He will be possessed of extraordinary intelligence. He will be the Devil's imitation of that blessed One "in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Col.2:3). This Son of Perdition will surpass Solomon in wisdom. In Dan.7:20 he is represented as "A horn that had eyes." It is a double symbol. The "horn" prefigures strength; "eyes" speak of intelligence. Again, in Dan.8:23 he is referred to as "A King of fierce countenance." who shall "understand dark sentences." That which baffles others shall be simple to him. The Hebrew word here translated "dark sentences" is the same as the one rendered "hard questions" in 1 Kings 10:1, where we read of the Queen of Sheba coming to Solomon with her "hard questions" in order to test his wisdom. It is also the word that is used in Samson's riddle in Judges 14. It indicates that the Antichrist will be master of all the secrets of occult science. Ezek.28:3 declares of him "Beholding, thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee." This will be one of his most alluring attractions. His master mind will captivate the educated world. His marvelous store of knowledge, his acquaintance with the secrets of nature, his superhuman powers of perception, will stamp him as an intellectual genius of the first magnitude. |