The Antichrist Series

THE ANTICHRIST

REVELATION 13:1-10

INTRODUCTION:

FOR THE LAST TWO OR THREE MESSAGES WE’VE BEEN LOOKING AT ELEMENTS OF THE LAST DAYS THAT WILL HAPPEN AROUND THE TIME OF THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH AND BEFORE

THE TRIBULATION. THE TRIBULATION PERIOD DOES NOT START IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH, AND DURING THIS TIME WE COULD SEE THE BATTLE OF GOG AND MAGOG, THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEW ROMAN EMPIRE, IN WHICH MOST OF EUROPE AND PARTS OF ASIA WILL BE DIVIDED INTO TEN DIFFERENT REGIONS WITH TEN KINGS.

THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE PERSON WHO WE WILL BE SPEAKING ABOUT TODAY, AND HIS RISE TO POWER, IS THE THIRD AND FINAL ELEMENT THAT MUST BE IN PLACE BEFORE THE TRIBULATION PERIOD CAN BEGIN. THIS PERSON IS WHAT THE BIBLE CALLS THE “ANTI-CHRIST.

NOW A LOT HAS BEEN SAID ABOUT THIS INDIVIDUAL, SOME FROM THE MOVIE SCREEN, AND THROUGH BOOKS AND SOME TELEVISION. I THINK IT WOULD BE FAIR TO SAY THAT MUCH OF THIS INFORMATION IS MISLEADING AND LEADS TO WRONG CONCLUSIONS. WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO TODAY IS TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE MISUNDERSTANDINGS, AND GIVE A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ON THIS ISSUE.

THERE HAS NEVER BEEN ONE MAN WITH THE POWER TO RULE THE WORLD. SOME HAVE COME CLOSE, AND RULED GREAT PORTIONS OF EUROPE AND ASIA, BUT NOONE HAS EVER COME CLOSE TO RULING THE ENTIRE WORLD. ONLY RECENTLY WOULD PEOPLE EVER CONSIDER THE POSSIBLITY EXISTED FOR SOMEONE TO RULE THE WORLD.

IN THE LAST THIRTY TO FIFTY YEARS THOUGH, OUR WORLD HAS INDEED BECOME MUCH SMALLER BECAUSE OF TECHNOLOGY. TODAY A PERSON CAN BE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD NOW IN JUST A FEW HOURS. WE CAN COMMUNICATE INSTANTLY THROUGH THE USE OF SATALLITES AND THE INTERNET. WE NO LONGER LIVE IN ISOLATION. THE POSSIBILITY OF A WORLD RULED BY ONE MAN NOW IS GREATER, AND DANGEROUS, ESPECIALLY IF HE COMES FROM EUROPE.

LET’S BEGIN BY TAKING CARE OF THE MAIN MISCONCEPTION ABOUT THE ANTI-CHRIST.

THE NUMERICAL IDENTIFICATION METHOD: NOW IN THE NUMERICAL IDENTIFICATION METHOD, PEOPLE FEEL THAT IF YOU APPLY THE PROPER NUMERICAL METHOD TO A NAME YOU WILL COME UP WITH A NUMBER. WHAT YOU ARE SEARCHING FOR IS THE NAME OF THE PERSON WHO ADDS UP TO 666, WHICH IS GIVEN IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION AS THE MARK OF THE BEAST.

LET ME TELL YOU IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS THAT NO SUCH METHODS EXIST. IT IS POSSIBLE TO TAKE ANYONE’S NAME, AND EVENTUALLY COMING UP WITH THE PROPER FORMULA TO GET THAT NAME TO EQUAL 666.

LET ME ILLUSTRATE. IN THIS FORMULA A=101, B=102, ETC, FOR THE REST OF THE LETTERS. SO USING HITLER’S NAME AS AN EXAMPLE H=107, I=108, T=119,L=111, E=104, R=117, AND THEY EQUAL 666. DO YOU KNOW WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS FORMULA. IT WILL ONLY WORK ON PEOPLE WHO HAVE SIX LETTERS IN THEIR LAST NAME. I CHECKED OUR CHURCH BY THE WAY AND NONE OF YOU FIT THE BILL. THERE ARE INNUMERABLE WAYS TO MAKE A NAME EQUAL 666. ADD A TITLE, SPELL IT IN A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE, MIS-SPELL THE NAME. ANYTHING CAN MAKE A NAME EQUALL 666 IF YOU WANT IT TO EQUAL 666.

ANOTHER MISCONCEPTION ABOUT THE ANTICHRIST IS THAT IT WAS JOHN F. KENNEDY. WELL, KENNEDY WON 666 VOTES AT THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION IN 1956 AND LOST. HE WAS SHOT IN THE HEAD AS WILL HAPPEN TO THE ANTI-CHRIST. THERE ARE THOSE WHO BELIEVED THAT KENNEDY WOULD COME OUT OF HIS CASKET AS IT LAY IN STATE IN WASHINGTON.

WHAT THEY DON’T TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ARE THESE TWO IMPORTANT FACTS. THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL NOT BE NORTH AMERICAN. ALSO IF IT WERE KENNEDY THE TIMING IS WRONG. THE WORLD SHOULD HAVE ENDED 3 ½ YEARS AFTER HE WAS SHOT, WITH THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON, AND WE’ED BE LIVING IN THE MILLENNIUM NOW. NONE OF THIS HAS HAPPENED.

POINT ONE: WHAT THEN DO WE KNOW ABOUT HIM?

WELL LET ME START YOU OUT WITH A COUPLE OF TRIVIA QUESTIONS:

1. WHO ARE THE ONLY TWO CHARACTERS IN THE BIBLE NAMED “THE SON OF PERDITION?”

2. WHO ARE THE ONLY TWO CHARACTERS IN THE BIBLE THAT SATAN HIMSELF IS THOUGHT TO POSSESS?

THE ANSWER TO BOTH QUESTIONS IS THE SAME: JUDAS ISCARIOT (JOHN 13:26-27)

THE ANTI-CHRIST. (2 THESS. 2:3)

JOHN 13:26-27:

Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon. 27 As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. “What you are about to do, do quickly,” Jesus told him,

2 THESS 2:3-4:

3 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.