Doves,
 
The bible says in Daniel to close up the books until the end of times and then at the time which is now, God would share information from the bible that in the past seemed hidden or hard to understand. I believe that through world events that are happening and a flood of discernment that God is sharing with His people that the glass that we have been seeing dimly through is getting much clearer.
 
I haven't followed Doves for all that long but in that time I have read multiple articles whose authors went into great mathematical detail trying to identify the first beast, the antichrist. And through exhaustive calculations, they, using multiple complex methods, come up with the number 666, the number of the beast and then align it with a person to establish the identity of the antichrist.  We have all read these posts and the myriad of individuals who have been declared to be the antichrist based on the extensive calculations adding up to 666.
 
Let me ask you a question---Do you really believe God would make it that hard for the average person to establish the identity of the antichrist? My answer to that is no and I will share with you what I believe is the simple solution to 666 and the identity of the antichrist. An answer so simple that any common person could calculate it with a little wisdom and understanding of the bible.
 
God's word says in Rev.13:18   "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.
 
The four key clues or instructions God gives are:
1) the word wisdom
2) calculate--some calculation will be necessary
3) the beast will be a man
4) when you are done calculating, you will end up with 666
 
Now we know that scripture answers scripture and we know other places in scripture where God talked directly of this beast that had seven heads and ten horns which we call the antichrist. And the place in scripture that describes this beast the clearest is in chapter 17 of Revelation. So when we go there lets look for information describing the beast who is a man, clues God gave us, and somewhere in the text where we will have to calculate because God told us that we would have to calculate.
 
The first clue God gave us in Rev.13 is a phrase about wisdom, He said--"Here is wisdom". So lets look in the text of Rev.17 and see if God speaks of wisdom. He does, in Rev.17:9 He says  "Here is the mind that has wisdom" or here is the spot to focus on that I was telling you about in Rev.13:18. So now that we are at the spot in God's word that He wants us to focus on, is there anything there in His verses about a beast, a man, and something we can calculate??? There is indeed.
 
In the next verses God tells us that the seven heads that were on the beast that came out of the sea represent seven kings and one of these first seven kings will be the antichrist and he will also be the eight king. God tells us that one of these kings who is the beast was, and is not, (he died) and yet is, he appears to come back to life. When God is telling us all these things He does it in a manor where He supplies clues and then simple calculations are needed to come to a conclusion.
 
Here is the text from Rev.17:9-11 that we will work from:
 
9 "Here is the mind that has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. 10 There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. 11 The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition.
 
So lets look at the three questions God gives or asks in these verses and then do the simple calculations.
 
1st  question---  Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. The answer to which one this is, is the 6th
2nd question--- The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth. The answer to which one this is, is the 6th
3rd question--- he was one of the seven. Which one of the seven was he?The answer to which one he is, is the 6th
 
So we followed God's simple instructions and went looking for a man who would become the first beast with seven heads and ten horns, the antichrist. We answered a verbal puzzle God gave us concerning this man that was composed of three questions or clues and the answer to all three questions was 6,6,6.
 
Rather than write it all over again as to the identity of this man who will become the antichrist or the instead of christ, I'll just attach the article I wrote earlier in the week which discloses his identity.
 
Christ be with you,
John B
 
 
 
 
John B (25 Apr 2011)
"The identity of the "antichrist" or more to the point the "instead of christ"---I challenge you Doves to correct me if I am wrong"

     

    Doves,
     
    I am going to build a case for this person who will be known as the first beast of Revelation, the antichrist, the instead of christ, or the in place of christ, and I challenge you Doves who are steeped in the bible to correct me if I am wrong. Somehow I don't think there will be much correction coming in that scripture answers scripture and I stayed as close to it as I could. That said, let me list some of the things we know from scripture about this person.
     
    1) He is a beast that comes out of the sea.   Rev.13
     
    2) He, the beast, has seven heads and ten horns .   Rev.13
     
    3) One of his seven heads "had" been mortally wounded and his deadly wound was healed.    Rev.13
     
    4) He will claim to be Christ (as per Jesus).  Matt.24
     
    5) He will be a king from the bottomless pit.    Rev.9:11 and Rev.17:8
     
    6) He, this beast, with seven heads and ten horns is someone who was, and is not, and yet is, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit.    Rev.17:8
     
    7) He will be one of seven kings, five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition.  Rev.17:10
     
    8) This beast's identity will marvel those that dwell on the earth, except for the people whose names are written in the book of life.   Rev. 17:8
     
    9) He, this beast, will be given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies.   Rev.13:5
     
    10) He will take away daily sacrifices and offerings.   Dan.8:11  and Dan 9:27
     
    11) He will defile the sanctuary fortress, then take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation.   Dan. 11:31
                     (note #10 and #11 are not the same, explanation will follow)
     
    12) He, this beast with seven heads and ten horns is in complete collaboration with an institution described as a drunken woman. The woman who rides the beast.   Rev.17
     
    13) He, this same beast will align with ten kings. These ten kings will be of "one mind" and they will give their power and authority to him.  Rev.17:12-
           13.  They will make war with the lamb and the lamb will overcome them.  Rev.17:14
     
     
    Before we go farther with who the seven headed, ten horned beast, the antichrist is, lets describe who the drunken woman is who is in complete collaboration with the beast. Keep in mind that John the apostle is writing this in 95AD and is describing this woman / institution that has not yet been established. He sees and describes it from the vision the Lord is giving him. And for an institution that didn't yet exist, the details of the description John gave are simply amazing.
     
    1) This woman represents an institution compiled by peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.    Rev. 17:15
    2) This woman / institution also represents a great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.    Rev.17:18
    3) This institution is recognized by it's colors of purple and scarlet.   Rev.17:4
    4) This institution is recognized by it's use of golden cups (chalices)   Rev. 17:4
    5) This institution is recognized by it's great wealth.   Rev.17:4
    6) This institution is recognized for it's many  abominations and fornications    Rev.17:4
    7) This institution is recognized for it's mystery.   Rev.17:5
    8) This institution is recognized for it's glorification of itself and it's luxurious living.  Rev.18:7
    9) This institution / great city is built on seven mountains.   Rev. 17:9
    10) This institution is recognized for it's trade in 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 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.   Rev.18:11-13
     
    There is only one institution that fulfills the descriptions John wrote of and that is the Roman Catholic Church. 1It has churches around the planet covering nearly every nation, tongue and people. 3The colors of it's bishops and cardinals are purple and scarlet. 4It has millions of golden cups / chalices used in it's churches. 5It has been noted for it's great wealth throughout the centuries. 6The bible calls homosexuality an abomination and the Catholic Church has been completely immersed and awash with those abominations since it's inception. 6Another meaning for fornication is worship of idols. God commanded us in the second commandment not to make any carved image (idol) in the likeness of anything in heaven, or the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth Exodus 20:4. When you look at the listing of the ten commandments in the Catholic Church you will find that they deleted God's second commandment and substituted one of their own. And they have over the years paid homage and adoration to countless statues and idols in complete disobedience to God's command. The numbers of fornications that the Catholic Church has had over the centuries with the kings and rulers of the earth and people in general are distastefully vast and have been logged throughout history.7The Catholic Church calls the sacrifice of the mass or the Eucharist a " mystery" and keep re-sacrificing Jesus millions of times a day (in the Mass or Eucharist) around the planet to pay our sin debt. Meaning that Jesus didn't fully pay our sin debt on the cross. Unbelievable blasphemy. 8 I don't think anyone who knows the Catholic Church over the centuries could dispute it's extreme glorification of itself and it's luxurious living. Throughout the centuries their clergy had the best of everything. 9 The institution / great city is built on seven mountains. Rome the home of the Vatican is the city built on seven hills / mountains. 2 The Vatican City in Rome is the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church and has and does reign over many nations and kings of the earth.10 In the Vatican City the Catholic Church over the centuries has amassed huge quantities of gold and silver and every kind of precious object made of ivory, bronze, marble, iron and rare woods. They have huge underground caverns packed with the most precious of relics and antiquities of the planet. As one of the signatures of the Catholic Church they burn incense, fragrant oil and frankincense in their celebration of the mass or special holy days. Wine for their chalices and fine flour and wheat for their wafers (hosts) that they use as representations for the body of Christ. When the clergy gets dressed for mass they put on fine linen and then cover that with fancy silk robes adorned in precious stones and pearls. Notice how God worded the phrase "fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet" describing how the bishops and cardinals of the Catholic Church dress. There is absolutely no doubt that John the apostle was referring to the Roman Catholic Church when he wrote Rev. 17and 18.
     
     
    Well I guess it time to start filling in the blanks for the identity of the first beast the antichrist. I'll follow the numbered descriptions I made to start.
     
    1 This beast comes out of the sea. That's correct but ,the beast comes out of the Holy See. He comes out of the central government of the Roman Catholic Church which is defined below.
     
    Holy See
    the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and speaks for the whole Roman Catholic Church. It is also recognized by other subjects of international law as a sovereign entity, headed by the Pope, with which diplomatic relations can be maintained.[1]

    Although it is often referred to by the term "the Vatican", the Holy See is not the same entity as the Vatican City State, which came into existence only in 1929, while the Holy See, the episcopal see of Rome, dates back to early Christian times. Ambassadors are officially accredited not to the Vatican City State but to "the Holy See", and papal representatives to states and international organizations are recognized as representing the Holy See, not the Vatican City State.

    While all episcopal sees are "holy", the expression "the Holy See" (without further specification) is normally used in international relations, as a metonym, (as well as in the canon law of the Catholic Church)[2] to refer to the See of Rome viewed as the central government of the Catholic Church
    2  He has seven heads and ten horns. This is explained in Rev. 17, the seven heads are seven kings and the ten horns are ten kings who are of one mind and will give their power and authority to the beast.
     
    3,5,6,7 One of the seven heads "had" been wounded and healed. We know from above that the heads mean kings so one of the seven kings "had" been wounded and he was healed. What do we know about these seven kings? The bible says five have fallen, one is (the one John the apostle is focused on which is the sixth king), and the other is yet to come. And when he comes, he must continue for a short time. The beast that was and is not, is himself the eighth, and is one of the seven, and is going to perdition. This scenario sounds very confusing and difficult but when you plug it into world history it is simple and clear. The Vatican in Rome was not it's own country until 1929 and once established as a country it's Popes were it's kings. There has been seven popes or kings of the Vatican since 1929. When John had the vision he was looking at the sixth pope, the five previous popes had died, the seventh would continue for a short while and the eighth pope / king who was one of the original seven will be king again. The bible says that this eight king is the beast from the bottomless pit that was, and is not (he died) and yet is, he appears to be alive again. And oh yes this king "had" been shot and wounded and was healed.  There is only one person that answers this puzzle God gave us and that is Pope John Paul II or his clone. Now lets plug him into the rest of what we know about this beast the antichrist and see if he is indeed a complete fit.
     
    8 The beast's identity will marvel those who dwell on the earth except for those whose names are written in the Book of Life. Right after the Rapture of the Church, John Paul II will appear on earth and calmly explain to the world what just happened to millions of people who have disappeared. He will completely marvel those people who are left behind with his lying signs and wonders and his oratory skills. The raptured saints whose names are in the Book of Life will be gone so he will not marvel them, they will be in heaven and know the truth. But the left behind people will be flabbergasted at this pope they knew so well who died and appears to be alive again. 4,9 He will speak great blasphemies and claim to be God and will perform miraculous signs and wonders to convince the world of what he speaks. 10 He will cancel daily sacrifices and offerings (the Mass) for the Catholic Church, the sacrifice of the Eucharist won't be necessary anymore because he (God) is now on earth. 11 He will also defile the sanctuary fortress, and take away the daily sacrifices of the Jews in Jerusalem, and then place there the abomination of desolation (probably his image that is to be worshiped). He in conjunction with the false prophet (Mahdi?) will call on all to worship him as God and to take a mark on their hand or forehead signifying their allegiance to him. Anyone not having this mark will not be able to buy or sell and will be killed if caught.12 He will use the collaboration of the drunken woman (Catholic Church) with it's world wide establishment to format his organization and power. And keep in mind that Satan's millions of fallen angels from heaven above will have been cast to earth at the Rapture. And this entity cloned as John Paul II is also the king of the bottomless pit commanding countless beasts of the earth. So between the fallen angels from heaven above and the beasts of the earth this king of beasts, John Paul II, will command a huge evil force to manipulate the planet.13 He will also align with ten kings. These ten kings will be "of one mind", that one mind will be Islam, and they will give their authority and power to the beast. This Islamic confederation will make war with the Lamb Rev.17:14 and the Lamb will overcome them. I believe this happens in Ezek. 38,39. The remainder of the Islamic confederation (with the thought put in their hearts by God) will turn on the woman, the harlot, the Catholic Church and destroy her with fire Rev.17:16-17. It appears from Rev.18 that the Vatican City and Rome may be destroyed by a nuclear bomb and the world will lament and mourn for what they perceive as a great loss. Rev.18.
     
    I believe that there will be a world wide huge earthquake at the Rapture and the United States will incur enough damage that it will be a relative non power player in the end scenario, not to mention that a significant portion of it's population may leave in the Rapture.
     
    Also in Rev.9:14 a two hundred million man army squares off for battle that has been arranged by four of God's angels. These angels have been prepared specifically for this purpose. The only area of the world that could field that many troops is the far east, China, India, and Pakistan. It appears there will be a nuclear exchange and the bible says that a third of mankind will be killed in this battle, that's two and a half billion people, which appears to take the far east out of the final scenario as well.
     
    The Catholic Church has been warming up the world to the idea of friendly UFO's and have recently aired their views, so you can expect great numbers of them to come on the world scene right after the Rapture and they will be as friendly as "demons" can be.
     
    There is a lot more to the whole end time scenario but I tried to focus on the antichrist and his affiliations. By the way I read today in an article by Patrick Heron that "anti "in Greek does not have to mean against, it can mean instead of, or in place of. So this entity appearing to be John Paul II will take the place of Jesus and declare himself to be God until Jesus destroys him with the brightness of His coming at Jesus' second coming.
     
    For all you Catholics out there (and I "was" one for over forty years) I'll remind you what God has to say to the Catholics in Rev. 18. He says "Come out of her (the Catholic Church) my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities." I could write a very long book on the abominations by the Catholic Church over the centuries against God, they are almost too many to be numbered. If you don't believe me just crack open your history books and newspapers and compare God's words and instructions in the bible to what the Catholic Church did over the centuries. And if you do, you'll not walk---- but run from this evil institution.
     
    May the Lord or His servants share with you the truth of His words before it's too late,
    John B