A King Of Fierce Countenance

n the prophet Daniel's epic work, we learn that in "the latter time" of a particular cluster of political powers, "when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up" (Daniel 8:23). The passage implies that this will occur during a period when a change in leadership is about to occur.

The very idea that this leader will emerge when the transgressors have reached the full measure of iniquity, would naturally coincide with the end time -- i.e. the "latter time." The fact that this ghastly individual, who is widely believed to be the Antichrist, is able to understand "dark sentences," also points us to some familiarity with secret societies, or hidden alliances of some sort.

The description of this king with his "fierce countenance" is somewhat rare in scripture. Through the prophet Isaiah, the LORD tells us "And the Egyptians will I give over into the hand of a cruel lord; and a fierce king shall rule over them..." (Isaiah 19:4). An Egyptian king with a fierce countenance sounds quite a bit like the familiar character Scripture describes as the Pharaoh. Indeed, the Egyptians are the oldest practitioners of freemasonry, with their roots in the sect known as the gnostics, as well as many other secretive or occultic groups. 

Many mystical connections to this theme exist in prophecy. For instance, the name Rahab is something of a code word for Egypt, and Isaiah uses it when he writes "Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?" (Isaiah 51:9). Here, the cryptogram for Egypt is associated with the "dragon."

Ezekiel goes directly to the point when he writes "Speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers..." (Ezekiel 29:3). All these verses, and many more, point us directly to the latter day king of the earth. He is the Antichrist, he is an Egyptian, and he is the king of fierce countenance that has already arrived on the world political scene.

August 11 2005 -- James Lloyd

Copyright © 2005, 2008 Christian Media Network

See Also

Waiting For Leviathan