be alarmed? Why would he be invading other countries? Richardson believes that this is likely a military response against the Antichrist.[2] As a side note, it is interesting that three specific nations are mentioned that are conquered, Egypt, Sudan, and Libya. Daniel 7:8, 20 say that three of the ten kings will be conquered and humiliated by the Antichrist. This may indicate that Egypt, Sudan, and Libya may be three of the ten kings.
Wars till the end
The next argument used in favor of a limited empire is Daniel 9:26. This verse teaches that there will be war until the end (the Second Coming of Christ). How can there be war until the end if the Antichrist is ruling over every single nation? It is possible that this verse may only indicate that there will be war against Israel until the end. Although this is possible, remember what I wrote above about the Antichrist waging wars against other countries (and the rumors from the north and east).
In regards to all of this information Richardson notes, “Simply stated, a king with absolute, universal authority is not at war. The presence of wars establishes the fact that the Antichrist does not control every nation, but that there are resisting governments. He does not control their militaries. This is proof of the Antichrist’s limited authority right up to the end.”[3]
Hyperbole in Scripture
Richardson moves on to argue that Scripture uses a common literary device known as hyperbole.[4] Simply stated, hyperbole is an exaggeration that is used for emphasis. Examples in our culture today would be saying that a child weighs a ton. Obviously, the child does not actually weigh two thousand pounds. The person picking the child up is exaggerating to make the point that the child is heavy. Middle Eastern culture loves to use hyperbole, as does the Bible.
Deuteronomy 1:28 is a good place to start. Here it is mentioned that the walls of Canaanite cities reached up to the heavens. Did the city walls literally reach up into outer space? Of course not, the point is that the walls are high. We find another perfect example of hyperbole in Genesis 15:5 says that Abraham’s descendants will be as numerous as the stars in the sky. There are trillions and trillions of stars in the universe. There have not been that many descendants of Abraham throughout history. One could argue that God was referring only to the stars that one could count in the sky. However, to the naked eye, one can only see a maximum of a couple thousand stars at once in the sky. Abraham’s descendants have numbered more than this as well. The point of Genesis 15 is not to be literal. The point was that Abraham, a man who at that time had no sons, was going to have children that would one day multiply into nations.
It is quite clear that Scripture uses hyperbole. Please note, however, that I am not saying that every single time the words all or every are used in the Bible they are to be taken in a non-literal way. We must study each passage in its context to see whether or not it should be taken literally. In either case, as we are going to see, the Bible uses hyperbole often when it describes the extent of pagan empires.
The Whole Earth
Many look at Daniel 7:23 as proof that the Antichrist will rule the whole world. The phrase “the whole earth” here is the Aramaic kol ‘ara’ which is referring to a large, but limited area. Gleason L. Archer notes:
“The whole earth (kol ‘ara’) refers, not to all known parts of the inhabited earth, but rather (as in general OT usage) to the entire territory of the Near and Middle East that in any way relates to the Holy Land. The word ‘ara’ (and its equivalent eres) does not necessarily mean globe in the sense of ‘the entire inhabited globe’ but – depending on context [emphasis mine] – might mean a single country (eres yisra elis ‘the land of Israel) or a larger geographical unit, such as ‘territory’ or ‘region.’”[5]
There are many places in Scripture where “the whole earth” is used for pagan empires. For example, Daniel 2:39 says that Alexander the Great’s empire would rule “the whole earth.” Obviously, Alexander did not conquer the entire globe. Some may want to argue that he ruled the entire known world, but this is not true. Alexander did not conquer all of India, Central Asia, Europe, North Africa (except Egypt), Arabia, or Africa south of Egypt. All of these places were well known during the life of Alexander. Daniel 8:5 also refers to Alexander the Great. In this chapter, Greece is symbolized as a goat that crossed “the whole earth” in order to conquer Persia. Alexander only crossed the Middle East to get his hands on Persia.
A couple other passages referring to the whole world include:
- Luke 2:1 says, “In those days, Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.” The word “Roman” does not appear in the original text. It is added by the NIV translators to clarify that it was not the whole globe. Rome did not rule over the entire world or even the known world.
- Ezra 1:2 records Cyrus, king of Persia as saying, “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth…” Cyrus did not conquer every kingdom. He never came close. He never ruled over Egypt (one of the most important nations in the world at that time), Greece, India, or Rome.[6]
What about Revelation 13?
The number one passage in Scripture that leads Christians to believe that the Antichrist will rule a one-world government is Revelation 13:7-8: “And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast – all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb …”“
We must remember from all the passages above that there will be wars and resisting nations. So, how does one reconcile Revelation 13 with everything else that we know? Daniel 5:19 is a good place to look. It says concerning Nebuchadnezzar that “…all the peoples and nations and men of every language dreaded and feared him.” Revelation uses the Greek words laon, phyle, glossa, and ethnos; the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) uses laos, phule, and glossa. Daniel and revelation are conveying the same idea using the same words. Richardson notes:
If we interpret Daniel’s passage without acknowledging its use of hyperbole, we would be forced to conclude that King Nebuchadnezzar was literally feared by every human on the earth. But he was not even heard of by every single person in every part of the entire planet, let alone greatly feared by them. So based on our knowledge of history and common sense, we acknowledge the use of hyperbole in this passage too. Likewise, Revelation 13:7-8 does not mean every last person on the earth worships the beast, but instead, a multitude from numerous nations and people groups.”[7]
It is also worth noting that Revelation 13:4: “Men worshipped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshipped the beast and asked, ‘Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?’” This seems to imply that some people are waging a war against the Antichrist. However, many people come to notice that it is a fruitless war. The Antichrist is so powerful and brutal that many question whether a war against him can be won.
“All the Nations”
There are other verses that seem to imply that the Antichrist will rule over “all the nations” of the world. For example, Joel 3:2 says that God will bring all the nations to Israel for judgment. Zechariah 14:2 says, “I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem…” Do these verses prove that “all the nations” will be under the control of the Antichrist?
First off, we need to remember everything we have talked about in this article: 1) that wars and resisting nations will exist during the Tribulation; and 2) the use of hyperbole. Secondly, we need to take a look at these verses:
- Joel 3:11-12: “Come quickly, all you nations from every side, and assemble there.”
- Zechariah 12:2, 6 say, “I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem.”
- Zechariah 14:14 also mentions the “surrounding nations.”
These passages give us the greater context of the first two mentioned above. It is not literally every nation in the world, but the “surrounding nations/peoples” that are brought to Jerusalem. What nations surround Israel? Of course, it is Middle Eastern and North African countries.[8]
Will the Antichrist rule a One-World Government?
I have written a series on the biblical evidence for an Islamic Antichrist, and the evidence presented here conforms to that thesis. The evidence presented by Richardson is, in my opinion, quite strong (although I admit that I am not dogmatic on this issue). This would point us to the fact that the Antichrist’s kingdom will be primarily Middle Eastern and North African, with a few places outside this region (see map).
Some people believe that the world will eventually be carved up into different “unions.” For example, we currently have a European Union. Many envision that we will one day have a North American Union, a South American Union, an East Asian Union, etc. If the Antichrist would come to power during a period such as this, than it is possible that he would be the ruler of an Islamic Union, that is, an Islamic Caliphate (see map). He will then invade and attempt to conquer the rest of the world.
What do you think? Do you believe that Richardson’s arguments show that the Antichrist will not rule the entire world? Leave a comment below or on our Facebook page.
[1] Joel Richardson. Mideast Beast (New York: WND Books, 2012).
[2] Richardson, 39.
[3] Ibid., 39.
[4] Ibid., 40-41.
[5] Gleason L. Archer. The Expositors Bible Commentary, vol. 7, Daniel – Minor Prophets (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1985). 93. Quoted in Richardson, 42.
[6] Richardson, 42-44.
[7] Ibid., 44-45.
[8] Ibid., 45-47.
Anonymous
I was just studying the “Star of David”. Never knew it is not in the Bible. It began with Solomon when he set up homage to foreign gods (. It is on Israel’s flag, not to mention many pagan beliefs. Do the research. Very interesting. Makes me wonder about the mark of the beast, research “Seal of Solomon”.
St8kout
Most believe that because the Antichrist imposes, “no one may buy or sell without the Mark” that it’s an implanted RFID microchip (like they implant in animals) and will be needed at stores, much like a credit card, to be scanned. As for the Mark being in the right hand or forehead, the forehead would be for amputees. (On a side note, the KJV says “in” while other translations say, “on.”) Over the years I’ve learned that the KJV tends to have more precise details on some passages.
RFID chips need no batteries. When scanned, their built-in antenna generates the power to run it, much like the cordless charger base my electric toothbrush uses to recharge itself. I imagine your RFID will store info like a credit/debit card and be used as such. Who knows, we might all be using virtual currencies like Bitcoins in the future.
St8kout
Almost from day 1 of being born again on 4/14/74 I’ve studied End Times prophecies, and what’s always stood out is the lack of America’s presence during the 7 year trib. How could we have gone from a world superpower to no obvious mention at all in the Last Days?
Ezekiel (chapters 38-39) describes the upcoming War on Israel, where Russia, Iran, and various other Islamic countries march on Israel to kill all the Jews, and God intervenes and kills 5 out of every 6 enemy soldiers (King James version). (This is NOT Armaggeddon yet, because afterwards Israel burns their weapons of war as fuel for 7 years.) You have to realize that Russia and Iran would NEVER attempt this with America still around, so OBVIOUSLY something catastrophic has happened to the US. This could be what starts the 7 year tribulation and reveals the Antichrist.
Just as in the Old Testament days, where God sent prophets warning Israel of dire consequences because they forgot God, there are present day prophets warning the US of the same, and how we are PAST the point of no return. I believe God has granted us one final reprieve with Trump winning the Election, as we are long overdue for God’s wrath. We could easily be taken out by nature (earthquakes, Yellowstone super volcano, etc) and/or one of our many enemies, (Russia has their new nuke-torpedo designed to cause massive tidal waves on any (or all three) US coastlines. Iran has been working on EMP nukes just for America for over a decade, so you can imagine if those two coordinated an attack.)
I imagine that a good time for the Rapture to occur would be right as America is about to fall. To me it seems obvious that for it to happen and for the whole world to not take notice and repent, it probably happens at a time of worldwide chaos.
The Earth Is Flat!
Let’s say they try to make that invasion right now. It would be just like the six-day war. Quick and decisive. The US would not be able to mobilize a force substantial enough to write home about before Israel let’s the nukes and God knows what else fly. America need not be notified, Netanyahu might give Trump a call to explain why the white house just shook a little and to tell him everything is fine you can go back to sleep.
Stormy
Thoughts? As I read down I noticed everyone is n expert “It is this It is that” so many humble followers simply amazes me no wonder nobody listens everyone they speak to happens to be the one that has privy the truth in their hands! What a shame. I don’t not believe the Antichrist will rule over the entire world I think that is ,for one example, a Baptist teaching then again they believe there is a pre-trib rapture which is not (in my humble opinion) Biblical it is clear after study that the rapture occurs at His return to set up His kingdom “He” being the Messiah. The Baptist teaching like so many on this page and so many other pages elsewhere is simply another case of I know everything and if you don’t believe me you are most likely going to Hell- How sad!
The Earth Is Flat!
LOL!
Monkeypeach
I agree with Joel Richardson. Here is why – Dan 7:23 uses the Heb koi ara which refers to a large/ limited area. Rev 13:3 uses ‘hole he ge’ or the entire land/ region/ inhabitants of a region. The Antichrist will be a regional ruler with great power. Potentially, the financial system maybe one or even two but it will be a time when Christians are hated by all nations.
Monkeypeach
I read a book by Peter Leong – Are we there yet? The Lord says, ‘Unless those days be shortened’. How can days be shortened unless the global calendar becomes an Islamic one …. Because the Islamic calendar is only 354/ 355 days a year and not 364/ 365 days as we have now. When Muslims dominate the world, they will get the UN to change the calendar to an Islamic one. Many parts of the world will use an Islamic calendar and I anticipate it will become the de facto calendar of the world.
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Steven
Thank you for sharing this.
I speak a dialect of Aramaic as a first language, and the usage of “Kol-Ara” is correct. It basically means “The Whole Land” and not the whole world.
God bless.
John Jung
Thank you for your sharing.
You have pointed out the islamic caliphate empire was the first beast, but Revelation 13 also mentioned the second beast, the beast with the horns of the lamb, on behalf of the whole Christian world, the second beast would cooperate with the first beast, even becoming one, if you add up the islamic world and the Christian world, this is almost the entire world, only a few countries on earth will be out of the rule of antichrist, because of its geographical environment and traditional atheism, China is likely to be one of them. America and Europe would be ruled by the second beast.
Pay attention to China. It’s a very unique country. It is difficult for you people in Western countries to understand this country.
I am a Chinese, and I am requesting that your article be translated into Chinese. You can contact me according to the email left for you.
Jon Angel
I’m a bit late to the party, 7 years in fact. But 7 years ago this was barely on my radar. The Lord has been working on my Heart since the Election. I started realizing that Rev. 12:13-17 and Rev. 3:7-13 are both about the United States. This does not mean we will be immune to suffering, apparently the Antichrist and his Coalition will attack our nation at some point. I actually believe Ezekiel 38-39 are both about a future attack on the United States, not Palestine Israel. Somehow our Nations are both Special to God however, even if the “Kingdom” was taken from old Israel by Jesus’ declaration in Matthew 21. Many years ago I had questions about Isaiah 18 and Ezekiel 38-39. Looking at some good studies on the original language wording it becomes much more clear that those passages cannot be talking about palestine/old Israel. Joel 2 seems to also be about the same time frame (It’s also possible that there are two seperate attacks to come, I have not fully reconciled that yet.) Micah 4 and Isaiah 52 are about this current time, showing how America will be delivered. However, it’s going to be a battle to take this country back, physically and spiritually. Many Chapters in Isaiah seem to be directed towards the United States as well.
Lastly, I do not believe in a “Pretrib Rapture”, none of the supposed evidence given for it is very convincing. Daniel 12 tells us that the meanings of the End Times prophecies given there would be “Sealed up until the time of the end.” Jeremiah 30:24 also speaks to this in a slightly different way, and I believe that the entire chapter of Jeremiah 30 is also about the United States as well. The Lord has kept the meaning of much of the biblical end times prophecies in scripture hidden until “the time of the end”.
Herve M. Dubois
To be clear the Spirit of Antichrist has a replacement doctrine which He is very proud of. His deception is as complete today as it has ever been. The history presented in the NT shows that the Hebrew Messiah came and challenged the Antichrist of His day ,which was the Kingdom and Priesthood of Jerusalem. Christ’s message was primarily, ” turn back and seek the old paths ,wherein is the Good Way”. King Joshua (not jesus) ,came in the glory of the Truth and Judgement to offer to the Jew first, a return to the Truth. But ,they would not. ‘Anti-‘ doesn’t necessarily mean against but rather ‘instead of’ .America is in very deed ‘Antichrist’ as are at least 7 other nation heads.
orejn orejón
Wrong on your first argument, and most of the rest. True, nobody called Him Jesus in His day, but they wouldn’t recognize the name “Joshua”, though a bit closer. He was Yeshua.
orejn orejón
Ezekiel 38 is totally about the attack on Israel. Your interpretation is very surprising to me. America is in no way as special to Him as Israel, but Christians are. I think God chose to bless America greatly for His own purpose. Most of the founding fathers were Freemasons. The occult pagan practices of that faith (yes, faith!) are abhorrent to God.
Although I like much of what Joel Richardson writes, I doubt the antichrist will be Muslim. I think the Ezekiel 38 war will wipe out most of the strongholds for that faith and people will see the true God fighting for the Jews. They will mostly mistakenly adore the antichrist who will likely take credit. I think this happens right before or after the rapture(probably after because there will be a dispensational change).
BTW, the name is Israel, not Palestine. It has never been Palestine, though it was certainly called that by many people. Even Jews. The Jews used to informally refer to themselves as “Palestinians. There was even The Palestine Press newspaper. They stopped using it when the Egyptian Yassar Arafat started using it for dissenting Arabs (there are many thousands of Arabs who live in Israel quite contentedly and when polled preferred Jewish rule to Palestinian rule. There are Arabs (Muslims) in the Knesset.
I do believe the antichrist will control the entire world eventually. There will be countries who resist and hold out. I believe Revelation 17,18 is talking about Rome and Catholicism. I think the character, policies, and morals of pope francis fit perfectly for the False Prophet. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see the rapture this year or next. I think we’re close. I firmly believe the Bible teaches a pretribulational rapture. I’ve studied every side of this for almost 48 years.
Joshua Adam Craney
“the true God fighting for the Jews”
Wow; so the rest of us are just a waste of creation, huh?
Zionist
Jon Angel
Yes, it seems surprising to think that Ezekiel 38-39 could be about America. Some might say it’s radical, or crazy, or the thought of an uneducated person. I have a BA in History, so I do know something about studying. But the passage does not “fit” Israel correctly, especially when you get out a concordance and thoroughly go through the two chapters. When you throw in Isaiah 18, Joel 2 and many other passages it starts to become clear that a lot of end times prophecy has been “Sealed Up until the time of the end”, as Daniel was told in Daniel 12. I would highly recommend doing so. This also explains the total lack of agreement on how to interpret Daniel and Revelation. (Futurist, historicist, etc.) Clearly, people are missing something. Yes, it mentions other middle eastern countries participating, but the Chinese and Iranians and North Koreans and Russians have all attacked us using cyber warfare in the recent years, and given the right set of circumstances, a cyber war could easily happen alongside a physical war. (To say nothing of ICBMs, troops from one nation deploying with those of another, etc.) There are strong Anti American sentiments in many middle eastern countries, even within the ones that are our “allies” So it’s easy to see that a country can attack another but does not have to literally be next to it to do so in the 21st century.
The reason I notate Palestine Israel is that because if my interpretation is correct God was saying through Ezekiel and other prophets (Also Matt 21:43 references this, look at that verse with a concordance) that Israel would someday be more than just the old nation of Israel in Palestine. I am not saying that the Jews in Palestine call it that. Romans 9:6 (KJV) even says “Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel”. I think it’s another fairly clear reference to the fact that God’s people “Israel” are not all Jewish after the Gospel was sent to the Gentiles, particularly after the Jews rejected him as referenced many times in the NT. Certainly God has not given up on the Jews, particularly if we read the book of Revelation, so I would strongly reject those who interpret the Jewish rejection of Jesus as an excuse for Anti-semitic beliefs. This is an explanation of what I believe has happened, not an excuse for hate.
Lastly, I cannot find any good references that clearly explain a pretribulation rapture. Nowhere in the Bible is it referenced specifically, it’s all vague references to something which could easily also be the 2nd coming of God at the end of the Tribulation. It’s a fairly new doctrine, only taught/believed for less than 200 years, and largely only in the United States. It’s not a widely believed doctrine elsewhere in the world. I’m sure many theologians alive today have probably been studying it for 50-60 years or more, but some people study subjects without ever knowing the correct answer to a question or problem their entire lives. I always grew up believing it until I did a bit of my own Bible Study and realized I could see no solid proof of it. No offense meant by any of this, I’m sure it won’t change your mind, but it’s not intended to.
William Barton
IMO “all the earth” in the Old Testament and the New Testament means “all the land,” where ” land” is determined by the context. It could not mean “planet earth” because there was no such concept at that time. The idea of a spherical earth began to be fashioned in the days of Christopher Columbus.