The False Prophet

The word that is used in Revelation denotes that people will, indeed, physically imprint something on their forehead or their right hand thus signifying their union with the Antichrist and his kingdom in an act of worship. What then is this mark? From the text, scholars have assumed that what is being told John references the ancient practice of gematria. This is a Hebrew, alphanumeric code of assigning numerical values to a name, word or phrase based on its letters. Since a single word or phrase can yield multiple values depending on the cipher used, it requires the knowledge of those who created the original cypher to understand the significance of any generated number and its application to a given written word or phrase. This aligns with John’s statement about needing wisdom to calculate the number of the beast. It is because of this variance in applying numeric values that a tremendous number of individuals have been suggested for “the beast” merely because their name could be arranged in such a way as to arrive at the numeric value of 666. This, of course, is not a valid methodological approach and is the number one reason people have tended to reject the literalness of the mark of the beast.

When reading the text of Revelation, it is readily observable that gematria is being performed upon the Antichrist’s name, and that when this is done, it will yield 666. However, there is much more to it than that, and this will be essential in solidifying the Man of Lawlessness once he is revealed as opposed to just haphazardly applying gematria to his actual name. In fact, from what is said in the text, I think that the name that yields 666 will not be so readily known at first, and I certainly don’t think it will be the mark! Read what the text says. “No one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” Clearly, the mark is separate from the name of the beast and the number of his name, yet is representative of them, nonetheless. What is being implied here is that this mark contains the number of his name, and that number is NOT necessarily immediately recognizable as being connected to a man’s name but is primarily the name of the beast as whole, meaning the system. Since the beast becomes synonymous with the Antichrist at the very end, it makes sense that the number is also that of a man, the Antichrist, but it appears that that is a secondary connection point. Thus, the primary way of identifying the mark will be to recognize that it is a physical mark, that it will represent the final beast kingdom, that it can be calculated, and that wisdom is required to do so, and finally, it will also be able to be applied to the actual name of the Antichrist.

Since the Apostle John wrote that wisdom is needed to calculate the number of the beast it makes little sense to think that simply applying gematria to a name will be determinative since we all know who the beast is by that point! He will be here, and, in the prophetic timeline, the appearance of this mark is extremely late. So, why would we need wisdom to calculate it? Because it will not be obvious, and it will be the final means to show those who are still not believers what it is, and who the Antichrist is before they damn themselves for all eternity. It will not be good enough to merely perform gematria, because that can be applied to all sorts of people. There will have to be something else that can be used to triangulate it with the gematria value of his name to leave no doubt whatsoever. So, what is it then?

The first known historical use of gematria for calculating a name was from an Assyrian inscription dating to the 8^th century BC, commissioned by Sargon II. In the inscription, Sargon II states: “the king built the wall of Khorsabad 16,283 cubits long to correspond with the numerical value of his name.” Here it is shown that gematria was used specifically in the construction of a wall as a living testimony to the power and might of a king, and not merely as a signifier of his name.

In Scripture, the first place we see the number 666 is when measuring out the weight of gold received by Solomon and used in the construction of the First Temple (1 Kings 10:14). The primary thing that the Antichrist is looking to do is establish his rule in the earth. Any kingdom requires a capital, and the capital that Satan, and through him the Antichrist, has always wanted is Jerusalem! So many prophecy teachers miss this point, but from his first act of rebellion, the Devil has wanted to rule from the mountain of the Lord (God’s holy mountain). In the earth, this is Mount Zion, and Jerusalem is the eternal city.

• “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
  I will be like the Most High.’ Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit. (Isaiah 14:12-15).

Satan has always wanted to be worshipped like God, where God is. It makes all the sense in the world that the Antichrist would want to establish his capital at this same earthly point. The only reason he is unable to do so immediately upon his unveiling is because he is thwarted by the Two Witnesses. However, in the timeline of Revelation, as soon as they are out of the way, there is nothing preventing him from setting to work. In fact, it seems that their ministry is specifically keeping him from taking full control of Jerusalem.

• When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. (Revelation 11:7,8)

It is significant that the Lord connects Jerusalem here to Egypt and Sodom. Sodom was the city that was destroyed by God for its total rebellion against the laws of God. This city was described as “exceedingly” wicked (Genesis 13:13); a people that brazenly and knowingly flaunted their evil against God (Isaiah 3:9). They were destroyed with fire and brimstone. This speaks to the eternal damnation that awaits the Antichrist, false prophet, Satan, and those who follow and worship them. Sodom is a city that comports perfectly with the earth at the time of Noah, but within the context of a city, and thus is a perfect spiritual representative for what Jerusalem, as the seat of Antichrist power, will represent for a time.

We will get to the significance of Egypt later. For now, it should be readily seen that when it comes to the desire of the Antichrist and Satan, they desire to build a city that will be representative of their entire global empire, much like the heavenly Jerusalem that is to come represents the capital of God’s kingdom. In fact, at the beginning of Revelation, in the letters to the seven churches, we discover this promise to the church that is faithful:

• He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name. (Revelation 3:12).

Just like Satan wants people to mark themselves for him, Jesus marks those who are His! Those who have the name of God written on them spiritually, and are thus sealed unto the Lord, are also bearing the name of the city of God on their spirits. It’s an identification not just with God, but with the kingdom of God. Would it not make sense that Satan, through his man, does the same? What if the mark is a seal that in some way relates to the city and the kingdom the Antichrist is going to set-up?

Occultism and The Mark

When looking into occultism you see that geometry, which many scholars think is related to the word gematria, is particularly important. Whether in the ritual ceremonies of the Rosicrucian and Masons or the witchcraft, astrological and black magic practices of other occult groups, images such as the triangle, circle, hexagram, or pentagram are of primary importance. There are frankly too (to) many images to get into here, but I will focus on one that seems to fit as it is associated with a son of David, who was a prolific builder, and who was the wisest man to ever live, according to the Bible.

The Seal of Solomon is the alleged signet ring attributed to King Solomon in medieval Arabic tradition, from which it developed in Islamic and Jewish mysticism and was later adopted into Western occultism. It is the predecessor of the Star of David, which became the symbol of the Jewish people in modern times. What distinguishes a Seal of Solomon from a Star of David is the two triangles are interlaced giving the appearance of a 3-dimensional figure. The Seal was often depicted in either a pentagram or hexagram shape. It is alleged to have given Solomon the power to command demons, jinn (genies) and spirits, or to speak with animals.

There are a variety of manifestations of this symbol, but this is the basic design. According to occultists, the one triangle pointing upward represents the flesh or material matter and the male generative act; the other, pointing downward, signifies female sexuality and the spiritual plane. Therefore, we have a masculine and a feminine triangle integrated. This indicates sexual union, the sex act, and the reconciliation of opposites, yin and yang, or God and Satan. In other words, this symbol represents the union of all elements of this visible world and the unseen into one. Is this not what the Antichrist is going to promise?

Another example image illustrates this point further.

Image 2

This image has the six major elements of nature being represented by the six points of the triangle. Within the triangle designated as the “male” triangle, you have the three parts that compose man. At the center, within the hexagon, is a triangle within a circle that represents the “mortal trinity”, the ultimate center of the mortal universe that connects with the eternal. In all of this, Take careful note of the importance of circles and triangles. These two, more than any other shape, are essential to occultic understanding. More importantly, these two shapes have incredible relationships within the number system that yield calculations within geometry and mathematics connected to the number 666.

Triangular Numbers, Circular Numbers, Primes, and the Number 666

In occultism, a triangle represents manifestation, enlightenment, revelation, and a higher perspective. It is often used to mark the cycles of growth that lead to a higher state of being. Triangles are said to direct energy and power in the direction in which they point. Spiritually, it represents a path toward enlightenment or connection to an omnipresent being.

In mathematics, there are numbers called triangular numbers. They are a type of figurate number, like square numbers or cube numbers. A triangular number counts objects arranged in an equilateral triangle, which is a triangle with all sides of equal length. How this applies to our discussion of the mark is as follows.

An equilateral triangle of 36 units has a triangular number of 666. Because 36 is also triangular (a triangle with three sides of 8 units each), 666 is also a doubly triangular number! These are unique within math. These two numbers are also connected mathematically in that 666 is the sum of the first 36 natural numbers. 666 is also the sum of the squares of the first seven primes: 2²+3²+5²+7²+11²+13²+17². The uniqueness of 666 does not stop there though. When broken into its prime factorization, 666 is 2 • 3² • 37.

Breaking these multiplicative parts down we find some interesting things of note. The prime number 2 could speak to the two dimensions, both spiritual and earthly, becoming one in a mystical union with the Antichrist and Satan. The prime number three squared could be a reference to triune man (body, soul, spirit) becoming one with the Satanic ruling trinity of (Satan, Hades, and the Sea – see the Appendix on Signs in the Heavens), or it could be the unholy trinity of the Antichrist, false prophet, and Satan in union with the Satanic Trinity. This is entirely speculative on my part but intriguing.

When looking at the prime number 37 we find some fascinating outcomes related to the mark of the beast. Firstly, it is a circular prime. This is a list of prime numbers whose mirror is also a prime. Hence, 73 is also a circular number. There exists an even more compelling relation between the numbers 37, 73, and 666. When considering the triangular number for a triangle that has three sides of 73 units, we arrive at the number 2701. The triangular number for a triangle that has three sides of 37 units is 703. If you subtract 703 from 2701 that yields 1998. This divided by 3 would give you 666. Why is that significant related to the Seal of Solomon, a potential candidate for the mark of the beast?

Consider the image of the Seal in Image 1. If both large triangles are composed of sides that have 73 units each then the resulting hexagon in the middle would be composed of 37 units. When observing Image 2, you can see that a triangle may be placed within that hexagon (just focus on the triangle facing down). If the outside triangles had sides of 73 units each, this internal triangle must be composed of 37 units each as well. This would result in the creation of three other triangles contained within the larger and they each would be composed of 36 units. In other words, each of their triangular numbers would be 666.

More than that, if you had each of the two intersecting larger triangles equaling 73 units, the six smaller triangles created at the points that are touching the larger circle would total 36 units (with each containing 6 units)! Okay, enough geometry, but you get the point.

Some other mathematical and physical curiosities of note related to 37 before moving onto a little bit of gematria. From 666 we obtain 6+6+6=18 and 18 x 37 = 666. 37 is a mystical symbol that many have connected to Christ using gematria. To this number is thus allotted a certain dignity. According to the ancient Chaldeans, the number 37 symbolizes the Force, the Capacity, and the Power. It is also the basic human body temperature in Celsius. Lastly, the magic square using the first thirty-six numbers is associated with the sun and has for a sum 111, and 3 x 37 = 111.

Gematria

I am not even going to attempt to perform gematria on a whole host of words and phrases, especially since I am not a Hebrew, nor Greek scholar. I will merely point you to a few things that I found quite fascinating as it relates to the work of others and the numbers 36, 37, and 73, and 666.

The Gematria for the Hebrew words that have the following meaning yields a numeric value of 36.[1]

• to be bright, to gleam, to shine. – [Isaiah 14:12 references the fall of Lucifer (the shining one). Most biblical scholars believe this to be a reference to Satan. I share that view.]
• Tabernacle; dwelling place; the temple; the palace (of the Sun). – [Interesting that God has promised to tabernacle with men, and the Antichrist will commit the abomination of desolation in the Third temple, declaring himself God and demand worship.]
• swearing; oath; curse; a covenant or agreement. – [The Antichrist will not only cut a covenant that involves Israel ushering in the final week of this age, but he will also bring all of those who follow him into covenant with himself as their redeemer.]
• to separate; to go away; to divide, part, distinguish. – [The ultimate division of man will take place as a choice must be made between worshipping Jesus or bowing to the Antichrist.]
• Oaks, terebinth – [oaks (terebinths) were places associated with idolatry (Ezekiel 6:13; Hosea 4:13).]
• “Eloah” — divine name associated with the 5th Sephira Geburah. – [The Gematria for this only works if you use a defective spelling for אֱלוֹהַּ, so, it becomes אֱלהַּ. This variant is found in the Tanakh, the Jewish Old Testament text. It can also be the title for a false god.]

36 certainly is a number that has connections to the Antichrist in terms of the Hebrew words and expressions that equal it numerically. I want to quickly focus on the connection to the Sephira Geburah here. The seraphim are a classification of angelic beings, and one in which Satan could have been.

• “You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: the sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created. “You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you. (Ezekiel 28:13-15)

From this text, which many scholars believe references the fall of Satan, much like Isaiah 14, it is obvious that Satan was once a cherub. Most everyone places cherubs in a different category as seraphim. However, this Scripture passage clearly places this figure “in the midst of” the “fiery stones”. Now, the word for seraph in Hebrew is not used here, however, the imagery is clear. This entity is not merely a cherub. There was a uniqueness to Satan in his station that seemed to be recognized even by the archangel Michael when confronting him (Jude 9).

If he held a chief position in the (two) orders of the heavenly host, then this might explain why he had enough authoritative weight to get one third of the angels to follow him in his rebellion against God. Further support for this is given by the fact that every other time the term seraph is used in the Hebrew Bible it is used to describe serpents! The devil is repeatedly referred to as “the Serpent” or “the Dragon” in the Bible. Thus, I am on solid biblical footing in believing that Satan was both a cherub and a seraph, and (thus,) unlike all the other angelic beings that were made.

That said, Geburah, the fifth Sefirot (a singular form of Seraphim, meaning “the burning ones”) in the kabbalistic tree of life, is “the essence of judgment and limitation” and corresponds to awe and the element of fire. In kabbalism, it is associated with red and corresponds to the second day of creation – probably because many Jewish Rabbis taught this was the day the angelic hosts were made (I agree with this assertion). To the kabbalist mind, Geburah is understood as God’s mode of punishing the wicked and judging humanity in general, and strict meting out of justice, which contrasts to Chesed, God’s loving-kindness or compassion. Within Kabbalism, which I neither know much about, nor recommend, Chesed and Geburah are opposites of one another. Chesed is associated with the “right arm” of God, while Geburah is referred to as the “left arm” and is used for repelling those deemed undeserving of God’s mercy. If Jesus is the personification of the mercy of God, and He is seated at the right hand of the Father, then I think it appropriate to think of Satan as being the image seated on the left; the one who is the ultimate instrument of the wrath of God against a rebellious creation. With that in view, now consider that the numeric value of Geburah is 216, which is 6 times 6 times 6!

The Gematria for the Hebrew words that have the following meaning yields a numeric value of 37.[2]

• to be wrong (in mind); to be foolish.
• to knit or twist together; to be strong; mighty.
• to go before or in front of; to be before; to begin.
• strength; body.
• the heart.
• to fall away, fail, be worn out; to fall off, waste away.
• to bind, twist; to be firm, strong; nape of the neck; to be great, high, extolled, mighty.
• to burn, to flame; a flame; a flashing or glittering; sword blade.

The Gematria for the Hebrew words that have the following meaning yields a numeric value of 73.[3]

• Proper Name – “The Ear of God”.
• Wisdom

The Gematria for the Hebrew words that have the following meaning yields a numeric value of 666.[4]

• “Height” or “Heights”
• “Hidden.”

Without too much difficulty, it is easy to see how all three numbers 36, 37, and 73 are uniquely related to one another and that their gematria form Hebrew words and expressions binding them to the unfolding narrative in Revelation and the number 666 both mathematically and geometrically.

Egyptian Mythology

It has already been established that the Antichrist will arise from Greece. It has also been shown that many of the signs in the skies surrounding his appearance have a connection to the Greek myths of old. However, we also see in the skies around the final week imagery connected to ancient Egyptian mythology. Specifically, this is true regarding Satan’s falling to earth. If, as has also been suggested, the Antichrist, false prophet, and Satan form an unholy trinity mimicking the Triune Godhead of Heaven, then it makes sense to spend a little bit of time addressing the connection of ancient Egyptian myth, the role of the serpent in that context, and the symbol that I suspect might be the expression of the unholy trinity’s kingdom.

Earlier it was noted that the Jerusalem that is under the total control of the Antichrist at the very end is spiritually referred to as Egypt in Revelation 11. In the Bible, Egypt is the ONE nation that is synonymous with spiritual oppression. Not merely physical oppression, but spiritual bondage. This is referenced specifically by the Apostle Paul. 

• Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. (1 Corinthians 10:1-5)

The crossing of the Red Sea, the destruction of the Pharoah’s army, and the final act of deliverance from the Egyptian bondage is here used as an analogy to baptism. When we are baptized, it symbolic of our having been brought from death to life in Christ. We are freed from the bondage of the sin that we were born into by a divine act of God. To hammer this point home, the Old Testament records how Israel tried repeatedly to return to Egypt, and their false gods, rather than trust the Lord and move into the Promised Land. The New Testament relates this in the testimonial of Stephen the Martyr before the Sanhedrin.

• “This is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the Angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, the one who received the living oracles to give to us, whom our fathers would not obey, but rejected. And in their hearts, they turned back to Egypt, saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods to go before us; as for this Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ (Acts 7 38-40)

The greatest exemplars of spiritual idolatry, and separation from the promises of God, were the gods of Egypt and the spiritual bondage they represented. This is why, in both the historical narrative of the Exodus and in the life of Christ, God called His Son “out of Egypt” (Hosea 11:1, Matthew 2:15). 

• “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘I brought you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of bondage; and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out before you and gave you, their land. (Judges 6:8,9)

The quintessential oppressor was Egypt. In Scripture, it is Egypt that is synonymous with spiritual bondage and oppression. Egypt, spiritually speaking, is where the Lord calls those who are His out of, and exactly the place where Satan, and the Antichrist wish to return mankind to. It is a place that provides your basic physical needs, but exacts a huge toll, both in physical and emotional terms. Ultimately, it takes your soul.

Now, what does this have to do with the Mark of the Beast? In ancient Egyptian iconography there exists the ouroboros (a serpent eating its own tail). It is often interpreted as a symbol for eternal cyclic renewal: life, death, and rebirth. As the snake sheds its skin, so the soul sheds its body to take on a new spiritual identity. Rinse and repeat. In alchemy, this represents the balance between life and death. Occultists have used this symbol to represent the circle that surrounds the double-triangles forming a hexagon in the Seal of Solomon. The hexagram represents a balance of all elements within nature and human creation. Thus, combining the two means that all aspects of creation are in balance.

Image 4

Image 4 is just one example of how the ouroboros can be represented in occultism. What is important for our discussion is that it is this always devouring yet renewing serpent that encompasses all else within it. The serpent bounds everything else, and in effect stands in the place of God! Considering that the ouroboros entered western tradition through the Greek magical tradition then to be adopted as a symbol in Gnosticism, alchemy, and occultism generally, it follows that this serpent image is what is in mind in the outer circle on the Seal of Solomon!

Egypt is further connected to “the star” of paganism found within the Seal in that it relates to something the Israelites worshipped while in the wilderness. 

• “Did you offer Me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel, you also carried Sikkuth your king and Chiun, your idols, the star of your gods, which you made for yourselves. (Amos 5:25,26)

Since the context is Israel in the wilderness, the gods of Egypt seem to be implied. This was the nation they had been in physical bondage to for over 200 years at that point, so it seems likely. These same gods of Egypt were still being worshipped years later when Joshua implored the Israelites to put them away (Joshua 24:14).

Most Bible scholars have said this Scripture is referencing Moloch, an ancient god of the Moabites, because this is how it was translated in the Latin Vulgate and is how it appears in the New Testament translation and retelling by Stephen before the Sanhedrin. 

• You also took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, images which you made to worship; and I will carry you away beyond Babylon.’ (Acts 7:43)

What the text actually says is that Israel carried the tabernacle of a meleḵ [meh’-lek], whom they worshipped. This term simply means “king.” It is a generic term and can mean any king. However, it was transliterated, without cause, to be Moloch in the New Testament reference. Thus, it appears this way in some Old Testament texts like the KJV. Frankly, no one knows who or what this god was. The names given it, Chiun, and Remphan, have no connection to known gods of the day. The only thing we can say for sure is that this god was being worshipped in secret by the people of Israel and had a star for its image! It is obvious from the context, that whatever the star was, it came right out of Egyptian paganism, and it is at least likely that it may have been connected to the ouroboros.

The Assyrians as Spiritual Oppressors

Egypt is clearly referred to in connection with the Antichrist kingdom, the city of Jerusalem in its final iteration BEFORE Christ’s return, the coming of Satan to the earth in our timeline, the historical oppression of Israel, the spiritual bondage of sin, and spiritual idolatry. It makes sense then that they would, in some way, be affiliated with the personification of the Antichrist. But are they?

I mentioned in the book that many eschatology teachers believe that references to “the Assyrian” in the Bible are veiled allusions to the Antichrist. Though this is not always true, nor even mostly true, there are many times when the use of this term does seem to be a euphemism for the Son of Perdition. 

• Behold, the name of the Lord comes from afar, burning with His anger and His burden is heavy; His lips are full of indignation, and His tongue like a devouring fire. His breath is like an overflowing stream, which reaches up to the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of futility; and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err. You shall have a song as in the night when a holy festival is kept, and gladness of heart as when one goes with a flute, to come into the mountain of the Lord, to the Mighty One of Israel. The Lord will cause His glorious voice to be heard, and show the descent of His arm, with the indignation of His anger and the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, tempest, and hailstones. For through the voice of the Lord Assyria will be beaten down, as He strikes with the rod. And in every place where the staff of punishment passes, which the Lord lays on him, it will be with tambourines and harps; and in battles of brandishing, He will fight with it. For Tophet was established of old, yes, for the king it is prepared. He has made it deep and large; its pyre is fire with much wood; the breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, kindles it. (Isaiah 30:27-33)
• And it shall come to pass in that day that the remnant of Israel, and such as have escaped of the house of Jacob, will never again depend on him who defeated them, but will depend on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. The remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the Mighty God. For though your people, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea, a remnant of them will return; the destruction decreed shall overflow with righteousness. For the Lord God of hosts will make a determined end in the midst of all the land. Therefore, thus says the Lord God of hosts: “O My people, who dwell in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrian. He shall strike you with a rod and lift up his staff against you, in the manner of Egypt. For yet a very little while and the indignation will cease, as will My anger in their destruction.” And the Lord of hosts will stir up a scourge for him like the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb; as His rod was on the sea, so will He lift it up in the manner of Egypt. (Isaiah 10:20-26)

In both passages, the final judgement certainly seems to be in view. Particularly, Isaiah 10 seems to be speaking of “the Assyrian” at the time of the end when the remnant of Israel that is left is finally delivered and when all indignation shall cease. Whoever the Assyrian is, they are clearly operating in the same manner that Egypt did when they oppressed Israel, meaning with that same spirit. There are many such examples of this in Scripture. 

• For thus says the Lord God: “My people went down at first into Egypt to dwell there; then the Assyrian oppressed them without cause. (Isaiah 52:4)

The “then” is not actually in the text but was added by translators thus, the KJV leaves it out entirely. Obviously, that makes the text read a bit differently. It equates Egyptian slavery with oppression by “the Assyrians”. This then makes it seem like “the Assyrian” could be a general term for one who oppresses Israel. This of course would be a perfect term for the Antichrist. 

• We have given the hand to Egypt, and to Assyria, to get bread enough. (Lamentations 5:6)

Here again, we have what could be a reference to Egypt as Assyria. The reason I say this is because Jeremiah is describing taking assistance from Egypt here. This is something that Judah historically did while they were trying to fend off the Babylonians. However, the Assyrians were not even around at the time of Jeremiah, having been conquered already by those same Babylonians! Even if it was referring to Assyria proper, it wouldn’t logically follow, because the Assyrians never aided Judah with bread against their foes. Rather, it appears that once again, Egypt is being equated with “the Assyrian” because of their history of oppressing Israel. 

• He shall pass through the sea of troubles and strike down the waves of the sea, and all the depths of the Nile shall be dried up. The pride of Assyria shall be laid low, and the scepter of Egypt shall depart. (Zechariah 10:11)

Contextually speaking, this seems to be a clear and unmistakable reference to Egypt as “the pride of Asshur”. It is speaking to the spirit behind what was manifest in the Egyptian enslavement of the Hebrews. 

• Assyria shall not save us, we will not ride on horses, nor will we say any more to the work of our hands, ‘You are our gods.’ For in You, the fatherless finds mercy.” (Hosea 14:3) 

• “Ephraim feeds on the wind and pursues the east wind; he daily increases lies and desolation. Also, they make a covenant with the Assyrians, and oil is carried to Egypt. (Hosea 12:1)

Throughout the book of Hosea, there seems to be a conflation with “the Assyrian” and Egypt. Yet, what is strange, is that Hosea the prophet was alive and writing during the time when Assyria was literally oppressing Israel! How could he be writing about Assyria “saving” Israel when they were in fact seeking to destroy them? Historically speaking, because of the threat from Assyria, we know that Israel tried to make a covenant with Egypt against Assyria, but they never made any deal with Assyria. They were subjugated by them, and eventually carried away.

The reference to a “covenant” and carrying oil to Egypt seems to fit what was done in 2 Kings 17 when King Hoshea of Israel sent to Egypt pleading for help against the Assyrians! There is never a mention anywhere that Ephraim, a term synonymous with the 10 kingdoms of Israel, ever appealed to Assyria for help. Rather, they were appealing for help against Assyria proper. Hence, what seems to be happening is that Assyria is being used by the prophet as a spiritual term for Egypt. In other words, while Israel is being oppressed by the physical Assyrians, they are making an appeal to the very nation that is the embodiment of the spirit behind that oppression! Thus, it is an exercise in utter futility. 

• “Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his multitude: ‘Whom are you like in your greatness? Indeed, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon, with fine branches that shaded the forest, and of high stature; and its top was among the thick boughs. (Ezekiel 31:2-3)

Here we have a lament for Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Right in the midst we are given a reference to Assyria. This seems strange at first glance. However, when you understand the spiritual connection of the spirit of “the Assyrian” to Egypt, then it makes sense and is not a reference to the physical Assyrian kingdom.

Proving even more that “the Assyrian” is not referring to the physical, or historical kingdom of Assyria, but a demonic spiritual force that manifests itself through oppression of God’s people, we see elsewhere in Scripture where Assyria is used to refer to something other than historical Assyria. 

• And kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the LORD had made them joyful and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel. (Ezra 6:22)

 Ezra calls the king of Persia, the king of Assyria. This is clearly not true. Assyria didn’t even exist. They had been conquered long before by Babylon. Even if one wants to make the argument that since Persia subsumed all the land that was once the Assyrian empire, and hence the designation fits, it is clearly not a reference to a genetic relationship to the Assyrians, or to their historical kingdom.

Isaiah 14, which we have already spoken about, seems to equate the destruction of “the Assyrian” with the final end of the king of Babylon and the fall of Lucifer. 

• It shall come to pass in the day the Lord gives you rest from your sorrow, and from your fear and the hard bondage in which you were made to serve, that you will take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say: “How the oppressor has ceased, the golden city [insolent] ceased! The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers; he who struck the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he who ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted and no one hinders. The whole earth is at rest and quiet; they break forth into singing. (Isaiah 14:3-7)

In context, this certainly seems like a reference to the Antichrist. The entire dissertation related here starts in Isaiah 13:1 as the “burden against Babylon”. Then before switching to the burden against Philistia, it ends by speaking of the destruction of “the Assyrian” on the mountains of God. 

• That I will break the Assyrian in My land, and on My mountains tread him underfoot. Then his yoke shall be removed from them, and his burden removed from their shoulders. (Isaiah 14:25)

Most people probably think this is just God talking about destroying Assyria too. However, Isaiah 10 speaks specifically to the historic Assyria and the “woe” due them for oppressing Israel. There is no reason to think that they would randomly be thrown into a “burden” against Babylon by the author, unless there is a deeper spiritual connection with the term. The passage is about Babylon. Thus, “the Assyrian” in this context is likely also referring to the oppressor spirit they possessed.

In keeping with all the biblical references that connect “the Assyrian” generically with any oppressor, The War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness from the Dead Sea Scrolls, designates the Kittim, a historical and biblical reference to the Gentile islands, and specifically Rome, as being “of Asshur”. Some have said this should be understood to refer to the Seleucid Empire which controlled the territory of the former Assyrian Empire at that time. Whatever the case, it certainly is not a term being used for a genetic, or geographic Assyria.

Nimrod: The First Assyrian

The first reference we have to Assyria, ‘aššûr [ash-shoor’)], in Scripture, is found in Genesis 10.

• From that land he went to Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah… (Genesis 10:11)

When discussing references to “the Assyrian”, as it may or may not pertain to the coming apocalypse, we need to ascertain just what that term is signifying. Yes, it was a historical country, and national enemy of Israel, but the term is also the name of a son of Shem and as has been shown could possibly be an idiomatic expression for the Antichrist, rather than a reference to a particular geographic location, or lineage. 

It is not clear from Genesis 10 who went forth, Asshur, son of Shem, or Nimrod. Most scholars have said it refers to Nimrod, thus the translation. The KJV makes it seem as though Asshur, and not Nimrod, went forth to do the building of Nineveh and the other great cities of the Assyrian Empire. This is not tenable historically, nor contextually. There are a few people who think that Asshur is another name for Nimrod and point to other times in the Genesis 10 genealogy where people from different lineages of the three sons of Noah have the same name. The problem with this, in my view, is that Asshur, the son of Shem, precedes Nimrod, who is a grandson of Ham. This indicates that the Asshur referred to is a land named after the son of Shem, a man that not only preceded Nimrod, but, as one of the forefathers of the human race at that point, would have most definitely been naming territory after himself.

The reason it is important to pin down what is going on in this text, is because it sets the table for all other appearances of “the Assyrian” in the biblical texts, especially those that seem to be dealing with the times of the end. From the biblical texts, it seems that it was indeed Nimrod who went into the land of Asshur and built it into an empire.

In Genesis 11, we have the story of the Tower of Babel. This was the first time, after the flood, the people collectively rebelled against the Lord God. They refused to disperse over the earth and began building a tower to heaven. Interestingly, the text does not mention Nimrod at all. Genesis 10 tells us why it is very likely that Nimrod was the rabble-rouser leading the people astray here because it is he who built Babel. 

• Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore, it is said, “Like Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord.” And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. (Genesis 10:8-10)

Babel then was the beginning of Nimrod’s kingdom in the land of Shinar, where the story of the Tower of Babel takes place. Hence, Nimrod was very likely the leader of the rebellion against God. If true, then God’s pronouncement of judgement was a specific rebuke to Nimrod, and an awful embarrassment in his own, home territory. This then would explain why he left his original country and went into someone else’s, as when he went to Assyria.

Being a great builder, it makes sense that he would make himself a vassal of Asshur, and start building up his kingdom again, this time under the name of someone who wasn’t part of the previous rebellion. Asshur was Nimrod’s uncle. Perhaps he wasn’t a builder, and Nimrod showed him how, and in so doing started to help Asshur establish the latter’s kingdom, but one that he, Nimrod, would be ruler of in time. It at least makes sense of the texts. Thus, the story of Nimrod gives us a description of the first definitive “Assyrian” and exemplifies what the term stands for later in Scripture. He is not genetically Assyrian, is a builder of empire, is defiant against God, leads into spiritual idolatry, and oppresses the people of God. Sounds like a perfect descriptor of the Antichrist to me.

Final Connections

From what has been laid out here it seems that the Antichrist will be the final embodiment of the same spirit that manifested in Nimrod. He will seek to magnify himself above all gods, and the Lord God Almighty. He will be seeking not just to build his world empire, uniting all kingdoms under one banner, but to build his Capitol on Mount Zion in Jerusalem. If Nimrod is the individual in biblical history that best captures the demonic spirit behind the Antichrist, then the Egyptian empire best captures that same spirit in national form. Not coincidentally to my mind, Egypt is renowned for its incredible, and unexplainable, feats of construction, such as the Great Pyramid.

Like Nimrod of old, the Antichrist will seek to build his final kingdom in such a way that all people are once more united, with their tower reaching up to heaven. Meaning, they are going to attempt to make the spiritual and the earthly connected once more as with Eden at the Creation. This will necessitate a means to connect, or plug-in all people to that system. Artificial intelligence and computers are already bringing people together like never before. People are already being micro-chipped or using other digital means for convenience in transacting all manner of things. It is entirely possible then, that the mark of the beast will be the ultimate in digital interface making it possible for a person to more easily conduct their lives, but more importantly identifying and connecting them to everyone and everything in the kingdom at one time. All things being made one in balance with each other and the beast system. In fact, it may be that the mark is a digital imprint on your person that can only be seen by ultraviolet scanning.

Whatever the mark of the beast is, it will be an interface to the kingdom of the Antichrist and the new, exalted, Christ consciousness that is promised within it. As such, it will be much more than an appeal to individual sensibilities. It will invoke the cry for coexistence and unity as members of one, human family at the same time. Since it must be calculated, and will not be readily known, even though the Man of Lawlessness will be, it makes sense that it would be something like the Seal of Solomon, with sectional units equaling 36, 37, and 73 as discussed. It will be a geometric confluence of terms, images, and religions that binds the wearer not only to what is being built (the new earth), but the builder himself.

[1] HEBREW GEMATRIA: Values from 30 – 39 (billheidrick.com)

[2] HEBREW GEMATRIA: Values from 30 – 39 (billheidrick.com)

[3] HEBREW GEMATRIA: Values from 70 – 79 (billheidrick.com)

[4] HEBREW GEMATRIA: Values from 660 – 669 (billheidrick.com)