In the two previous messages we have seen that Antichrist is the fourth beast in Daniel 7, the little horn in Daniel 8, the prince in Daniel 9, and the king in Daniel 11. In this message we need to consider some other characteristics of Antichrist.
Revelation 13:2 says, “And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet as those of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion.” It is very difficult to give a name to this beast because he has the characteristics of all the other beasts. In Revelation 13 he is simply called “the beast.”
According to Daniel 7:4-6, the leopard, whose characteristic is swift and cruel movement, was the symbol of Alexander the Great, the king of Greece. In a sense, a leopard is more fierce than a lion. The fact that the beast which John saw “was like a leopard” confirms our saying that Antichrist will be a Greek. Alexander the Great was a leopard, and Antichrist will also be like a leopard.
We are also told that the feet of the beast are “those of a bear.” The bear, whose characteristic is its destroying feet, was the symbol of the monarchy of Medo-Persia. A bear stamps and destroys with its feet. Antichrist will have this characteristic.
Revelation 13:2 says that his mouth was “as the mouth of a lion.” The lion, whose characteristic is its devouring mouth, was a symbol of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. Since this beast, Antichrist, is like the three other beasts and will have the characteristics of all three, as mentioned in Daniel 7:4-7, he will be the totality of all evil powers in human history. Antichrist will have the characteristics of Alexander the Great, Darius, and Nebuchadnezzar. Although he will look like a leopard, his feet will be those of a bear and his mouth that of a lion. All the characteristics of all the wild beasts will be synthesized in this one person, making him the all-inclusive beast. Hence, he will be the ultimate issue and totality of all the worldly powers. If you study world history, you will see that Nebuchadnezzar devoured people, Darius stamped upon them, and Alexander the Great moved swiftly, seizing the entire empire in a very short period of time. Furthermore, Alexander was exceedingly cruel. All these characteristics prefigure the various features of Antichrist, who will certainly be an extraordinary figure.
Do not think that Antichrist will be an ordinary person. No, he will be a very unusual man. Nearly forty years ago, some said that Mussolini was Antichrist. At that time, in 1936, I was already in my ministry and I was carefully observing the world situation. When we heard this claim, we immediately realized that Mussolini was not that powerful. Furthermore, he did not have the appearance of a leopard, but rather that of a frog. Whenever you hear a rumor that a certain man may be Antichrist, you must consider whether or not he possesses the characteristics of Antichrist. Ask whether he is like a leopard, a bear, and a lion. Inquire whether he is intellectually brilliant. Since we have seen the light in the Scriptures regarding Antichrist, no one will be able to cheat us with respect to him.