THE FALSE PROPHET: IS HE HERE?
THERE have been many interpretations concerning the identity of the False Prophet as spoken of in the Book of Revelation. However, as I hold to the view that Revelation is in effect history revealed in advance, and that a great deal of that history has already taken place, I believe that we have now reached a point in time where we can positively identify this character known as the False Prophet. This False Prophet has successfully blinded Christendom, not only to his own identity but also in relation to the identity of all three Satanic inspired forces prophesied to lead the rulers of this world to, “the battle of that great day of God Almighty”– Revelation 16:14. As a result of this deception Britain and America have been led into several wars over the past century and are now embroiled in a conflict in the Middle East which will ultimately wreak terrible destruction, not only in our own land, but on a world wide scale.
Here in Revelation 16 we note that we are looking at a prophecy pertaining to this very time just prior to the final battle of the age, or in other words, a prophecy for the last hours of the last days. We note also that these three characters, the Dragon, the Beast and the False Prophet are described as ‘spirits’ that go forth to lead or deceive the rulers of the world. Spirits by their very nature are invisible and as such take the form of influences or forces working behind the scenes. In this study we must not only identify the False Prophet at this time, but we must also seek to establish what influence this spirit is wielding over the world today.
An examination of Scripture will show that this False Prophet is in fact a close associate and co-conspirator of the ‘Beast’ system (Church of Rome). The False Prophet, in the sense of the definite article is only mentioned three times in the entire canon of Scripture and on each occasion it is in association with the Beast. It should also be noted that the FIRST time that the title False Prophet is given in relation to the definite article is in Revelation 16:13-14:
“And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the FALSE PROPHET. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty”.
What we must ask is, why has our Lord chosen to give this co-conspirator of the Beast system a specific identity or different name here in Revelation 16? Quite simply, I believe that during these last hours of the Last Days, our Lord is highlighting the fact that at this time a false prophetic teaching, emanating from the Beast system, will be of particular significance in leading the people away from the truth contained in the Word of God, and blinding them as to their true destiny.
Of the two other occasions in scripture where mention is made of the False Prophet, only one of these passages, Revelation 19:20, gives us any clue as to the characteristics pertaining to its identity:
“And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image”.
We note that these same characteristics are displayed by the Two Horned Beast in Revelation 13:14:
“And (the two horned Beast, representing the final stages of Satan’s counterfeit religion as manifest in the Church of Rome) 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”.
Referring again to the ‘Beast’, it is the author’s view that these two horns represent two powers at work within the Church of Rome today in the form of the Dynasty of Popes and the Jesuit order. It is therefore to the deceitful Jesuits, in particular their false prophetic teaching, that we must turn in order to identify this satanic character ‘The False Prophet’. It is worth noting in relation to this point of identification in Revelation 19:20, that it is those who have received the ‘mark’ that are deceived. We see the exact outworking of this prophetic word when we consider that the mark received in the forehead symbolises belief and assent to the doctrines of Rome, with the mark on the hand symbolising fellowship and friendship with this false church in the form of their ecumenical associates.It was these two groups who were first deceived by this false teaching before the pollution spread to the Reformed Churches.
It may come as a surprise to some that the Jesuits, working in conjunction with the Church of Rome in an attempt to stem the flow of the Reformation, produced an entirely new and false theory in relation to Bible prophecy. What is more alarming is that this false Jesuit inspired interpretation, known as the Futurist theory, has blinded our churches to the real truth of the prophetic scriptures. As a result these three spirits or forces spoken of in Revelation 16, have been able to lead the rulers of this world to that final battle of Armageddon unhindered and undetected. Meanwhile, most Church leaders and professing Christians have been found fast asleep.
Very briefly, the main points of this false teaching revolve around the theory that our Lord is to return twice. His first return will be in secret when his saints will be caught up (raptured) to meet Him in the air with the world knowing only that thousands of Christians world-wide have disappeared. Meanwhile, all those who were unprepared are to be left on earth in an unsaved state. A ‘seven year’ period of tribulation will then commence and an Individual known as the ‘Anti-Christ’ will make his appearance and will assume power as a world dictator. This dictator is to head up a revived Roman Empire in the form of a ten-nation confederacy and rule over it. He will make a covenant with the Jews and allow them to set up their temple worship in a rebuilt Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. After three-and-a-half years of the tribulation period he will break this covenant and persecute them. After the seven years of tribulation are complete, our Lord will return a second time, with his saints, and destroy Anti-Christ.
This ‘False Prophetic’ Futurist theory simply does not stand up to the examination of Scripture. This not only applies to their teaching on Antichrist but also in relation to their theories on the Tribulation at the end of the age and the two-staged return of The Lord Jesus. However, most alarming of all is the false teaching that the ‘State of Israel’ as it currently exists, is representative of God’s chosen people Israel and that its formation in 1948 was a fulfilment of prophecy. It is this erroneous view particularly within Christian America which gives moral credibility to our western Nations as they continually pander to Jewish influence and implement policies geared towards bolstering the Israeli State. The fact remains that those people, who call themselves ‘Jews’ today, have absolutely no biblical claim to the land of Palestine. A correct reading of scripture will show that the ‘Birthright Promise’ including the possession of the land, was given to Joseph and subsequently passed on to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh (1 Chronicles 5:1). When Jewish leaders themselves only claim descent from the tribe of Judah and to a lesser extent the tribe of Benjamin, the blatant discrepancy in this false prophetic teaching is further highlighted. Scripture is quite clear in that a repentant house of Judah can only lay claim to the ‘Promised Land’ in and through association with all the tribes of Israel united in the Kingdom Age. Jeremiah 3:17-18:
“At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart. In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers “.
Time and time again we are told the Jewish people are being blessed by God and that the state of Israel today is fulfilment of this wonderful blessing. When we consider the teaching of the Jewish faith in relation to our Lord and Saviour, we have to ask when has God ever blessed Christ rejection? On the contrary, the Israeli State will suffer terribly and more alarmingly those nations who fail to heed the warning from scripture and withdraw themselves from the present conflict will bring equally terrible suffering on themselves.
Finally, to answer our title question, the False Prophet is very much here and among us now in the form of the Jesuit inspired false futurist teaching. It has always been Satan’s goal to thwart the plans of our Lord and destroy the Kingdom of God. In an attempt to achieve this Satan has erected false prophetic signposts directing Christendom towards destruction. As a result our people wander lost in a dark prophetic wilderness without the light of Scriptural truth to guide them. It is high time we stopped following these deceitful signposts and looked instead to our road map in the form of the infallible, inspired Word of God, before it is too late.
