Other Articles on the Antichrist
Man of Sin

Can We Identify

The Antichrist?

The Antichrist and

The "Little Horn"

 

Chapter 1

The literal Man of Sin concept holds that the four beasts of Daniel 7 represent four governments or empires. The “little horn” of the fourth beast (vss. 8, 11, 20) symbolizes a single individual who is the Man of Sin. At the same time this concept claims that the Leopard Beast of Revelation 13 pictures not a government, but a personal Man of Sin and that the ten horns (verse 1) picture ten governments that support this worldwide dictator. But this interpretation is completely inconsistent with itself:

Inconsistent Interpretation

Daniel 7	Revelation 13
Horn = Individual Man of Sin Beast = Government	Horns = Governments Beasts = Individual Man of Sin

Once the Bible identifies a symbol, then we are on shaky ground to assign that symbol a different meaning. Since Daniel identifies these beasts as governments, most agree that these beasts of Daniel 7 are universal empires: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome. By what logic then are the beasts of Revelation symbolic of an individual when beasts in Daniel are admittedly governments? Also, is it not inconsistent to claim the little horn in Daniel is a man, whereas the horns of Revelation are governments? Consistency requires a uniform application of the beasts and horns in both Daniel and Revelation.

The justification for this reversal of interpretation is the claim that the Leopard Beast of Revelation 13 is referred to by a personal pronoun he; whereas the government beasts of Daniel are not. This reasoning, however, is simply not valid. The fourth beast (Daniel 7:19,20), which all agree represents the Roman Empire, is also referred to by the personal pronoun his. Additionally, the beasts picturing Medo-Persia and Greece in Daniel 8:3-7 are continually referred to by the personal pronouns he and him. Therefore, “he” or “him” do not at all necessarily indicate a man.

In Daniel and Revelation beasts are governments of long duration—empires. Horns are governmental powers within these empires. They can be sequential as in Daniel 7. Or they can be contemporaneous as in Revelation 13. According to history, Papacy was a power which grew out of the Roman Empire. Papacy as the “little horn” of Daniel 7 was a sequential government power erupting as a horn from within the Pagan Roman Empire. But in Revelation 13 Papacy is represented as a beast, actually a continuation of the Roman beast of Daniel 7 from the time the little horn emerged—the Papal Holy Roman Empire.

The Persecution of the Saints

Several other factors concerning the Little Horn prove that Antichrist is a system and not an individual. The “little horn… wears out the saints of the most high” (Daniel 7:25). This fact presents a dilemma if a personal Antichrist wears out the saints during a future “seven-year tribulation.” If, as some claim, the true Church is taken to heaven before the “tribulation,” who are the “saints of the most high” that are persecuted by the Man of Sin? They reply that these are the “tribulation saints” (Revelation 7:14) and not the saints or Church of Christ who are taken before the tribulation. They add that these “tribulation saints” will be in the Kingdom as subjects, but have no part in reigning with Christ in his Kingdom. This reigning in the Kingdom, they say, is reserved exclusively for the Church of Christ who previous to the tribulation have been gathered together to Christ.

This difference cannot be correct. The same saints that are persecuted by the Little Horn, the Man of Sin, are also given the Kingdom. The sequence of events in Daniel 7 is significant: First, Christ is brought before the Heavenly Father and given the Kingdom (vss. 13, 14). The saints of Daniel 7, like Christ, are given the Kingdom (vss. 21, 22) after the Little Horn “made war with [them] the saints and prevailed against them.” Notice—the saints that are persecuted by the Little Horn are the same saints that reign with Christ. The saints of Daniel 7 are not the “tribulation saints” of Revelation 7. Only Christ and his Church reign in his Kingdom. Therefore, “the saints of the most high” of verse 22 are not the “tribulation saints,” but the Church of Christ who reigns with Christ. This consistent reasoning also provides us the time element for the Man of Sin. The Little Horn persecutes these saints. Consequently, the Little Horn, the Man of Sin, must be revealed before the Day of Christ when the saints are resurrected—and before the tribulation occurs. Thus, a future, literal Man of Sin concept crumbles. The Man of Sin could not persecute saints who already are in heaven.

“The Seven Years’ Tribulation”

In fact, the whole “seven-year tribulation” concept dissolves before the Book of Daniel. “The saints of the most high” are worn out by the Little Horn for a period of a “time, times, and the dividing of time” (Daniel 7:25), which most agree refers to 3 ½ years or 1260 days. Since the saints persecuted by the Man of Sin are the Church who reign with Christ and not the tribulation saints, this 1260-day persecution must occur before the great tribulation and not be part of that tribulation.

The popular, literal Man of Sin view just does not harmonize with Daniel 7 and Revelation 13, the very scriptures that are used as an evidence for this teaching…. We must go back to the basic scriptures of the Apostles which clearly delineate the characteristics that enable us to identify the Man of Sin—the Antichrist.