Rise Of The Man Of Sin Series

WHAT GOD SAYS ABOUT THE FUTURE 2: Rise of the Man of Sin

2 Thess. 2:3-4

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR: Israel is famous for winning unlikely wars.

1. Israel's economy was in a bad way, inflation was getting higher and immigrants were flooding in from all over the world. Problems, problems, problems, but what should they do? So the Knesset held a special session to come up with a solution.

2. After several hours of talk without progress one member, Isaac Herzog stands up and says, "Quiet everyone, I've got it, I've got the solution to all our problems. We'll declare war on the United States."

3. Everyone started shouting at once. "You're nuts! That's crazy!" "Hear me out!" says Herzog. "We declare war. We lose. The United States does what she always does when she defeats a country. She rebuilds everything; our highways, airports, shipping ports, schools, hospitals, factories, and loans us money, and sends us food aid. Our problems would be over.

4. "Sure," says Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, "that's if we lose. But what if we win?"

B. TEXT & TITLE

1. “...that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the Man of Sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the Temple of God, showing himself that he is God” 2 Thess. 2:3-4.

2. Today is Part 2 of “What God Says About the Future.” Today’s Message is “The Rise of the Man of Sin.”

I. THE IDENTITY OF THE ANTICHRIST

A. FORERUNNERS OF THE ANTICHRIST

1. 1 John 2:18 says, "Dear children…the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour." John tells us there is a spirit of antichrist working in the world (1 John 4:3), and that this spirit produces forerunners, proto-types of the one, final, future Antichrist.

2. The O.T. saw forerunners such as the King of Babylon (Isa. 14:13-15); the King of Tyre (Ezek. 28:12-19); and Antiochus Epiphanes (Dan. 11:32).

3. Many in the early Church thought that Nero could be the Antichrist. During WW2, many Christians saw Adolf Hitler as a possible Antichrist -- trying to exterminate the Jews. But there was no Jewish Temple for him to sit in & declare himself God.

B. NAMES FOR

1. "Beast" – Rev. 13:1.

2. "That Wicked" – 2 Th. 2:8.

3. "King of Fierce Countenance" – Dan. 8:23.

4. "Man of Sin" -- 2 Th. 2:3.

5. "Little Horn" – Dan. 7:8.

6. "Son of Perdition" -- 2 Th. 2:3.

7. "Vile Person" – Dan. 11:21.

C. CLUES TO HIS IDENTITY:

1. He is a Gentile (Rev. 13:1, He comes out of the "sea" of the nations).

2. He arises out of the Greek Empire of Alexander the Great (Daniel 8:23, he is the King of Fierce Countenance).

3. He is the "Little Horn" that arises out of the former Roman empire, likely, out of Italy (Daniel 7:8).

4. So at this juncture we can say with some certainty that the Antichrist arises out of Greece or Italy.

D. CHARACTERISTICS

1. Ruthless Dictator -- surpassing Nero, Hitler, Pol Pot

2. Highly intelligent, a great speaker, a military genius, and morally -- a blasphemer.

3. He will be personally indwelt by Satan.

4. He will instigate a Worldwide Reign of terror, blasphemy and murder.

5. Performs miracles, declares himself God.

6. Patriotism to the Antichrist:

a. You must take the Mark of the Beast – you can’t buy or sell without it.

b. Or be beheaded! Revelation 20:4.

E. 10 REASONS HE COULDN’T COME BEFORE OUR LIFETIME

“Pastor, people have been talking about this for 100’s of years.” No, only in the last 75 years have all the pieces fallen in place for the Antichrist to come. Here are 10:

1. Israel became a sovereign nation again in 1948.

2. The European Union formed in 1998 and Britain left the EU in 2016 (a fulfillment).

3. The Gospel to every nation on Earth (Matt. 24:14).

4. Speedy global travel (Dan. 12:4).

5. Capacity to destroy all life (Matt. 24:22).

6. Progress toward one-world government (Rev. 13:7B).

7. Israel possesses Jerusalem (gained in 1967).

8. Global communications now exist (Rev. 11:9).

9. Technology exists to track every human on Earth and control their spending (Rev. 13:16-17).

10. China must have a 200 million-man/woman army (Rev. 9:16; the CIA said in 2006 that China had 281 million fit for military service.)

II. THE PACT WITH ISRAEL

A. 7-YR COVENANT & THE TEMPLE

1. Dan. 9:27 says, “He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven’ (7 years). 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.” The “many” are Jews, since this is Temple related.