THE RISE OF THE ANTICHRIST
REVELATION 13
THE CONCLUDING EVENTS OF THE END TIMES WILL OCCUR IN SHORT ORDER AFTER THE RAPTURE. CONSERVATIVE THEOLOGIANS ESTIMATE NO MORE THAN NINE TO TWELVE YEARS UNTIL THE GLORIOUS APPEARING OF CHRIST AND SHORTLY AFTER THIS THE BEGINNING OF THE MILLENNIUM.
THIS SHORT PERIOD OF TIME WILL SEE THE RISE OF THE MOST EVIL LEADER THE WORLD WILL EVER KNOW. PEOPLE HAVE OFTEN TRIED TO DETERMINE WHO THE ANTICHRIST IS, ALL TO NO AVAIL, BUT ONE OF THE RESULTS OF THE BATTLE OF GOG AND MAGOG, COULD BE THE ESTABLISHING OF THE ANTICHRIST ON A WORLD SETTING, ESPECIALLY IF HE CAN BRING ILLUSIVE PEACE TO THE MIDDLE EAST, ANDS LEAD TO THE REBUILDING OF THE TEMPLE WHERE THE DOME OF THE ROCK IS.
DAVID JEREMIAH STATES THAT THERE ARE OVER 25 NAMES FOR THE ANTCHRIST MENTIONED IN THE SCRIPTURE, AND OVER 100 BIBLE PASSAGES THAT DESCRIBE THE ANTICHRIST, BUT ONLY 5 VERSES SPEAK OF THE ANTICHRIST BY NAME, EACH TIME BY THE APOSTLE JOHN. OF THE FIVE, ONLY ONE REFERS TO THE PERSON WE ARE TALKING OF TODAY.
1 JOHN 2:18: DEAR CHILDREN, THIS IS THE LAST HOUR; AND AS YOU HAVE HEARD THAT THE ANTICHRIST IS COMING, EVEN NOW MANY ANTICHRISTS HAVE COME. THIS IS HOW WE KNOW IT IS THE LAST HOUR.
JOHN IS SAYING THAT IN THESE LAST DAYS THAT THE WORLD WILL SEE THE ATTITUDE AND ACTIONS OF MANY PEOPLE, AND GROUPS OF PEOPLE THAT WILL MIMIC THAT OF THE ANTICHRIST, ALL LEADING UP TO THE ACTUAL APPEARANCE OF THE ANTICHRIST WHICH IS A KEY DEFINING POINT THAT WE ARE IN THE LAST DAYS.
ESSENTIALLY, THE ANTICHRIST IS THE TOTAL OPPOSITE OF THE CHARACTER OF CHRIST. HE IS IN FACT A COUNTERFEIT CHRIST. CONSIDER THESE GREAT DIFFERENCES:
CHRIST ANTICHRIST
SON OF GOD (JOHN 1:34) SON OF PERDITION (2 THESS. 2:3)
HOLY ONE (MARK 1:24) LAWLESS ONE (2 THESS. 2:8)
CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN (JOHN 3:13) CAME UP FROM THE BOTTOMLESS PIT (REV. 11:7)
ENERGIZED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT (LUKE 4:14) ENERGIZED BY SATAN (REV. 13:4)
DOES THE FATHER’S WILL
(JOHN 6:38) DOES HIS OWN WILL (DAN. 11:36)
CLEANSED THE TEMPLE
(JOHN 2:14-16) DEFILES THE TEMPLE (MATT. 24)
MAN OF SORROWS (ISAIAH 53:3) MAN OF SIN ( 2 THESS. 2:3)
HUMBLED HIMSELF (PHIL. 2:8) EXALTED HIMSELF (DAN. 11:37)
CALLED “THE LAMB” (JOHN 1:36) CALLED “THE BEAST” (REV. 11:7)
RECEIVED UP TO HEAVEN
(LUKE 24:51) SENT TO THE LAKE OF FIRE
(REV. 19:20)
IT WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE TO IDENTIFY THE ANTICHRIST UNTIL AFTER HE COMES TO POWER AND HIS IDENTITY IS OBVIOUS. TIM LAHAYE IN HIS BOOK REVELATION REVEALED DOES GIVE THIS BIBLICAL DESCRIPTION OF HIS NATIONALITY.
DANIEL 8:8-9:
THE GOAT BECAME VERY GREAT, BUT AT THE HEIGHT OF ITS POWER THE LARGE HORN WAS BROKEN OFF, AND IN ITS PLACE FOUR PROMINENT HORNS GREW UP TOWARD THE FOUR WINDS OF HEAVEN. 9 OUT OF ONE OF THEM CAME ANOTHER HORN, WHICH STARTED SMALL BUT GREW IN POWER TO THE SOUTH AND TO THE EAST AND TOWARD THE BEAUTIFUL LAND.
THESE VERSES SPEAK OF THE CONFLICT BETWEEN THE MEDE-PERSIAN EMPIRE AND THE COMING TO POWER OF THE GREEK EMPIRE. THE FOUR PROMINENT HORNS WERE GREEK GENERALS WHO WOULD RULE DIFFERENT REGIONS AFTER ALEXANDER THE GREAT WHO WAS THE LARGE HORN. OUT OF ONE OF THE FOUR GENERALS WOULD COME THE EVIL ANTIOCHUS EPITHANES, A RUTHLESS RULER.
PROPHECY CAN HAVE IMMEDIATE AND FAR-REACHING IMPLICATIONS, AND SO THIS SMALL HORN CAN ALSO REPRESENT THE ANTICHRIST, AND INDICATES THAT HE WILL BE PART GREEK.
DANIEL 9:26: AFTER THE SIXTY-TWO ‘SEVENS,’ THE ANOINTED ONE WILL BE PUT TO DEATH AND WILL HAVE NOTHING. THE PEOPLE OF THE RULER WHO WILL COME WILL DESTROY THE CITY AND THE SANCTUARY. THE END WILL COME LIKE A FLOOD: WAR WILL CONTINUE UNTIL THE END, AND DESOLATIONS HAVE BEEN DECREED.
THIS PASSAGE INDICATES THAT HE WILL BE OF ROYAL LINEAGE OF THE RACE THAT DESTROYED JERUSALEM. THE ROMANS DESTROYED JERUSALEM IN A.D.70. THIS SUGGESTS THEN THAT THE ANTICHRIST WILL BE PRE-DOMINANTLY ROMAN.
WHILE WE CANNOT SAY WHO THE ANTICHRIST IS, WE CAN SAY THAT HIS ANCESTRY IS A COMPILATION OF THE ENTIRE WORLD. HE IS A COMBINATION ROMAN-GRECIAN, SO GENTILE, AND COULD COME FROM SOME AREA AROUND THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA.
HOW DOES THE ANTICHRIST RISE TO POWER?
THE ANTICHRIST WILL COME TO POWER THROUGH DIPLOMACY AND DECEIT AT A TIME WHEN THE EARTH WILL BE EXTREMELY VULNERABLE. THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH WILL HAVE JUST OCCURRED WITH NO EXPLANATION FOR DISAPPEARANCES, AND POLITICAL LEADERS COULD BE AMONG THE RAPTURED. THOSE LEFT BEHIND WILL NOT BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN THE DISAPPEARANCE.
POSSIBLY THE BATTLE OF GOG AND MAGOG WILL HAVE JUST OCCURRED AND THE ONE WHO CAN BRING PEACE TO THE REGION WILL GAIN GREAT POWER. REMEMBER THE TRIBULATION WILL START WHEN THE ANTICHRIST AND ISRAEL SIGN A PEACE TREATY WITH NATIONS AROUND IT AND THE TEMPLE WILL BE REBUILT ON MOUNT MORIAH WHERE THE DOME OF THE ROCK NOW RESIDES.
2 THESSALONIANS 2:3-4; 7-8:
DON’T LET ANYONE DECEIVE YOU IN ANY WAY, FOR THAT DAY WILL NOT COME UNTIL THE REBELLION OCCURS AND THE MAN OF LAWLESSNESS IS REVEALED, THE MAN DOOMED TO DESTRUCTION. 4 HE WILL OPPOSE AND WILL EXALT HIMSELF OVER EVERYTHING THAT IS CALLED GOD OR IS WORSHIPED, SO THAT HE SETS HIMSELF UP IN GOD’S TEMPLE, PROCLAIMING HIMSELF TO BE GOD.
FOR THE SECRET POWER OF LAWLESSNESS IS ALREADY AT WORK; BUT THE ONE WHO NOW HOLDS IT BACK WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO TILL HE IS TAKEN OUT OF THE WAY. 8 AND THEN THE LAWLESS ONE WILL BE REVEALED, WHOM THE LORD JESUS WILL OVERTHROW WITH THE BREATH OF HIS MOUTH AND DESTROY BY THE SPLENDOR OF HIS COMING.
WHAT THIS PASSAGE IS TELLING US IS THAT AT THE TIME OF THE RAPTURE THERE WILL BE WIDESPREAD APOSTASY OR A FALLING. AWAY FROM THE CHURCH. PAUL TEACHES OF THIS IN 2 TIMOTHY 4:3-4. THE TIME AFTER THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH WILL BE A TIME OF APOSTASY. OUR PASSAGE TELLS US THAT “HE WHO RESTRAINS”, WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT, WILL BE TAKEN AWAY AT THIS POINT. THIS NEEDS TO HAPPEN SO THAT THE LAWLESS ONE CAN ESTABLISH HIMSELF. AFTER THIS POINT THE WORLD WILL ONLY KNOW LAWLESSNESS AND SIN.
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE PERSONALITY OF THE ANTI-CHRIST?
WE KNOW THAT THE ANTICHRIST WILL BE ARROGANT AND BOASTFUL. HE WILL ACKNOWLEDGE NO RELIGION OTHER THAT THE WORSHIP OF HIMSELF OR SATAN. AT THE TIME OF THE GREAT TRIBULATION HE WILL DESECRATE THE TEMPLE, AND DO AWAY WITH FEAST DAYS. HE WILL STRIP AWAY ANYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH RELIGIOUS STRUCTURE.
REVELATION 13:5-6:
THE BEAST WAS GIVEN A MOUTH TO UTTER PROUD WORDS AND BLASPHEMIES AND TO EXERCISE ITS AUTHORITY FOR FORTY-TWO MONTHS. 6 IT OPENED ITS MOUTH TO BLASPHEME GOD, AND TO SLANDER HIS NAME AND HIS DWELLING PLACE AND THOSE WHO LIVE IN HEAVEN
THE ANTICHRIST WILL BE WHAT SOME HAVE CALLED “A SILVER-TONGUED DEVIL.” HIS ORATORY SKILLS AND EDUCATION WILL BE GREAT AND HE WILL BE VERY INTELLIGENT.
TO QUOTE A.W. PINK:
“THE ANTICHRIST WILL HAVE A PERFECT COMMAND AND FLOW OF LANGUAGE. HIS ORATORY WILL NOT ONLY GAIN ATTENTION BUT COMMAND RESPECT. REVELATION 13:2 DECLARES THAT HIS MOUTH IS AS THE MOUTH OF A LION WHICH IS A SYMBOLIC EXPRESSION TELLING OF THE MAJESTY AND AWE-PRODUCING EFFECTS OF HIS VOICE.”
DANIEL 8:25: HE WILL CAUSE DECEIT TO PROSPER, AND HE WILL CONSIDER HIMSELF SUPERIOR. WHEN THEY FEEL SECURE, HE WILL DESTROY MANY AND TAKE HIS STAND AGAINST THE PRINCE OF PRINCES
THE PEACE TREATY:
DANIEL 9:27: HE WILL CONFIRM A COVENANT WITH MANY FOR ONE ‘SEVEN.’ IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ‘SEVEN’ HE WILL PUT AN END TO SACRIFICE AND OFFERING. AND AT THE TEMPLE HE WILL SET UP AN ABOMINATION THAT CAUSES DESOLATION, UNTIL THE END THAT IS DECREED IS POURED OUT ON HIM
LET ME BEGIN BY SAYING THAT THIS PERIOD OF “SEVEN” MEANS SEVEN YEARS AND NOT DAYS.
ANTICHRIST IS GOING TO ENTER INTO A SEVEN YEAR TREATY OF PEACE WITH ISRAEL. THE PRIZE FOR ISRAEL IN THIS TREATY IS THE REBUILDING OF THE JEWISH TEMPLE, WHICH INCIDENTLY ALL THE MATERIALS NEEDED FOR IT’S REBUILDING ARE NOW PRESENT.
THERE ARE THREE TEMPLES OF NOTE IN ISRAEL’S HISTORY:
1. THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON, DESTROYED IN 586 B.C. BY THE BABYLONIANS.
2. THE SECOND TEMPLE WAS DESTROYED BY THE ROMANS IN A.D.70.
3. THE THIRD TEMPLE IS THE TEMPLE THAT WILL BE PART OF THE TREATY OR COVENANT WITH THE ANTICHRIST.
THE EXACT TIMING OF THE REBUILDING OF THE TEMPLE IS NOT KNOWN. WE KNOW FOR SURE THAT IT HAS TO BE BUILT IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE TRIBULATION, SO THAT IT CAN BE DESECRATED BY THE ANTI-CHRIST AS PART OF THE BEGINNING OF THE GREAT TRIBULATION, BUT THAT IS ALL WE CAN SAY FOR SURE.
OTHER THINGS WE KNOW ABOUT ANTICHRIST ARE:
1. HE WILL SET UP A ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT. IT WILL HAVE TEN DIFFERENT REGIONS RUN BY TEN DIFFERENT KINGS. WE KNOW THAT THREE KINGS WILL RAISE AN UNSUCCSSFUL REBELLION AGAINST THE ANTICHRIST. THE TEN REGIONS AND KINGS ARE FULFILLEMENT OF DANIEL PROPHECY OF THE TEN HORNS.
2. THE ANTICHRIST WILL DOMINATE THE ECONOMY.
REVELATION 17:12-13:
THE TEN HORNS YOU SAW ARE TEN KINGS WHO HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED A KINGDOM, BUT WHO FOR ONE HOUR WILL RECEIVE AUTHORITY AS KINGS ALONG WITH THE BEAST. 13 THEY HAVE ONE PURPOSE AND WILL GIVE THEIR POWER AND AUTHORITY TO THE BEAST.
JOHN IS TELLING US THAT WHEN THE TEN REGIONS ARE ESTABLISHED THAT THE KINGS WILL GIVE TO THE ANTICHRIST NOT ONLY THEIR MILITARY POWER, BUT THEIR ECONOMIC POWER AS WELL.
3. THE ANTICHRIST WILL SETUP A ONE-WORLD RELIGION:
DANIEL 11:36-39:
“THE KING WILL DO AS HE PLEASES. HE WILL EXALT AND MAGNIFY HIMSELF ABOVE EVERY GOD AND WILL SAY UNHEARD-OF THINGS AGAINST THE GOD OF GODS. HE WILL BE SUCCESSFUL UNTIL THE TIME OF WRATH IS COMPLETED, FOR WHAT HAS BEEN DETERMINED MUST TAKE PLACE. 37 HE WILL SHOW NO REGARD FOR THE GODS OF HIS ANCESTORS OR FOR THE ONE DESIRED BY WOMEN, NOR WILL HE REGARD ANY GOD, BUT WILL EXALT HIMSELF ABOVE THEM ALL. 38 INSTEAD OF THEM, HE WILL HONOR A GOD OF FORTRESSES; A GOD UNKNOWN TO HIS ANCESTORS HE WILL HONOR WITH GOLD AND SILVER, WITH PRECIOUS STONES AND COSTLY GIFTS. 39 HE WILL ATTACK THE MIGHTIEST FORTRESSES WITH THE HELP OF A FOREIGN GOD AND WILL GREATLY HONOR THOSE WHO ACKNOWLEDGE HIM. HE WILL MAKE THEM RULERS OVER MANY PEOPLE AND WILL DISTRIBUTE THE LAND AT A PRICE.
I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS ONE-WORLD RELIGION WILL BE AN EXISTING RELIGION WE HAVE NOW. THIS RELIGION WILL BE GEARED TO THE WORSHIPPING OF THE ANTICHRIST AND SATAN.
4. HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION:
REVELATION 13:2-4:
THE DRAGON GAVE THE BEAST HIS POWER AND HIS THRONE AND GREAT AUTHORITY. 3 ONE OF THE HEADS OF THE BEAST SEEMED TO HAVE HAD A FATAL WOUND, BUT THE FATAL WOUND HAD BEEN HEALED. THE WHOLE WORLD WAS FILLED WITH WONDER AND FOLLOWED THE BEAST. 4 PEOPLE WORSHIPED THE DRAGON BECAUSE HE HAD GIVEN AUTHORITY TO THE BEAST, AND THEY ALSO WORSHIPED THE BEAST AND ASKED, “WHO IS LIKE THE BEAST? WHO CAN WAGE WAR AGAINST IT?”
THE ANTICHRIST IS GOING TO TRY TO DUPLICATE THINGS OUT OF JESUS’ LIFE, AND THIS PASSAGE TELLS US THAT HE IS GOING TO TRY TO DUPLICATE JESUS’ DEATH AND RESURRECTION. HE WOULD HAVE PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT HE RECEIVES A FATAL HEAD WOUND AND THEN IS RESURRECTED, JUST AS JESUS WAS.
PLENTY OF DIFFERENCES HERE:
1. IT CAN BE PROVEN THAT JESUS DIED ON THE CROSS IN A NUMBER OF WAYS. JOHN IS VERY CAREFUL IN REVELATION 13 TO SAY THAT IT APPEARED TO BE A FATAL HEAD WOUND, NOT THAT IT WAS.
2. JESUS WAS RESURRECTED THROUGH THE POWER OF GOD THE FATHER. ANTICHRIST, IF HE DIED, WOULD HAVE TO BE RAISED BY SATAN HIMSELF, A POWER WHICH HE DID NOT POSSESS. SATANS REALM IS THAT OF DEATH AND DARKNESS, NOT ONE OF LIFE.
3. AFTER JESUS WAS RESURRECTED HE ASCENDED TO HIS FATHER IN HEAVEN. THE ANTICHRIST IS ONLY DESTINED FOR THE LAKE OF FIRE.
I WANT TO CONCLUDE WITH ONE GREAT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO. JESUS IS VICTORIOUS AND ANTICHRIST AND HIS FOLLOWERS WILL FOREVER BE DEFEATED AND JOIN SATAN IN THE LAKE OF FIRE.
I CLOSE WITH THE WORDS OF A.W. PINK.
“SCRIPTURE HAS SOLEMNLY RECORDED THE END OF VARIOUS EIL PERSONAGES. SOME WERE OVERWEALMED BY WATERS, SOME DEVOURED BY FLAMES, SOME ENGULFED IN THE JAWS OF THE EARTH….SOME EATEN BY DOGS, SOME CONSUMED BY WORMS. NO SINFUL DWELLER ON EARTH, SAVE THE MAN OF SIN…HAS BEEN APPOINTED THE TERRIBLE DISTINCTION OF BEING CONSUMED BY THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE PERSONAL APPEARING OF THE LORD JESUS HIMSELF. SUCH SHALL BE HIS UNPRECEDENTED DOOM, AND END THAT SHALL FITTINGLY CLIMAX HIS IGNOBLE ORIGIN, HIS AMAZING CAREER, AND HIS UNPARALLELED WICKEDNESS.”
REVELATION 19:20:
20 BUT THE BEAST WAS CAPTURED, AND WITH IT THE FALSE PROPHET WHO HAD PERFORMED THE SIGNS ON ITS BEHALF. WITH THESE SIGNS HE HAD DELUDED THOSE WHO HAD RECEIVED THE MARK OF THE BEAST AND WORSHIPED ITS IMAGE. THE TWO OF THEM WERE THROWN ALIVE INTO THE FIERY LAKE OF BURNING SULFUR
THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO AVOID THE ANTICHRIST, AND THAT IS TO HAVE YOUR FAITH AND COMMITMENT TO THE GENUINE CHRIST OF CALVARY, THE ONLY TRUE GOD, THE ONLY SAVIOUR WE CAN HAVE OR NEED.
