The Church of Antichrist

“Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. 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” (Revelation 13:1-2).

The beast that John describes, and like the one referred to and mentioned in the book of prophet Hosea ( Hosea 13:6-8 ), but also the one that prophet Daniel saw in his dream (Daniel, 7), has the characteristics of three animals: the leopard, the bear and the lion. These three animals symbolize the three main dogmas of the Christian Religion. The leopard got her name from the Romans who named her so because they thought that she is a type of animal from the lion kind. Here it symbolizes the Roman-Catholic Church. The bear, the symbol of Russia which is the most crowded orthodox country, symbolizes the Orthodox Church. The lion the symbol of England, symbolizes the Anglican Church.

The dragon (the devil) gave to the beast his strength and throne and great power. That is, he gave to the beast worldly power. It was the same power that the devil offered to Jesus, but He denied his offer choosing to serve His Father (Matthew 4:8-11). But the beast accepted his offer and became subjective and tool of the devil. The Christian Religion constitutes a worldly power. John writes in the 19th Chapter of  the Revelation : “And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army” (Revelation,19:19).

The “beast” is the Religious power, the “Kings of the earth” the political power, and “their armies” the military power. All these three worldly powers, “gathered together” and united under the rule of the devil, the ruler of the world, they constitute the opposite camp to that of Christ (“Him who sat on the horse”).

But whoever accepts worldly power from the devil becomes also a tool and servant of the devil. In the same way the Christian Religion became a tool and servant for the loss of souls, to the hands of the devil.

The beast had seven heads and ten horns. The meaning of the heads and horns of the beast is given in the 17th Chapter of the Revelation. The seven heads are: “Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits” (Revelation, 17:9) and the woman is: “And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth” (Revelation 17:18).

Sometime in the past I have read a book of an orthodox interpreter of the Revelation, who wrote that the seven mountains on which the woman sits, refer to Rome the “seven-hill” city. He did this in order to point out that the Catholic Church is the Antichrist (the beast represents the Antichrist). I partly agree with this interpretation. But known as “seven-hill” city is also Constantinople, the “City which reigns”, the first name of her being “New Rome”. This is also the reason for which John views the beast “rising up out of the sea”. The geographic position of Constantinople is such, that in reality she looks to emerge from the sea.

The horns of the beast are related with “Kings” (Revelation 17:12). The Royal system of naming of the Popes within the Catholic Church, for example Paul the 1st, Paul the 2nd, Paul the 3rd and the Patriarchs or Archbishops within the Orthodox Church, for example Makarios the 1st, Makarios the 2nd, Makarios the 3rd, the magnificent titles that they bear, the golden scepters, the golden tiaras (crowns), the gold thread garments – chlamydes and the thrones, leave no doubt whatsoever that the Christian Religion constitutes some sort of reign over the earth. It is, as the Holy Bible says the reign “which reigns over the kings of the earth”. During the Middle Ages, the Pope crowned and accepted or aphorized the various kings in Europe accordingly, depending on whether they served or not his own interests. The principle of subjection of the political power under the religious power, existed from time unknown within the ceremonials of the taking of oath by the leader of the State, in front of the religious leader.

“And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast” (Revelation, 13:3).

The deadly wound of the beast that John has seen, refers to the fall of Constantinople to the Turks in 1453. The deadly wound of the beast was healed. Although Constantinople fell to the hands of the Muslim Turks, yet the Orthodox Patriarchate of Constantinople remained in existence in its position until today. This is something that caused international attention and admiration.

“And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation” (Revelation 13:5-7).

The nature of the Orthodox and Catholic Church has been from the beginning the nature of a fighter. They fight, they give verdict and aphorize all those that point out to them that the road they follow is contrary from the one that the Holy Bible determines.

For example the Orthodox Church calls heretic all those that point out to her that the adoration of the icons is a pagan practice. The Holy Bible says to us :”God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). In order to worship God correctly, we must first be born again spiritually, to have received the Holy Spirit. Otherwise the worship we offer Him will be abomination before him.

The Catholic Church this blood-dripping beast did not hesitate to send to death millions of innocent people (her own children), victims of the disgraceful Inquisition burning them alive on fire.

“And he was given authority to continue for forty-two months”. The Christian Religion will act upon earth presenting herself as the Church of Christ, for all that time that the real Church of Christ which never ceased to exist, will remain in obscurity unknown to many (of the people), (Revelation 12:6). This time period is fixed by the symbolic number of forty two months.

The members of the real Church of Christ have the gifts of the Holy Spirit. If we attended one of their assemblies we would see and would hear, somebody to prophesy, another one to speak an unknown language, somebody to interpret the previous one, another one to have vision and somebody else to preach (Corinthians A’, 14:26-40). Which comparison could we make among this real live assembly, where all sing hymns to God, and the other one of the speechless audience with one priest and two chanters in the Orthodox Church ? Obvious none.

In Revelation John viewed a second beast: “Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed” (Revelation 13:11-12).

This beast represents a man: “Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666” (Revelation 13:18). This man is somebody considered to be as the representative of Christ upon the earth (“he had two horns like a lamb”) but in reality he is a servant of the devil (“and spoke like a dragon”). This man exercises all the power of the first beast.

The Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem occupies distinguished position within the “Christian” world, since in the only place where all dogmas of the Christian Religion meet, that is in Jerusalem, he is recognized by the nation of Israel, as the representative not only of the Orthodox Church but also for all others of the “Christian” dogmas.

“He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men” (Revelation 13:13).

During those days of the first Church “fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles” (Acts 2:43). So the devil had also to organize something similar in order to deceive, giving the impression that the Christian Religion is the Church of Christ. The “great signs” (Revelation 13:13) refer to the various ” miracles ” that occur within the different “Christian” dogmas. But, every Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem does another thing as well. He delivers the “Holy Flame” or “Holy Light” i.e. “he makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men”. Everyone Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, “delivers the Holy Flame” during the ceremony for the “Holy Flame” at midday of every “Holy Saturday”, from inside the considered to be the tomb of Christ within the Church of the Resurrection for the Orthodox or of the Holy Sepulcher for the Catholics in Jerusalem.

The Revelation says that this flame is “fire from heaven”, i.e. it is not “fire of the Lord” like the fire that God, responding to the prayer of the prophet Elijah, threw upon the altar in front of the eyes of the people of Israel, so that the people of Israel would know that their God is a real God (Kings A’ 18:36-39), or “fire from God out of heaven” like the case that is described in the 20th Chapter of the Revelation (Revel. 20:9). This shows the deceit that is hidden behind this “miracle”. For this reason, while the Holy Bible names Elijah as a prophet of God, this one the Bible names him false prophet (Revel. 19:20).

I will refer again to the subject of the ceremony of the “Holy Flame”, in the Chapter : “Antichrist – The man of sin”.

“And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed” (Revelation 13:14-15).

The beast has an image with which it is identified: it is the “image (icon) of the beast” (“Icon” is “image” regarded as sacred). The Orthodox Church, the only Christian dogma that icons are met with, she is identified with them. “The celebration of Orthodoxy” is also known as “the celebration for the re-erection (re-instatement) of the icons”. The “he was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should speak” refers to the ” miraculous ” icons.

“And cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed”. This verse refers to the turbulent and bloody period of the Byzantium of the 8th-9th century, that remained known in history as the period of Iconoclasm – Worship of Icons. In relation to these events, here it is made a parallel comparison of the icons of the Orthodox Church, with the golden icon which the King of Babylon Nebuchadnezzar erected, giving orders that whosoever does not adore this icon to be put to death. In addition, the people who adore the icons which are erected on the shrines of the orthodox churches, don’t know that these icons – some of which, especially those considered as miraculous, are covered with gold like the icon of King Nebuchadnezzar – were erected where they stand with orders of a Byzantine empress.

The worship of icons within the Orthodox church reaches such a stage, so that towards the end of 1987, one icon that came from the “Holy Mountain” (Agion Oros), was received in Athens with greater honors than those given for the reception of heads of  states! Present at the reception celebrations were the religious, political and military leaders of Greece and multitudes of people. This icon has also a special name. It is called the “Axion Esti” of the “Agion Oros” ( Mount Athos ). The Holy Bible says “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain” (Revel. 5:12) while the Orthodox Church has as “Axion-Worthy-” one icon. It is not needed to comment or add any more.

“He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name” (Revel.13:16-17).

Here, somebody has to take in mind – as of course and in all the verses of the Revelation – not only the letter but also the spirit of the Revelation, not to reach to the interpretation of the letter that various interpreters make of the Revelation, who expect that Antichrist will control the trade exerting seals onto the right hands or the foreheads of people, so that they could not buy or sell except those that bear his seal. The angel, who pointed out to John all those that John saw and wrote in the Revelation, told to John when the latter fell at his feet to worship him:

“And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revel. 19:10). Jesus Christ the Lord said: “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” ( John 6:63 ).

The spirit of the words of the above verses is that the beast will put all those that follow it to make a characteristic mark (sign) which has a relation with their right hand and their forehead. This mark is the “sign of the cross” the characteristic sign of all the “Christians” of all dogmas. The foreheads of the believers of all “Christian” dogmas “are sealed” with the “chrism” – unction.

What is contained in the “trade” which is related with the beast it is said in the Revelation itself :”merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men” (Revel. 18:12-13).

It is evident to whom refers here the Word of God. Their trade includes also even “souls of men”, which refers to the commemoration masses. The people pay for the priests to read prayers for the forgiveness of the souls of their deceased relatives. But Apostle Paul writes to the Jews: “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). The prayers do not change the condition of the soul of a person who died because they have no more any meaning to that soul. The right justice of God will depend, when the time of Justice comes, on the words and actions of every man which he said and did while he lived upon the earth, and only on that.

The Archbishopric of Cyprus issues receipts of payment for the prayers which the priests read at the various ceremonies ( commemoration masses and name days ). Somebody gives money for something which he bought and receives a receipt of payment for this and somebody receives money for something he has sold and gives a receipt of payment for this. Jesus said : ” Freely you have received, freely give ” (Matthew 10:8), while priests even to say a prayer to God for somebody, they ask for money !

The Orthodox as well as the Catholic Church maintain also for themselves, the arbitrary right of controlling the movement of spiritual ideas. Even the written Word of God the Holy Bible needs their own approval in order to be distributed.

“Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666” (Revel.13:18).

A lot has been written about the theme of the number of the Antichrist, number 666. What the Revelation says is that number 666 is the number of the name of a person. All the others that were written about microchips, electronic cards, etc. bearing the number 666, they are nothing but misrepresentations of the Word of God.

The sum of the corresponding letters of this name in numbers must give the number 666. It is understood that the name must be written in the Greek language in which the New Testament was originally written.

The name of the man whose sum of the corresponding letters of his name in numbers gives the number 666 is ΒΕΝΕΔΙΚΤΟΣ (BENEDICT) as follows:

Β + Ε + Ν +  Ε + Δ +  Ι  +  Κ  +  Τ  +  Ο  +  Σ
2 + 5 + 50 + 5 + 4 + 10 + 20 + 300 + 70 + 200 = 666.

This name was borne by one Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem (1957-1980) and sixteen Popes. This name was not thought by me but I heard it from somebody else, and this was actually the starting point of my study on the biblical theme of the Antichrist and finally the writing of this book.