The book of Revelation in the New Testament (NT) indicates that by the endtimes, atheism will be a thing of the past? People living on earth will know with certainty there is a heaven. And they apparently will have good reasons for believing the God of the Bible dwells there.
The Bible predicts that near the end of this age a man will come to power whom Christians have always called “the Antichrist.” This title comes from 1 John 2.18, 22; 4.3; 2 Jn 1.7. The Apostle Paul calls him “the lawless one” who “opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God” (2 Thessalonians 2.3-4 NRSV). “The temple of God” refers to God’s temple at Jerusalem. This is one of several texts in the Bible indicating that, before the return of Jesus and the end of this age, Jews will rebuild their temple in Jerusalem for it to become the third temple (Dan 8.11-14; 9.26-27; 11.31; 12.11; Matt 24.1-3, 15; Mark 13.1-4, 14; Rev 11.1-2).
The Greek word for “God/god” is theos, and it appears three times in 2 Thes 2.4 in the Greek NT. All English versions translate the third theos as “God,” thus referring to the God of the Bible. Usually, but not always, when theos appears in the Greek NT it has the article ho. That makes the noun it modifies definite, thus referring to the God of the Bible. But in English we customarily say “God,” not “the God.” In the Greek text of 1 Thes 2.4, the first and third occurrences of theos are anarthrous, meaning they don’t have the Greek article ho, whereas the second occurrence of theos has the article. Ordinarily, as in English, when a noun in Greek does not have the preceding article, that makes the noun indefinite, so that it would be translated “a god” and therefore not refer to the God of the Bible. Thus, the second occurrence of theos clearly indicates it refers to the God of the temple at Jerusalem and the Bible. I believe the third occurrence of theos in 1 Thes 2.4 should be translated “a god” and therefore not refer to God. The contrast of the second theos with the article and the third theos without the article makes this even more evident. But I have other reasons for saying this.
According to the apocalyptic book of Revelation, the final Antichrist of the endtimes will believe heaven exists and the God of the Bible dwells there. Thus, he will not identify himself as this God. The author of Revelation, named “John” (Rev 1.4), first introduces “the Antichrist” by calling him “a beast” (13.1). He says, “The beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words” (v. 5). Much of the book of Revelation is both an allusion to, and expansion of, the OT apocalyptic book of Daniel. Rev 13.5 begins with an allusion to the “little” “horn” of Dan 7, a symbol for the Antichrist, which says he has “a mouth speaking/that spoke arrogantly” (Dan 7.8, 20, cf. v. 11).
John then relates concerning the Antichrist, “The beast opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling place, that is, those who dwell in heaven,” referring to his angels (Rev 13.6). This text is an expansion of Dan 11.36, which tells us that this final Antichrist “shall speak horrendous things against the God of gods.” Thus, rather than claim that he is God, the Antichrist will blaspheme God, indicating he believes in his existence and therefore is not an atheist. Daniel had already said of him, “He shall pay no respect to the gods of his ancestors,… he shall pay no respect to any other god, for he shall consider himself greater than all” the gods of his ancestors and perhaps all pagan gods (Dan 11.37).
Most people living on earth in those last days will believe like the Antichrist. So, they will not be atheists but will believe in the existence of God and his heaven and curse them. John tells about many judgments God will send upon these blasphemers. We read, “The fourth angel poured his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire; they were scorched by the fierce heat, but they cursed the name of God, who had authority over these plagues, and they did not repent and give him glory” (Rev 16.8-9). And, “The fifth angel poured his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness; people gnawed their tongues in agony, and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and sores, and they did not repent of their deeds” (vv. 10-11). And when the seventh angel pours out his bowl, among other things “huge hailstones, each weighing about a hundred pounds, dropped from heaven [earth’s atmosphere] on people, until they cursed God” (v. 20).
So, during the last days of this age the Antichrist and most people will believe in the existence of heaven, God’s angels, and God. So, why will atheism become a relic of the past? It will not be only because people suspect that these events that have befallen them are judgments from God due to their evil manner of life. It also will be because science will prove there is a heaven. And people likely will have good reasons to believe the God of the Bible dwells there. How do I know? It’s in the Bible. Where? For now, I’m keeping it to myself.
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