JOEL RICHARDSON DISTORTING THE SCRIPTURES: THE DEATH OF THE ANTICHRIST?

Armageddon & the Death of the Antichrist BOOK OF REVELATION Session 70 (youtube.com)

Who is Gog?

This is my third post debunking Joel Richardson's false assertion that the Antichrist will be killed. No biblical evidence supports Richardson's repeated assertion that Gog and the Antichrist are the same individual. In fact, there are various contradictory speculations regarding Gog's identity and the timing of the Gog/Magog war of Ezekiel 38 and 39. The chart below, taken from Chris White's YouTube channel, demonstrates that the only commonality among speculators is that Ezekiel 38 and 39 is a future event.1 

Most speculators ignore the reference in Ezekiel 38 to a peaceful people dwelling securely. 

This is what the Lord GOD says: On that day, thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will devise an evil plan. You will say, ‘I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will come against a tranquil people who dwell securely, all of them living without walls or bars or gates— (Ezekiel 38:10-11,14).

Armageddon - Mount Megiddo or Jerusalem? 

There are a number of reasons why Mount Megiddo is the location of Armageddon as against Jerusalem. The Armageddon/Jerusalem theory is relatively recent and was introduced by Michael Heiser whose eschatological teaching is unreliable. We should remember that the entire world will be subject to massive topological changes via the great earthquake during the seventh bowl of wrath. It is unlikely that the Antichrist will be in Jerusalem (the great city) during the seventh bowl judgement. Rather it makes more sense that the Antichrist and "the kings of the world" will flee the cities and will assemble at Mount Megiddo. (Revelation 16:14,16). I have done a deeper analysis of Heiser's view in a previous post. (See further links) 

The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings,c peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake. The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath. And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found. And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe. (Revelation 16:17-21 cf. Revelation 18:24).

The death of the Antichrist?

In hermeneutics, the basic rule is that the clear interprets the obscure i.e. clear passages take precedence over obscure ones. All Scripture presents one unified system of truth (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter1:20-21). As such, where there seems to be a contradiction or discrepancy we should seek to harmonize obscure passages with the clearer ones.

It is to Richardson's advantage that the Antichrist will be killed since he has widely taught the speculative Islamic Antichrist theory for years. Furthermore, he has written books on this subject with false teacher Walid Shoebat and others. The reference to the beast and the false prophet being thrown alive into the lake of fire is an explicit proof text. Unfortunately, Richardson's poor hermeneutic and eisegesis have taken precedence over the important principle of harmonizing obscure passages.

And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. (Revelation 19:20).  

And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, into which the beast and the false prophet had already been thrown. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. (Revelation 20:10).

The buriel of Gog in Israel presents a huge problem for those who claim he is the Antichrist. 

On that day I will give to Gog a place for burial in Israel, the Valley of the Travelers, east of the sea. It will block the travelers, for there Gog and all his multitude will be buried. It will be called the Valley of Hamon-gog. (Ezekiel 39:11).

Richardson's alleged proof texts

Habakkuk 3:13-14

You went out for the salvation of your people, for the salvation of your anointed. You crushed the head of the house of the wicked, laying him bare from thigh to neck. Selah. You pierced with his own arrows the heads of his warriors, who came like a whirlwind to scatter me, rejoicing as if to devour the poor in secret. (Habakkuk 3:13-14 cf Psalm 68:21; Genesis 3:15)).  

But God will strike the heads of his enemies, the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways. (Psalm 68:1).

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3:15 cf. Hebrews 2:14). 

Habakkuk 3:13-14 is not a reference to the Antichrist, rather, "the head of the house of the wicked" refers to Satan, confirmed in Genesis 3:15: "crush the head".

    

Coffman: “Thou woundest the head” Who is the head “out of the house of the wicked,” if not Satan? Here is a prophetic renewal of the great promise of the Protoevangelium (Genesis 3:15) that the head of the evil one would be bruised.2  

Lange: "SCHMIEDER (on Hab 3:13): The picture might be still more comprehensive, if, in accordance with Dan. 2:31 ff., we conceive the entire succession of hostile empires as the image of one man or house, whose colossal size falls under the judgments of God, after its head is broken off."3  

Isaiah 11:4 and 2 Thessalonians 2:8

And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill (ἀνελεῖ) with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing (katargeo) by the appearance of his coming. (2 Thessalonians 2:8).

..but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill (mûwth) the wicked. (Isaiah 11:4 cf. ). Strongs: מוּת mûwth, mooth; a primitive root; to die (literally or figuratively);4 

Examples of ἀναιρέω

Thayers Greek Lexicon: ἀναιρέω 1. to take up, to lift up (from the ground); middle to take up for myself as value, to own (an exposed infant): Acts 7:21; (so ἀναίρεσθαι, Aristophanes nub. 531; Epictetus diss. 1, 23, 7; (Plutarch, Anton. 36, 3; fortuna Romans 8; fratern. am. 18, etc.)). 2. to take away, abolish.5

..and when he was exposed, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted (ἀνείλατο) him and brought him up as her own son. (Acts 17:21).

then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away (ἀναιρεῖ) with the first in order to establish the second. (Hebrews 10:9).

Examples of καταργέω

Strongs: "καταργέω katargéō, kat-arg-eh'-o; from G2596 and G691; to be (render) entirely idle (useless), literally or figuratively:—abolish, cease, cumber, deliver, destroy, do away, become (make) of no (none, without) effect, fail, loose, bring (come) to nought, put away (down), vanish away, make void."6  

Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end (καταργουμένην), will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. For if what was being brought to an end (καταργούμενον) came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory. Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end (καταργεῖται) (2 Corinthians 3:7,11,13).

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown: "..so Christ's mere approach is enough to consume Antichrist. The mere 'appearance of the coming' of the Lord of glory is sufficient to show to Antichrist his perfect nothingness. He is seized and 'cast alive into the take of fire' (Re 19:20)."7

Revelation Revolution: "In light of the way katageo is used in Romans 6:6, 1 Corinthians 6:13 and 2 Corinthians 3:14 I believe this word is perhaps better translated do away or remove in 2 Thessalonians 2:8. Similarly, considering the way in which anaireo is translated as take or took away in Acts 7:21 and Hebrews 10:9, I believe 2 Thessalonians 2:8 is more accurately or precisely translated: 'And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will take away with the breath of his mouth and take or do away with [and thus reduce to inactivity] by the splendor of his coming.' As stated above, katargeo means to make inactive or to reduce to inactivity." 8 

Is this the man? Isaiah 14 

Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, who made the world like a desert and overthrew its cities, who did not let his prisoners go home?’ (Isaiah 14:16-17).

Richardson's claim that "the man" in Isaiah 14:16 refers to the Antichrist is unreliable. Isaiah 14:1-22 is a taunt against the king of Babylon (with allusions to Lucifer.) (Isaiah 14:3). But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit. (Isaiah 14:9,11,15). The King of Babylon is compared with Lucifer, the Morning Star, whose pride and ambition led to his downfall from heaven. According to the Old Testament, Sheol/Hades is a temporary place where souls are kept as they await the final resurrection. The lake of fire Revelation 19:20 and 20:10,14-15, is the final hell, the place of eternal punishment, both for apostate angels and wicked human beings. (Matthew 25:41). The scriptures are unequivocal, the destination of the Antichrist (the beast) is the Lake of Fire, not Sheol. (Revelation 19:20).

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. (Revelation 22:18-19).

It is critical to examine Richardson's track record before endorsing his views. I have written sixteen posts debunking his speculations and exposing his dubious associations with Paul Cain, Walid Shoebat and Dalton Thomas: WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING: FALSE PROPHETS AND BIBLE TEACHERS IN THE LAST DAYS: Joel Richardson (bewareofthewolves.blogspot.com)  

1. A GOG MAGOG STUDY - Part 1 - Intro & Revelation 20:7-10 - Bible Prophecy Talk (youtube.com)
2. Habakkuk 3 - Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible - Bible Commentaries - StudyLight.org
3. Habakkuk 3 Lange Commentary on the Holy Scriptures (biblehub.com)
4. H4191 - mûṯ - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (kjv) (blueletterbible.org)
5. Thayer's Greek: 337. ἀναιρέω (anaireó) -- to take up, take away, make an end (biblehub.com)
6. G2673 - katargeō - Strong's Greek Lexicon (KJV)
7. 2 Thessalonians 2:8 Commentaries: Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; (biblehub.com)
8. https://www.revelationrevolution.org/

Further Links

A GOG MAGOG STUDY - Part 4 - Who Is Gog? - Bible Prophecy Talk (youtube.com)

The Timing of the Gog Magog War (youtube.com)
The Islamic Antichrist Theory Debunked - FULL 8 HOUR - AUDIO BOOK - Bible Prophecy (youtube.com)
WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING: FALSE PROPHETS AND BIBLE TEACHERS IN THE LAST DAYS: JOEL RICHARDSON: FALSE TEACHING THAT THE ANTICHRIST WILL BE KILLED (bewareofthewolves.blogspot.com)
WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING: FALSE PROPHETS AND BIBLE TEACHERS IN THE LAST DAYS: MICHAEL HEISER'S ALLEGED LOCATION OF ARMAGEDDON (bewareofthewolves.blogspot.com)
Zion's Hope (zionshope.org)