The Abomination of Desolation - St. Marys Coptic Orthodox Church
The Abomination of Desolation - St. Marys Coptic Orthodox Church
The Abomination of Desolation - St. Marys Coptic Orthodox Church
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56<br />
THE UNHOLY TRINITY<br />
admitting oaths, kind to strangers, kind to the poor, compassionate...<br />
helping widows, defending orphans, loving all, reconciling in love<br />
men who contend, and saying to such, "Let not the sun go down<br />
upon your wrath;" and he will not acquire gold, nor love silver, nor<br />
seek riches. 1<br />
And in the beginning <strong>of</strong> his rule, or rather tyranny, he assumes the<br />
role <strong>of</strong> sanctity. 2<br />
Evil spirits dispersed over the universe will excite in men a universal,<br />
most exalted opinion <strong>of</strong> Antichrist; a general rapture and irresistible<br />
attraction to him ... he will come in such a manner as to deceive all.<br />
He will appear humble, meek, a hater (as he will say himself) <strong>of</strong><br />
unrighteousness, shunning idols, showing a preference to piety,<br />
good, a lover <strong>of</strong> the poor, beautiful to the extreme, steadfast, affable<br />
to all ... He will take cunning measures to please everyone in order<br />
that the people will quickly come to love him; he will not accept gifts<br />
nor speak in anger, nor show a gloomy appearance, but with a<br />
decent exterior he will set about deceiving the world, until he is<br />
enthroned. 3<br />
ORATORICAL SKILLS:<br />
“And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things.”<br />
(Rev 13:5) This agrees almost word for word with Daniel’s<br />
description <strong>of</strong> the “little horn,” “And, behold, in this horn were eyes<br />
like the eyes <strong>of</strong> man, and a mouth speaking great things.” (Dan 7:8)<br />
In Daniel 7:11, we also read, “I beheld then because <strong>of</strong> the voice <strong>of</strong><br />
the great words which the horn spake.” Again, in Daniel 7:20 he<br />
refers to the “Horn” as, “the other which came up, and before whom<br />
three fell; even <strong>of</strong> that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake<br />
very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.<br />
1 Hippolytus: Discourse on the end <strong>of</strong> the world and on Antichrist<br />
2 John Damascene: Expounding the <strong>Orthodox</strong> faith<br />
3 <strong>St</strong>. Ephraim the Syrian (Word 16)