Even though the fascination with the identity of the Antichrist has been a major aspect of bible prophecy for hundreds of years, the twentieth and twenty first century has witnessed more focus on the end time Antichrist debate more than any other time primarily because the rise of the internet has created more exposure and access to information related to the development of the new world order than at any other time in history.



The "New World Order" whilst a political term used by the likes of Barack Obama, Henry Kissinger and George Bush Senior, is a term with a more sinister meaning which at the heart involves the creation of a final socialist world government system that will full the biblical prophecy of a final world empire dictatorship that will enslave mankind into a demonic economic system called the Mark of the Beast.

However, there are multiple debates within bible prophecy circles as to who this final world empire will be and there are 5 key belief structures regarding its identity.

1. A EUROPEAN SUPER STATE

The traditional and classical view is that this final world empire will be a european super state, arising out of the European Union. Some of the world's greatest prophecy scholars such as Dave Hunt, David Breese and the late John F Walvoord and Dwight Pentecost believed that this final empire would be a Revived Roman Empire according to the prophecies of Daniel.

David Breese one of the most respected end time researchers in decades comments on Europe's plans to protect her interests. He says "Europe will immediately realise the necessity of developing a strong military establishment, an all European army to guard their overflowing coffers......The second mission of a European military establishment must also be to protect the energy routes from the Middle East. A high percentage..nearly 100%...of the oil that heats and energises Europe comes from the oil rich lands of the countries surrounding the Persian Gulf. Should these supplies be threatened, all other considerations would need to be set aside in favour of guaranteeing the uninterrupted flow of Mid East oil. Without this, homes would become cold, automobiles would be parked by the curb, and the airplanes would no longer fly. The pipeline from the Middle East must always be held as a major consideration by the planners of Europe's future.”. It is thus interesting to see that in July 2008, French president, Nicholas Sarkozy led the inauguration of the Mediterranean Union; an economic and trade union between the southern hemisphere nations of the European Union and the nations of North Africa and the Western side of the Middle East basin.

2. THE CLUB OF ROME MODEL

The modernist viewpoint is that the final world empire will consist of 10 bio regions (known as the Club of Rome model) in that the earth has been divided into blocs where the idea is that the national sovereignty of nations will be subject to a regional union. The 10 bioregions governed by 10 political leaders would then report to a supreme world leader as alluded to in Revelation 17:12-13.

It is an opinion of those who hold to this belief that some of these geographical blocs have already been created. For instance the European Union, Arab League, South American Community of Nations and more recently Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudds call for an Asia Pacific Union. Additionally there has been major controversy over a report published in 2005 called entitled "Building a North American Community" published by the Council on Foreign Relations which seemed to conceptually raise the idea of an American Union and single region currency involving the United States, Canada and Mexico. Reports even suggest that there are plans to create a centralised currency across these 3 countries called the Amero which will replace all 3 national currencies.

3. AMERICA: GUARDIAN OF THE NEW WORLD ORDER

An alternative modernist view point is that America is the final world empire. Adherents of this viewpoint believe that the traditional view which places Europe as the primary power in the last days, has significant failings. They believe that the power of Freemasonry migrated from England to the United States and that the symbology on the American Dollar bill justifies this. This view is based on scriptures in Jeremiah, Isaiah and Revelations 18 which describe a last days commercial Babylon which is described as a melting pot of the nations and the economic and commercial nerve center of the world. Traits associated with the United States.

Jack Van Impe, Stan Deyo, Tim Mchyde and others have championed this view that the last days commercial Babylon is not applicable to a literal rebuilding of the ancient city in Iraq as championed by Dr Charles Dwyer or the seven hilled city of Rome as mentioned by Dave Hunt in his book "A Woman Rides the Beast", but symbolic of the world greatest super power, the United States.

4. AN ISLAMIC ECONOMIC AND MILITARY ALLIANCE

A more recent view which is enjoying a significant amount of coverage is the belief that the Antichrist and his empire will be a confederation of Islamic nations led by the long awaited Islamic Madhi. This view championed by Rodrigo Silva and Joel Richardson author of "Antichrist: Islam's Awaited Messiah" is based on reviewing Islamic prophetical teachings known as "hadith" which refer to the final coming of the Al-Madhi (a return of Jesus Christ) to overthrow the Al-Dajaal (a Syrian/Jewish Antichrist) and establish a new world Islamic order. Scholars who hold to the islamic view believe that the biblical final world empire will be an Islamic confederation which will use its significant oil reserves as a secret weapon to bring the world economy crashing down under Islamic domination.

5. THE VATICAN AND THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

Finally, there is the traditional medieval view that the Antichrist is linked to the Roman Catholic Church and Jesuit order. This view which was born out of the persecution of the early reformers by Rome even today has significant appeal. Malachi Martins book the "The Keys to this Blood" is one of the best documented insights into the Vatican's struggle for world supremacy and the internal state of the Roman Catholic Church with a specific split amongst high ranking clergy between those holding onto the historical teachings of the apostles and the early church fathers, and those who wish for many of the church's teachings to be changed under new liberal new age philosophies which encompass a universalist religion unification ideal.

The debate as to the identity of the man who will head this final world empire is even more controversial. History has seen many labelled the Antichrist such as Roman Emperor Nero, Charlemagne King of the Holy Roman Empire, Napoleon Bonaparte, Benito Mussolini, Adolf Hitler, and within in recent times, Henry Kissinger, Mikhail Gorbachev, Pope John Paul II, Saddam Hussein, Vladimir Putin, King Juan Carlos of Spain, Karl Von Habsburg of the Habsburg Dynasty, Javier Solana of the European Union, Prince Charles of Wales and more recently and controversially, Barack Obama.

What is the identity of the Antichrist and do any of these men fit the criteria? What will be his lineage? Jewish, Syrian, Merovingian, Roman etc.

The understanding and interpretation of prophecy can be be enhanced with the analysis of secular documentation such as the new age bible "The Keys of Enoch" and other heavy weight illuminati inspired epistles such as Alice Bailey's "Externalisation of the Hierarchy" and the Masonic writings of Albert Pike in "Morals and Dogma" .

It is within these materials that the true nature of the coming final world empire will be revealed which will provide significant clarity to the debate.