The Middle East and the Beast of Revelation

by Rodrigo Silva

  

Bible prophecy students have  always identified the beast of Revelation 13 with the Roman Empire in its revived form. According to this view, the European Union would be the prophesied empire of the Antichrist. After reading so many prophecy books written by authors with a western mindset, I came to believe that Revelation 13 was indeed predicting the rise of Rome in the end times as the European Union and even wrote about it in my article titled The Great Tribulation until one day I was struck with the verse that says:
''And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion. . .'' (Revelation 13:2a)
Immediately after this verse almost jumped out of the page and slapped me in the face, I realized that this verse was not predicting the revival of Rome, but the revival of the ancient Grecian, Persian and Babylonian empires combined together into a geopolitical alliance which will be the base of the Antichrist. The beast of Revelation 13 is a composite beast and it was the fourth beast that Daniel saw and could not describe. Daniel 7 tells us about the kingdoms that would rise to rule the world and these kingdoms are represented by  four beasts. The text says:
'' 1In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters.
2Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.
3And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
4The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.
5And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
6After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.
7After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.'' (Daniel 7:1-7)
Then the angel explains to Daniel the interpretation of the vision:
''16 I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.
17These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.

18But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.
19Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;

20And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. '' (Daniel 7:16-20)
The angel tells Daniel that the four beasts represent four kingdom that would arise out of the earth. All conservative scholars identify the first three beasts as follows:
First beast: A lion -  Babylonian Empire from 586 B.C. to 539 B.C.
Second beast: A bear -  Medo-Persian Empire from 539 B.C. to 331 B.C.
Third beast: A leopard - Grecian Empire from 331 B.C to 63 B.C.
The fourth beast was so terrible that Daniel was incapable of describing it. All Daniel was able to describe was the 10 horns that were on the beast. When we get to Revelation 13, we see that the beast seen by John the Apostle also had 10 horns:
''And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns ''(Revelation 13:1)
Notice that the beast comes up out of the sea just as in Daniel 7:
''And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. '' (Daniel 7:3)
The sea is a reference to the Mediterranean sea and it is symbolically used to represent the Gentile nations of that region. What John saw in Revelation 13 was the fourth beast seen by Daniel which he could only describe as terrible and having 10 horns. Most prophecy scholars identify the fourth beast of Daniel with the Roman Empire. The 10 horns of the beast which represent 10 kings are believed by most scholars to be 10 nations that will come out of the Roman Empire in the end times and many see the European Union as the base for these 10 nations. The European Union currently has 27 member states and some prophecy scholars  believe this number will be reduced to 10 to be the 10 kings of the fourth beast.
Prophecy scholar Mark Hitchcock writes:
''The Bible predicts that in the end times, the reunited Roman Empire will be ruled by a "Group of Ten" leaders, or a governing oligarchy, much like the present European Council or European Commission. Interestingly, the European Commission has just been trimmed from 27 to 17 seats. This could easily be further whittled to 10 seats, and the stage would be set for the Group of Ten predicted in Daniel 2 and 7, and Revelation 17. Also, the new full-time EU presidency, with its term of up to five years, could easily set the stage for the rise on one man to take over the EU and use this platform to forge key alliances and dominate the world—just as the Bible predicts.'' [1]
When we pay close attention to the body of the beast in Revelation 13, we find that it does not represent the Roman Empire alone. The Roman Empire can be represented by one of the seven heads of the beast as explained in our article titled The Kingdom of the Antichrist: An Alternate View, but the body of the beast shows us that this beast is a combination of the first three beasts of Daniel which became the fourth beast of Daniel 7 and the composite beast of Revelation 13. If we take the text literally, we find that the beast represents an alliance between the Grecian, Persian and Babylonian empires. In today' s terms, this would be a political alliance between Syria, Iran and Iraq.
The Grecian Empire was divided into four major regional powers which are represented by the four wings of the leopard and the four horns that came out of the goat in Daniel 8. Later in history these four regional powers were reduced to 2 regional powers giving rise to the Seleucid dynasty in Syria and the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt. In Daniel 11 we read about the fights between the king of the North (Syria) and the king of the South (Egypt) as the Seleucid kings fought the Ptolemaic kings. Daniel 11 goes on to predict the rise of Antiouchus Epiphanes who came out of the Seleucid dynasty in Syria to come against the Jews and try to destroy the Jewish religion. Daniel 11: 40-45 talks about the end of the age and mentions the king of the North (Syria) and the king of the South (Egypt) participating in battles just prior to the days of the Tribulation as seen in Daniel 12.
Based on this development of  Daniel 11 which mentions Syria which came out of the Grecian empire  as one of the main players in the end times, we conclude that the leopard in Revelation 13:2 represents Syria. It might include Egypt since Egypt came out of the Ptolemaic dynasty of the Grecian Empire and is one of the kings to be  conquered by the Antichrist according to Daniel 11:42. The Persian empire as represented by the bear in Revelation 13:2 can be clearly seen today as Iran which just 73 years ago was still called Persia. The lion in Revelation 13:2 which represented the Babylonian empire in Daniel 7 was reduced to what we geographically know today as Iraq. It is interesting to note that Babylon (Iraq) becomes the political and economic center of the Middle East and the capital of the Antichrist' s kingdom according to Revelation 18. He is called the king of Babylon in Isaiah 14:4 and the Assyrian in Isaiah 14:25 and Micah 5:5-6. These passages refer to him as being a political figure to rise in the region of ancient Assyrian and Babylon. This points to the fact that the Antichrist will come from the Middle East, not from the European Union as many expect.
Mark Hitchcock writes:
“The World Is Mine, and I Am God”: One leader seizes power by uniting the military and economic powers of the West - declaring himself world ruler.
A new world dictator will first reveal himself in the role of a peacemaker in the Middle East. This event will take place during the first stage of the revived Roman Empire, the fourth world empire described by Daniel. Symbolically the new world leader is depicted as “another small horn” who will emerge from the ten-leader oligarchy controlling the political and military power of the West (Daniel 7:8).
Bible expositors have concluded that this emerging ruler will first of all subdue three of the original ten leaders and then take control of the entire coalition. The leaders will yield control of the new European Union to this new strong man of the hour. [2] (Emphasis mine)
We clearly see that Mark Hitchcock who is considered one of the leading prophecy scholars in America believes the Antichrist will come from the West from within the European Union.
Pastor Joseph Chambers of Paw Creek Ministries wrote a book in 1996 titled A Palace for the Antichrist. In this book Pastor Chambers writes about the rise of Babylon in Iraq as the Antichrist' s political capital.
In chapter 8 of his book titled The Assyrian and the Middle East, Pastor Chambers writes:
The Seat of the Antichrist
''The Middle East is the center of the whole earth, Babylon is the seat of Satan; Jerusalem is the spiritual center of the Judeo-Christian revelation and soon to be the seat of Christ' s kingdom. Iraq is rightly called the Cradle of Civilization because the Garden of Eden was in its southern tip where the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers meet just before entering the Persian Gulf. To look for Satan' s final activities in any other area than the Middle East is to look in vain and in error.''
Pastor Chambers goes on to explain why the Antichrist is an Assyrian. On the last page of the chapter Pastor Chambers writes:
The Middle East Possesses All Elements of Antichrist Preparation
''There is no other geographical area on planet Earth where the Antichrist could appear but the Middle East. Those who continue to look only toward the European Common Market as the primary movement toward the Antichrist will soon be disappointed.'' [3]
I totally agree with Pastor Chambers that the Antichrist has to come from the Middle East, not from the West (Europe) like Mark Hitchcock and many others believe.
As we have seen, Syria, Iran and Iraq will be the main base of the Antichrist 's empire. In is interesting to note that in Daniel 7 we read that three of the ten horns which represent kings of nations will be conquered by the Antichrist during his ascension to power. Daniel writes:
'' I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots . . . And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.'' (Daniel 7:8,20)
The Antichrist who is the little horn appears on the Middle East political scene and conquers three of the first horns (kings). Could it be that these three kings are the kings of Syria, Iran and Iraq since these are the three kingdoms that form the body of the beast in Revelation 13:2 ? I believe this a very possible scenario because current developments in the Middle East point to Syria, Iran and Iraq as the major players in the future of the Middle East. Syria and Iran are becoming political and military allies. Iraq is not far away form becoming a stable nation in the region and Iran is proposing to help Iraq have more influence in the region after the U.S. withdraws its troops from the that nation.
So far we have covered Syria, Iran and Iraq as the kingdoms that form the body of the beast in Revelation 13:2. We are now going to expand on the fact that the Antichrist will come from the Middle East and find out where in the Middle East he will come from based on the biblical text. In Revelation 13 John described another physical characteristic of the beast which Daniel was not able to describe. John writes:
'' 1And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.'' (Revelation 13:1)
The beast has seven heads. In Revelation 17 we are told what the seven heads represent:
'' 9And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
10And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. '' (Revelation 17:9-10)
The seven heads of the beast represent seven mountains and seven kings or kingdoms. In Jeremiah we read:
''And I will render unto Babylon and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea all their evil that they have done in Zion in your sight, saith the LORD.
Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the LORD, which destroyest all the earth:''(Jeremiah 51:24-25)
In this passage the Babylonian Empire is compared to a mountain. The seven mountain kingdoms that John sees as the heads of the beast are:
1 Egypt
2 Assyria
3 Babylon
4 Medo-Persia
5 Greece
These are the five that had fallen when the angel was explaining the meaning of the seven heads to John.
6 Rome
This is the one that was (is) when John was receiving the vision.
7 Ottoman
This is the one that had to continue for a short time.The Roman empire split in two section known as East and West. the Western Roman Empire lasted until 476 A.D. The Eastern Roman Empire lasted until about 1453 A.D, when it finally fell to the Islamic Caliphate of the Ottoman Turks. The seventh kingdom that would continue for a short space would be the Ottoman empire. The Ottoman Empire bowed out of the First World War with the signing of the Armistice of Mudros on October 30th, 1918. This was followed 13 days later with the occupation of Istanbul. Under the terms of the Treaty of Sèvres, the Ottoman Empire lost its Middle Eastern territories which became mandates of Britain and France.
With the exception of the western portion of the Grecian and Roman Empires, the Middle East was the main geographical region that was under the dominion of  the other five kingdoms mentioned above. Based on this fact we conclude that the Antichrist will come from the Middle East, not from Western Europe as many teach. In Revelation 13 we also read:
''And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.'' (Revelation 13:3).
One of the heads of the beast which represents a kingdom of the past appears to suffer a fatal wound to the point of death but this fatal wound gets healed close to the Tribulation period causing the whole world to wonder after the beast. The only of the seven kingdoms mentioned above that was wounded to death was Assyria. The other six kingdoms still exist today in the form of nations as follows:
Egyptian empire as Egypt
Babylonian empire as Iraq
Medo-Persian empire as Iran and Kurdistan
Grecian empire as Macedonia, Syria and other Middle Eastern sectors of the Seleucid dynasty
Roman empire as Europe for the most part
Ottoman Empire as Turkey
The fact that the deadly wounded gets healed suggests that Assyria will come back in the future as a kingdom to bring forth the Antichrist. This is interesting because in Revelation 17 we read:
'' And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. ''(Revelation 17:11)
The beast was one of the seven kingdoms, was not during the time  John  was writing and becomes the eighth kingdom to go into perdition during the Tribulation. As Assyria is healed from the deadly wound, it will have a double existence causing it to be one of the seven and be the eighth. We have to take notice of the fact that the word 'beast' primarily refers to a kingdom , not to a person. This fact can be seen in Daniel 7 as the four beasts that rise out of the sea represent four kingdoms or empires, not four persons. But can a beastly empire rise from the dead:
This is what Revelations says concerning a beast (kingdom) rising from the dead:
''And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.'' (Revelation 11:7)
''The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition:'' (Revelation 17:8)
The two verses above say that the beast will ascend out of the bottomless pit. The Greek word translated bottomless pit is the word abussos and it refers to a very deep gulf or chasm in the lowest parts of the earth used as the common receptacle of the dead and especially as the abode of demons according to the Strong' s definition. In Luke 8 we read:
''And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him.  And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.'' (Luke 8:30-31)
In this passage Jesus is casting demons out of a man. The devils ask Jesus not to send them to go into the deep. The Greek word translated deep in this passage is the same Greek word translated bottomless pit in Revelation. Does not the  passages in Revelation seem to be referring to a demon ascending from the bottomless pit and not  to the kingdom of Assyria since the abussos is the abode of demons ? It is very common in Scripture to find a demon as the force behind a kingdom. In Daniel we read that both the kingdoms of Grecia and Persia had a demonic entity behind them:
''12 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.
13But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. . .
20Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come.
21But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.'' (Daniel 10:12-13,20-21)
In this passage we read of a heavenly being who came to tell Daniel that his prayers would be answered. Then the heavenly being goes on to explain that it took him 21 days to get to Daniel because a demonic entity called ''the prince of the kingdom of Persia'' had withstood him to the point of having Michael the Archangel to come and help him face the demonic prince of Persia. By the end of the verse 21 the heavenly being tells Daniel he still has to fight the coming demonic prince of Grecia. This passage shows us that the kingdoms of men have demonic forces operating behind the scenes and the passages in Revelation might indeed be referring to the demonic power that was behind the Assyrian empire as ascending from the bottomless pit to once again be the power behind the resurrected Assyrian kingdom.
As Assyria ceased to exist as a kingdom around 2600 years ago, its demonic prince was confined to the bottomless pit, but as Assyria rises from the dead , the demonic entity that was the driving force behind Assyria in ancient times will ascend from the bottomless pit to be the driving force behind Assyria again in the end times. We read that the bottomless pit will be open in Revelation 9 releasing many demonic creatures upon the earth. The demonic entity that was the force behind ancient Assyria might be released at that time to give supernatural support to the a new nation called Assyria. This does not mean that the Antichrist himself will be the fallen angel that ascends out of the bottomless pit as some have been teaching. The Antichrist will be a man, for he is called the man of sin (2 Thessalonians 2:3). Just as the kings of Persia and Grecia were men who had the support of demonic creatures, the Antichrist will also be a man who will have the support of the demonic entity who was and will be the driving force behind Assyria.
We who study prophecy know that with the exception of the eternal state mentioned in Revelation 21-22, there is nothing new in the book of Revelation that was not mentioned in the Old Testament prophets. If the book of Revelation points to an Assyrian kingdom in the end times as the Middle Eastern nation where the Antichrist will come from, the Old Testament prophets must have had something to say about the Assyrian connection in the end times.Indeed the prophets Isaiah and Micah had a lot of information to give about the Antichrist as the Assyrian and we are  going to take a closer look at those passages.
Before we examine the biblical text concerning the Antichrist as coming from Assyria, let me first point out that many good prophecy scholars believe that the term ''Assyrian '' might not be referring to a literal Assyrian nation to become an independent state in the future, but to the general area dominated by the Assyrian empire. The modern nations that occupy the geographical area of the ancient Assyrian empire include:
Turkey
Lebanon
Syria
Jordan
Iraq
Western Iran
According to this view, the Antichrist could be from any of these nations mentioned above. Those who believe the Antichrist will come from Turkey point to Ezekiel 38 which mentions Gog of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. They connect Gog with the Antichrist and say that the word Gog comes from the word Gyges  in Lydia  and refers to Western Asia Minor, Turkey. The most popular view about Ezekiel 38 is the one that Gog is a title like Pharaoh, Caesar, or Czar and that Gog is the leader of the land of Magog which was called Scythia by the Greeks according to Josephus. Scythia was a nation located north of the Black and Caspian Seas and is geographically known today as Southern Russia.
Those who believe the Antichrist will come from Lebanon point to Ezekiel 28 where we read about God' s judgment upon the prince of Tyrus (Tyre) for making himself like God. The historical figure referred to in Ezekiel 28 is Ethbaal who was the prince of Tyrus during the time of Ezekiel and some believe he was a type of the Antichrist because he too will proclaim to be god (2 Thessalonians 2:4)
Some believe the Antichrist will come from Jordan because the area of modern Jordan was under Assyrian dominion although there is no Scriptural references that point to a Jordanian Antichrist. In fact we see the opposite in Daniel 11: 40-45 where we read that Edom, Moab and the children of Ammon which were located in the region of modern day Jordan escape out of the Antichrist' s hand during his military conquest of the Middle East.
Those who believe that the Antichrist will come from Syria say he is the king of the north of Daniel 11:40. The king of the north motif in Daniel 11 is always a reference to Syria. The most popular view is that the king of the north is not the Antichrist, but the king  of Syria who fights the Antichrist along with Egypt, the king of the south during his military conquest of the Middle East. I prefer the latter view because as we have seen above, Syria might be one of the three kings to be conquered by him during his rise to power and then becomes part of the physical description of the beast in Revelation 13:2 as symbolized by the leopard.
Those like me who believe he will come from Iraq point to Isaiah 14:4 where the Antichrist is called ''the king of Babylon'' and Isaiah 10:12 where he is called ''the king of Assyria'' As far as Iran is concerned, we find no Scriptural reference pointing to an Iranian Antichrist. I personally believe that when the Bible calls the Antichrist ''the Assyrian'' ,it is referring to him as being from a literal reborn Assyrian nation in the future and we will explain why.
In Micah we read:
''2But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
3Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.
4And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.
5And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men.
6And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders'' (Micah 5:2-6)
In verse two we read about the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. In verse 5 we read that this man Jesus who was born in Bethlehem will be the peace of the Jews when the Assyrian invades Israel. In the end of verse 5 and the beginning of verse six we read that Israel will raise seven shepherds and eight principal men, probably a reference to Israeli political and military leaders who will waste the land of Assyria with the sword (military power), and the land of Nimrod. See Zechariah 12:6 Then in the end of verse 6 we read that he (the man born in Bethlehem) will deliver Israel from the Assyrian when he comes within Israeli borders.
Notice that Jesus will deliver Israel form the Assyrian who comes from the land of Nimrod . The land of Nimrod was established in the land of Shinar. In Genesis we read:
'' 8And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth.
9He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.
10And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
11Out of that land went forth Asshur (Assyria), and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah,
12And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city.'' (Genesis 10:8-12)
Notice that the beginning of Nimrod' s kingdom was Babel and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.Then out of that land went forth Asshur (Hebrew for Assyria), and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah, and Resen between Nineveh and Calah. All these cities were established in the land of Shinar also known as the country of Babylonia which is the general area of modern day Iraq. Nineveh which later became the capital of Assyria still exists today and is located near the city of Mosul in northern Iraq. Micah went out of his way to let us know that the Antichrist will be ethnically an Assyrian who wil rise within the region of ancient Assyria and Babylon also called the land of Shinar known today as Iraq. In is interesting to note that 8 % of the population of  Northern Iraq is Assyrian and they are working very hard toward an Assyrian independent state in Iraq.
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If Assyria becomes an independent nation in the future, it could very well fit the description of the little horn of Daniel 7:20-24.It is interesting to note that God himself mentions Assyria as an existing nation during the Millennium:
''In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians.In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land:Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance.''(Isaiah 19:23-25)
For Assyria to enter the Millennium as a nation,it first  must be reborn before the Millennium begins.
It starts to make perfect sense to me when Isaiah calls the Antichrist the '' king of Babylon '' in Isaiah 14:4 and the ''Assyrian '' in Isaiah 14:25. He will be an Assyrian who rises from a newly reborn state called Assyria in Iraq and eventually becomes the king of  Babylon as he conquers Iraq as one of the three kings that fall before him which then becomes one of the nations that are described in the physical description of the beast in Revelation 13:2. Iraq is Babylon which is symbolized by the lion in the description of the beast. But what about the title '' prince of Tyrus'' ? Does not that make him a Lebanese ? If Ezekiel was indeed referring to the Antichrist as the prince of Tyrus, the only plausible explanation I can give is this:
The Antichrist will become both the king of Babylon and the king of  Tyrus as he conquers Iraq and Lebanon and makes the commercial capital of these nations part of his kingdom, but that does not exclude him from being ethnically an Assyrian who rises from a newly reborn Assyrian nation in the Middle East which most likely will take place within the region of Iraq.
Isaiah also referred to him as the Assyrian. In Isaiah 30 we read something very interesting:
''And the LORD shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall shew the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of [his] anger, and [with] the flame of a devouring fire, [with] scattering, and tempest, and hailstones.For through the voice of the LORD shall the Assyrian be beaten down, [which] smote with a rod.''(Isaiah 30:30-31)
This verse says that the Assyrian will be destroyed by the voice of the Lord.Could it be that this is what Paul had in mind when he wrote?:
''Let no man deceive you by any means: for [that day shall not come], except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God . . .And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:''(2 Thessalonians 2:3-4,8)
Here Paul says that the Antichrist will be destroyed by the spirit of the mouth of the Lord just as Isaiah wrote that by the voice of the Lord will the Assyrian be destroyed. Although Paul and Isaiah use different terms, the idea is the same.
In Daniel we read:
'' And of the ten horns that [were] in his head, and [of] the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even [of] that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look [was] more stout than his fellows.'' (Daniel 7:20)
And in Isaiah we read:
'' Wherefore it shall come to pass, [that] when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks.For he saith, By the strength of my hand I have done [it], and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant [man]: (Isaiah 10:12-13)
This king of Assyria speaks great things, has great high looks (eyes)  and is as stout (feels great about himself) as the figure mentioned in Daniel. Those who think that Isaiah 10 was referring back to the king of Assyria of Isaiah' s time, I suggest reading Isaiah 10 and 11 without looking at chapter division. One will notice that both chapters are connected ending with the Millennial kingdom of Christ and the salvation of Israel by the Lord 's hand.
Some may object the view that the Antichrist will be of Assyrian origin because of a verse found in Daniel 9:
''and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof [shall be] with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.'' (Daniel 9:26 b)
The people of the prince that shall come who destroyed the city (Jerusalem) and the sanctuary (The Second Temple) were the Romans. Based on this verse, many conclude that the prince (Antichrist) will be of Roman origin. Some even believe he will be an Italian , but the general view is that he will come from the West.The problem is that Rome in ancient times was an empire, not just a city. In fact some of the Roman legions were located in the areas known today as Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq, therefore, it is plausible to conclude that the Roman soldiers who were involved in the destruction of the Second Temple were of Arab and Assyrian descent.
Conclusion
Many good prophecy teachers throughout the centuries taught that the beast of Revelation 13 refers to a restored Roman empire in the last days and that the European Union would be the prophesied kingdom of the Antichrist. Many good prophecy teachers still teach that today and I confess that I also believed the same thing for some time. But as we take a closer look at the physical description of the beast of Revelation 13, we find that the animals described therein point to ancient Middle Eastern kingdoms that would  be revived in the form of nations to become the political base of the Antichrist. These animals described in Revelation cannot be pointing to an European Antichrist if we are going to take the biblical text literally as we compare Daniel' s vsion of the beasts with John' s vision of the final beast.
God bless you!

Rodrigo Silva
07/05/08
Notes
[3] Joseph Chambers, A Palace for the Antichrist, News Leaf Press, 1996, pages 136 and 142