The Antichrist’s Actions During the Armageddon Campaign as Described in Daniel 11:45 and Revelation 13:14-15

Daniel 11:40-45 presents a description of the Antichrist’s actions during the Armageddon campaign.

Daniel 11:40 “Now, during the end time, the king ruling the south will cause himself to go to war against him. Also, the king ruling the north will cause himself to storm against him with a military chariot group, with a cavalry as well as with a large armada of ships. However, despite this, he will wage attacks against countries so that he will overflow, yes, pass through like a flood. 41 “He will even wage an attack against the beautiful land. Indeed, many will be defeated. However, these will for their own benefit escape from his power: Edom as well as Moab and in addition the leadership of the citizens of Ammon. 42 Yes, he will exercise his power against countries with the Egyptian people by no means being able to escape. 43 He will even be in control over hidden treasures, namely their gold as well as their silver, indeed, over all Egypt’s valuable commodities. Also, the Libyans as well as the Cushites will be under his control. 44 However, reports from the east as well as the north will alarm him. Consequently, he will march out in a great rage in order to kill, yes, annihilate many. 45 He will even pitch his royal tents between the seas on the beautiful, holy Mountain. However, despite this, he will come to his end with absolutely no one will help him.” (My translation)

Daniel 11:45 brings to an end the prophecy regarding the character and actions of the Antichrist during the last three and a half years of the seventieth week.

This verse contains two prophetic statements.

The first is that the Antichrist will pitch his royal tents between the seas on the beautiful holy mountain.

“The seas” is a reference to the Mediterranean and Dead Seas with the former located to the west of Jerusalem and the latter located to the east of this city.

“The beautiful holy Mountain” is a reference to the temple mount area in Jerusalem.

Though in Daniel’s day it was destroyed by war, it was still called beautiful by Daniel since it is the place in which the Messiah would be crucified and would die as a substitute for all of sinful humanity.

It is also the place in which He will reign over all the earth for a thousand years.

This first prophetic statement in Daniel 11:45 is an ascensive clause meaning that this statement is shocking to the angel and repulsive to him since God who has chosen this city to be the capital city of Israel and place from which His Son will rule during His millennial reign.

When the Antichrist is occupying Jerusalem he will be displaying himself as God by sitting on the Ark of the Covenant between the cherubs in the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem which Gabriel prophesied about in Daniel 9:27.

Also the false prophet will lead the world in worshipping the image of the Antichrist during the last three and a half years of the seventieth week.

The apostle Paul also refers to the Antichrist’s desecrating the temple and declaring himself God and demanding the worship of the world.

Paul’s statement in 2 Thessalonians 2:4 that Antichrist will “take his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as God” is a reference to the statement in Daniel 9:27, “on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate.”

The statement in 2 Thessalonians 2:4 also corresponds to the second prophetic statement in Daniel 11:36 that a unique will exalt and magnify himself above every god.

Revelation 13:14-15 also mentions Antichrist exalting himself as God and receiving the worship of the world as such while occupying Jerusalem.

Revelation 13:1 And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names. 2 And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. 3 I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast. (NASB95)

This statement refers to the restoration of the Roman Empire and not the Antichrist since John is speaking in the context of the ten horns that represent the Revived Roman Empire.

Revelation 13:4 They worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?” 5 There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. (NASB95)

The “forty-two months” refers to the last three and a half years of Daniel’s Seventieth Week and corresponds with the “for a time (one year), times (two years), and a half time (six months)” in Daniel 7:25 and the “one thousand two hundred and sixty days” in Revelation 12:6 and the “forty-two months” in Revelation 11:2.

Revelation 13:6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven. 7 It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. 8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. 9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear. 10 If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints. 11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon. 12 He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. (NASB95)

This second beast is called in Revelation 16:13, 19:20 and 20:10 “the false prophet” and will be a religious leader as indicated in that he is depicted as a lamb with two horns.

The horns speak of power and the lamb is a religious symbol, a symbol of sacrifice, so this beast is a religious figure and as a lamb is also symbolical of a mild, lamb-like manner, so this second beast will adopt a mild lamb-like appearance, but he will be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. (Maybe the Pope)

Revelation 13:13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men. 14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life. (NASB95)

This passage teaches that the second beast, i.e. the false prophet will promote the worship of the first beast, which refers to the Antichrist and not the Revived Roman Empire since first beast is said to have “had a wound of the sword and has come to life,” which refers to surviving a fatal wound from an act of violence.

Rome was never destroyed by the sword, i.e. militarily but rather disintegrated from division and deterioration from within, thus indicating that Antichrist will survive an assassination attempt.

Revelation 13:15 And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead. 17 And he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six. (NASB95)

To enforce the worship of the beast and to make life impossible without his worship, men cannot buy or sell without the mark of the beast.

Consequently, millions of believers will be killed because they do not have the mark and refuse to receive it or because they starve to death since they cannot buy or sell.

Some will survive, however, by living off the land or because other believers who have food share with those who do not (cf. Matt. 24:15-25 and 25:31-40).

To receive the mark of the beast is tantamount to the worship of the beast, and rejection of Jesus Christ (cf. 13:8; 17:8; 14:9-12; 15:2; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4).

Revelation 13:17 say that the mark is his number, which is defined in verse 18 as 666 and is one of the options for the mark, either his name or his number and will be the means by which believers in the Tribulation period will identify the beast.

This will not be just a number or identification mark on a plastic card but rather it will be on the person himself and symbolic of the fact that he is only a man and not God as he claims to be.

It is interesting that within the identification numbers of various agencies, the IRS and others, the number 666 is beginning to pop up more and more.

Now, the second prophetic statement contained in Daniel 11:45 is a concessive clause meaning that despite the Antichrist occupying Jerusalem and the temple where he displays himself as God, he will meet his demise with absolutely no one to help him.

The Word of God teaches that Jesus Christ at His Second Advent will kill the Antichrist and have him thrown alive into the Lake of Fire after his death.