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Those who hold to the futurist interpretation, however, commonly think of the Antichrist as
a super-politician who will drop highly destructive bombs from jet planes. As one such author
says, Antichrist will "plunge the nations into the last great atomic war" (M. R. De Haan, Will the
Church Go Through the Tribulation?, p.25). But this is not what the Bible is talking about here.
The dropping of bombs upon cities would not distinguish between saints or sinners. In fact, this
kind of war would kill more sinners than saints -- for obvious reasons! But the war of Daniel 7
was clearly NOT to be mass destruction of the people as a whole -- it was specifically described
as war against the saints!

8/. Finally the little horn would "think to change times and laws" (Daniel 7:25). Daniel
said that Yehovah is the One that "changeth the times and the seasons" (Daniel 2:21), but this "little
horn" in his arrogance dares to even meddle with Divine things! If he were to merely change civil
laws, this would not be too significant -- politicians commonly do this. But for him to tamper with
Divine laws demonstrates his blasphemous character.

In the arena of human affairs, the Papacy has annulled the decrees of kings and emperors; it
has thrust its long arm into the affairs of this world's nations; it has brought rulers to its feet in ab-
ject humility. In religious affairs, the Pope claims infallibility in pronouncing doctrine. By exalting
himself to such forbidden heights -- and millions have fallen for this dogma -- it is evident that he
has thought to change Divine things. He has done away with days and observances originated by
Yehovah, and has instituted the observance of days for which there is NO scriptural basis whatso-
ever. He has instituted rituals and rites that were borrowed directly from paganism, and has set
himself up as the final authority on matters of doctrine.

We see, then, that the little horn would be a Roman power, would rise among the ten king-
doms into which the empire was divided, would pluck up three of the other kingdoms, would be
diverse, would make great claims, would be a seer, would wear out the saints, and would seek to
change times and laws.

Understanding this prophecy, the early Christians knew that the Roman Empire -- the fourth
beast -- would be broken up and its demise would bring on the man of sin. Now since the man of
sin -- the little horn of Daniel 7 -- would make war against the saints, Paul correctly concluded
that the man of sin would have to come to power BEFORE the saints would be gathered at the sec-
ond coming of Yeshua! (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3). It all fits neatly together.

The Man of Sin

Continuing now in Paul's prophecy, we see that he links the man of sin with a falling away.
"That day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be re-
vealed..." (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3). The Greek word that is here translated "falling away" is apos-
tasia, defined by Strong's Concordance as "defection from the truth." It is from this word we get
our English word "apostasy." This was not to be a falling away from religion into atheism, but
rather a falling away that would develop within the confines of Yehovah's Church. As R.C.H. Len-
ski wrote: "This is apostasy. It is, therefore, to be sought in the church visible and not outside the
church, not in the pagan world, in the general moral decline, in Mohammedanism, in the French

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