Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: davidbu@loowit.wr.tek.com (David E. Buxton) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: 666's and Beasties everywhere. Message-ID: Date: 5 May 91 03:49:33 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Lines: 89 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article , dmcclelland@hmcvax.claremont.edu writes: > . . . > I believe that the anti-Christ will come, and I believe > . . . 2 Thessalonians is accepted to be a chapter about the Antichrist. These texts were written in Paul's day. From Paul's perspective in history two things are clear: The Antichrist was a power already becoming established in Paul's day and yet a power not yet revealed, a power whose true character was not yet understood. "Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the one who promotes lawlessness, who opposes and exalts himself above all of God's churches, so that he sits as God and head of God's church, show- ing himself that he is God. " (2 Th 2:3,4 ) {church substituted for temple} "For the mystery of lawlessness is A-L-R-E-A-D-Y AT WORK; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. " (2 Th 2:7,8) Already becoming established in Paul's day, but not yet revealed; to be revealed some time before the day of our Lord's return; and destroyed at the time of His coming -- This makes it clear that no singular lifetime can span this time period and represent this power. Clearly the Antichrist is not a singular human being but rather an office of church leadership. This is an office just coming into power in Paul's day and spanning to the end of time. This is a power whose true Antichrist nature is not revealed until some time between these two end points, the time of the Protestant Reformation being a serious consideration. Just because most translations use the word 'temple' (naos), does not mean the word 'church' or 'cathedral' cannot be substituted. The use of the word the semantic of 'temple' is implicated and all other possibilities are ruled out. So, let us see if we can eliminate some of the popular candidates for this infamous role: A Jew as Antichrist - Judaism, rather than being a system getting esta- blished in Paul's day was a system already in existance and already Ronald Reigan or George Bush, as holding the office of the president of the USA - no, the United States makes no claim to early beginnings in Paul's day. What about Nero? -- disqualified because Rome and its emperors were already in power in Paul's day. Rome was a power whose character was already known in Paul's day. What about Martin Luther? -- no, the Lutherin church does not plant its roots in the soil of Paul's day. The Lutherin church was founded dur- ing the Protestant Reformation. Clearly no Protestant church quali- fies. What about New Agers? -- If we site the New Age as having its roots in paganism, then this was a paganism already well established in Paul's day; not in its infancy then. If we insist on a strictly modern con- text for the New Age, then we pull its roots out of Paul's day. Either way we disqualify the New Agers. They may be an Antichrist (elsewhere the Bible sites that there will be many Antichrists), but the New Age is not the Antichrist of 2 Thes 2. Also, no seat of singular leader- ship exists in the quiltwork of New Age. What about your local IRS auditor? Disqualified, and I don't need to explain why the IRS is not the 666 power. What about king Nebuchadnezzar? Archaeology has uncovered medalions of the priests of Babylon where it is clear that two dimensional 666 structures were their intended design. But ancient Babylon was already revealed in Paul's day. In the book of Revelation we see that a power symbolic of Babylon comes into existance. I'd say that 666 is a Babylonian symbolism. In order to con- verge the Antichrist of 2 Thes 2, the 666 power and a symbolic new Babylon all together as one we must identify a symbolic Babylon claiming to have its roots in Paul's day and having adobted many of the systems of Babylon. Also, a system whose true character is not revealed until after Paul's day and some time before Christ returns. Believing that we are in the time of the end I'd say that we should seriously consider that this power has already been revealed. Well, I've uncovered a lot of clues and criteria. But I'll not hand out the answer. Maybe you can figure it out for me. Dave (David E. Buxton)