JOEL RICHARDSON: THE DEATH OF THE ANTICHRIST IS A FALSE TEACHING

The Death of the Antichrist Fulfilled

Joel Richardson's shady agenda continues as he presses his unbiblical case for the death of the Antichrist. In this video, he works stealthily under the cover of legitimate arguments against preterism.

And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. 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. And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh. (Revelation 19:19-21). and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. (Revelation 20:10 cf. Revelation 17:11). 

 

Richardson's false claim that Gog is the Antichrist 

Richardson conflates the Gog/Magog war in Ezekiel 38-39 and Armageddon. (Revelation 16:14-16; 19:1-21 cf. Zechariah 14:1-17). The insurmountable difficulty with this position is that Gog will attack Israel when they are "dwelling securely".

Thus says the Lord God: On that day, thoughts will come into your mind, and you will devise an evil scheme and say, ‘I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. I will fall upon the quiet people who dwell securely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having no bars or gate.. Therefore, son of man, prophesy, and say to Gog, Thus says the Lord GOD: On that day when my people Israel are dwelling securely, will you not know it? You will come from your place out of the uttermost parts of the north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great host, a mighty army. You will come up against my people Israel, like a cloud covering the land. In the latter days I will bring you against my land, that the nations may know me, when through you, O Gog, I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. (Ezekiel 38: 10-16). 

At the close of the 70th week of Daniel, Israel will certainly not be "dwelling securely". The Bible refers to a period of great distress and tribulation that will come upon the Jewish people in the period known as "the great tribulation" and "Jacob's trouble". Alas! That day is so great there is none like it; it is a time of distress for Jacob; yet he shall be saved out of it. (Jeremiah 30:7). The Antichrist's persecution against the Jews from the midpoint of the 70th week will leave the Jews decimated.  And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. (Daniel 12:1; Matthew 24:21; Zechariah 13:8-9).). 

Further reasons why Richardson's Gog/Antichrist argument is a non-starter.

* Specific countries are named in Ezekiel 38:1-6, whereas "all the kings of the earth" are assembled against Israel at Armageddon. (Revelation 16:12-16).

* The battles have different locations. Gog fights in the mountains in the north/northern Israel. (Ezekiel 39:2-4). Armageddon takes place in the valley of Jezreel. (Revelation 16:16).

* Gog's incentive is to take wealth. (Ezekiel 38:12). The Antichrist's agenda is to destroy the Jews and world domination. (Revelation 12:13,13:8).

* Israel will not be dwelling securely when Armageddon occurs (above).

* Gog's armies will be destroyed by torrents of rain, hailstones, fire, sulfur, and self-inflicted wounds. (Ezekiel 38:21). The Antichrist armies will be destroyed directly by Jesus Christ. (Revelation 19:15).  

* Gog's activities are limited to Israel. (Ezekiel 38:16). Armageddon is a global battle. (Revelation 16:14-16). 

* The Israelites will be burying the bodies of Gog's armies for seven months. (Ezekiel 39:12). The dead bodies of the Antichrist armies are eaten by birds for seven months and no cleanup operation is mentioned. (Revelation 19:17).

* Gog is killed and is buried in the Valley of the Travelers. (Ezekiel 39:11). The Antichrist and the false prophet are captured and are thrown alive into the lake of fire. (Revelation 19:20).

Sisera's death

Richardson identifies Sisera, the oppressor of the Israelites and the commander of the Canaanite army in Judges 4-5 as a type of the Antichirst. (Judges 4:3). The ludicrous argument presented by Richardson is that because Jael killed Sisera with a tent peg, the Antichrist will also be killed by a "tent peg". In the Bible, a type (typology) is a representation by one thing of another e.g. Adam was a type of Christ (Romans 5:14), the Passover was a type of Christ (1 Corinthians 5:7) etc. Types should not be taken verbatim to apply to what they represent in every detail. Richardson digs a deeper hole with his questionable connection with Zechariah 10:4 where the same noun (yathed) is used but in a completely different context. 

But Jael the wife of Heber took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand. Then she went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple until it went down into the ground while he was lying fast asleep from weariness. So he died. (Judges 4:21).

From him shall come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg (yathed), from him the battle bow, from him every ruler—all of them together.. (Zechariah 10:4). KJV: out of him the nail..

Strongs: "yathed: nail, paddle, pin, stake".1 

Pulpit Commentary: "The nail. The word (yathed) is taken for the peg that fastens the cord of a tent, for a nail used in building with timber, or a peg for hanging up arms and utensils on the walls of a house. In whichever sense we take it here, it implies one who consolidates or upholds the political constitution (Isaiah 22:23, 24)".2

The King of Babylon Isaiah 14:15-20 

Isaiah 14 is a well-known passage that includes a taunt against the King of Babylon. (Isaiah 14:4-11). The focus changes in verses 12-14 with allusions to Lucifer, the morning star (Satan) whose vain aspirations to be "like God" led to his downfall from heaven. Verse 16 reverts back to the King of Babylon who suffers an ignominious death. Richardson's view that "the man" in Isaiah 14:16 is the Antichrist is an uncorroborated assumption.

Is this the man? Isaiah 14:16

Those who see you will stare at you and ponder over you: ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, who made the world like a desert and overthrew its cities.. (Isaiah 14:16-17).

Morris: "Here Isaiah's vision, which had focused upon Satan in Isaiah 14:12-15, returns to the human king of Babylon (who had been possessed by Satan) and his reception by the other dead kings as they greet him in hell (Sheol, the great pit at the center of the earth)."3 

Coffman: "Whatever specific king the Lord could have been speaking of in this prophecy, we must believe that this chapter should be read, 'as a prediction of the fall of every human tyrant and his fate in the afterlife.'" 4 

Pulpit Commentary: "Verse 16. - They that see thee. Dr. Kay well observes that 'here the scene of the parable is changed back to earth. The corpse of the mighty conqueror is lying unburied.' Shall narrowly look upon thee. Like the inhabitants of hell (ver. 10), those of earth also shall scarcely believe their eyes. They shall look close to see if it is indeed the great king that is slain. Isaiah 14:16."5

Those who follow Richardson seem easily persuaded by his silver tongue, but critically they have yet to do their homework. (1 John 4:1). I highly recommend Chris White's comprehensive podcast in which he systematically demolishes the Islamic Antichrist view point by point: CHRIS WHITE, Author at Bible Prophecy Daily

So why does Richardson persist in promoting these defective eschatological views? I venture to guess that confusion is his main intention combined with peddling his books and other materials. (2 Corinthians 2:17; 1 Timothy 6:10). The answer becomes clearer when we look at his track record. Richardson has been involved with false teachers from the beginning. He claims that his "prophetic endorsement" by "Latter Rain" false prophet and wolf Paul Cain was the catalyst that kick-started his "ministry". Note his associations with false teachers include Mormon Glenn Beck, Jim Bakker, Sid Roth, Mike Bickle, Walid Schoebat, Paul Wilbur, TBN, Pat Robertson 700 Club, CBN News, Joel Rosenberg (listed 2009), IHOP (International House of Prayer), Jonathan Cahn, Mark Biltz, Chuck Missler, Daystar TV, Vlad Savchuck, Chris Reed and Dalton Thomas. Richardson's false teachings also include Identificational Repentance and the Metatron heresy.6 

Richardson's subterfuge that the Antichrist will be literally killed as opposed to thrown alive into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:20) is blatantly false. The scriptures are unambiguous. The Antichrist and the false prophet will be treated differently from the rest of the wicked humanity at Armageddon. They will not be killed, they will be fast-tracked alive to the lake of fire. The lake of fire (second death) is not allocated to unbelievers until the end of the millennium. (Revelation 20:13-15,21:8). Richardson not only violates the Book of Revelation (Revelation 22:18-19), he also flouts sound hermeneutics. (1 Corinthians 4:6). A general principle of hermeneutics is that clear passages always take precedence over ambiguous ones. 

I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. (Romans 16:17).

1. Strong's Hebrew: 3489. יָתֵד (yathed) -- a peg, pin
2. Zechariah 10 Pulpit Commentary
3. Isaiah 14 Commentary | Precept Austin
4. Isaiah 14 - Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible - Bible Commentaries - StudyLight.org
5. Isaiah 14 Pulpit Commentary

6. WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING: FALSE PROPHETS AND BIBLE TEACHERS IN THE LAST DAYS: Joel Richardson