* Originally written on November 30, 2014
The short answer, in my informed opinion, is....Syria, or at least the "Syrian" division of the ancient Grecian Empire of Alexander the Great. Seleucus, Alexander the Great's friend and general, inherited and ruled this division of Alexander's Grecian Empire, known as the Seleucid Empire. The Seleucid Empire (per www.livius.org) included modern-day Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon along with parts of Turkey, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
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| Bust of Alexander the Great. |
The former Seleucid Empire also happens to be a modern stronghold of Islam, more specifically Shi'ite Islam which is strongest in Iran. Shi'ite Islam also tends to be more militant and anti-Semitic than Sunni Islam.
Why do I think the Antichrist will come from Syria, which was in the ancient Seleucid Empire and the succeeding Roman Empire? Primarily because the Bible says so. Note the following group of passages, which together, like a puzzle point to and reinforce that conclusion:
PASSAGES REFERRING TO THE ROMAN EMPIRE:
Daniel 7:7*** notes, "After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had iron teeth. It devoured and crushed, and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns." This empire is widely believed to have been the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire was both in Europe and extended east into Asia.
Daniel 7:8 (addressing the Roman Empire ) confirms Daniel 8:9 (see below) which focuses on the Grecian Empire, "While I was contemplating the (ten horns of the Roman Empire) horns, behold, another horn, a little one , came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it..." Three of the horns, I would conclude, would be in the eastern areas of the Roman Empire, including the Syrian division.
***This passage and interpretation is confirmed by other passages like Daniel 9:26-27 and Revelation 13:1-2.
PASSAGE REFERRING TO A REVIVED VERSION OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE AT THE END OF THE AGE:
Revelation 17:12-13 (describes a Revived Roman Empire) adds that the ten horns would all give their power to the "little horn" noted in Daniel 7:8. Revelation 17:12-13 further adds, "And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. These have one purpose and they give their power and authority to the beast."
PASSAGE REFERRING TO THE GRECIAN EMPIRE, SPECIFICALLY THE SYRIAN DIVISION:
Daniel 8:8-9 NKJV, which is generally agreed to be referring to Alexander the Great's (Grecian Empire), notes, "Therefore the male goat grew very strong; but when he became strong, the large horn was broken, and in place of it (refers to division after Alexander the Great's death) four notable ones came up toward the four winds of heaven. And out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land."
Daniel 8:21 spells out that the "goat" noted in Daniel 8:8-9 is the kingdom of Greece (logically would seem to be Alexander the Great), especially in light of Daniel 8:22 which describes the four empires that would be formed from Alexander the Great's Empire, "...four kingdoms shall arise out of that nation, but not with its (the original goat) power."
PASSAGE REFERRING TO THE LEADER OF THIS "SYRIAN DIVISION" AS THE "KING OF THE NORTH":
Daniel chapter 11 illustrates the clear logic and consistency of concluding that the Syrian division of the old Grecian Empire is where the Antichrist will arise. Daniel 11:3-4 is a great clue. "Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion..." Now without Daniel 11:4 this king's identity is unclear. Daniel 11:4 sheds light, showing the king in Daniel 11:3 is Alexander the Great because his kingdom was divided four ways after his death and "...not among his posterity" since Alexander didn't have a blood heir. Daniel 11:4 refers to the division of Alexander's great empire to be "...divided toward the four winds of heaven"--north, south, east and west. Syrian was the northern division of the Grecian Empire.
In Daniel 11:35 to 11:45, the End-Time King of the North, the Antichrist, and his exploits are described.
FINAL POINTS
Interestingly, this week, a terrorist group called ISIL or ISIS, is violently and quickly moving from Syria and into Iraq, threatening the capital city of Baghdad. This development shows a link between Syria and Iraq as far as End Time events and the Antichrist are possibly concerned. This development in June 2014 affirms to me that the time of the Antichrist may be very, very near. While ISIS is a violent, "in-your-face" terrorist organization, the Antichrist will use a model of deception, combined with intrigue and possibly blackmail to gain power around the world!
Finally and interestingly, Revelation 13:2 also reveals that the final beast's kingdom would be a combination of all the prior beasts revealed in Daniel's vision (Daniel 7:4-6), "Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority." The Syrian division of the Grecian empire included Babylon, which was the lion in Daniel's vision. Babylon was also part of the Medo-Persian empire, the bear.
Finally, some teachers believe that Micah 5:5-6's reference to the "Assyrian" may also refer to the Antichrist's occupation of the Promised Land at the end of the age. The "Assyrian" could also have a double meaning, both the Antichrist and the ancient Seleucid king, Antiochus Epiphanes (known as "God Manifest" per Wikipedia).
2018 UPDATE TO THIS POST
The past few years have seen increasing migration around the world, most notably this year from Central American nations to the USA.
In the past few years, there has been massive migration from the Muslim world to Europe, including from Syria.
Therefore, it is possible, in my view, that while the Bible is always inerrant and infallible, that the Antichrist (although of Syrian descent and heritage) may arise in some other nation, perhaps somewhere in Europe, due to the recent migrations from Syria to Europe.
SOURCES:
Additionally, the following other resources also support my view and interpretation:
"Unleashing the Beast" by Perry Stone, pg. 65.
"God's Plan for Man" by Rev. Finis Jennings Dake, pg 300 and 786.
