Dr. Couch, it is good to know that there is at least one good
dispensational "Bible Answer Man." My question, is the antichrist
brought back to life or just appears to have died, but really did not
(Rev. 13:3).
ANSWER:
Good scholars have mixed opinions on Revelation 13:3. Some refer to 5:6
where a vision of Christ the Lamb is given "as if slain."
Now we know He was indeed killed as a sacrificial lamb, and the same
Greek construction is used of the antichrist in 13:3. 5:6 reads:
hos esphagmenon (perf. Pass. Part.)," as having been slain." 13:3 reads in the Greek kai mian ek ton kephalon autou hos esphagmenon eis
thanaton (perf. Pass. Part). In 5:6 "into death" is left out. With
the participial constructions in both passages, I see something that
may make a difference. In 5:6 John sees Christ as a Lamb that now is
alive, though bearing the appearance, even though living, with
some image or sign that He had indeed died! There is some visual
reminder to John that "as if slain" He now is living!
In both passages (5:6, 13:3) there is the comparative language word hos
translated as if, if, something like, as,
it seemed to be, etc. The NAS rightly translates 13:3 about the
antichrist with "as if it had been slain." Walvoord takes the view that:
I lean to the position that this is an "appearance of death" but that he does not actually die.
Thanks for asking.
Dr. Mal Couch
