The Present Obsession With the Anti-Christ

[nChrist]

The Present Obsession With the Anti-Christ
By Paul M. Sadler
The Berean Bible Society

    As we approach the new millennium, many are anticipating the Lord's
soon return, which is sure to generate paranoia about the end times. In
fact, this obsession with "things to come" is probably going to be
unprecedented from any thing we've witnessed in the past. The predictions
of these so-called modern day prophets will range from setting dates for
the Rapture to receiving a special revelation that the Church is going
through part or all of the Tribulation period.

    Of course, the state of confusion that the Church finds itself in is
largely a product of its own doing. You would think that after so many
failed attempts to accurately predict the Rapture those who make such
claims would be reluctant to appear in public. Yet the Church persists in
its rejection of the Mystery that was committed to Paul, giving it only
halfhearted acknowledgment.

    "And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the
dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come" (I Thes.
1:10).

    According to Paul's gospel the Rapture is imminent, that is, it could
take place at any moment. There are no signs, times, or seasons that will
precede this glorious event. It could be the year 2000 or 2005; then
again it may be 2075. We simply don't know how long the longsuffering of
God will be extended to the Gentiles. God may well extend His grace for
another two thousand years, although this seems unlikely.

    The secret coming of Christ for the Church is unrelated to prophecy.
This explains why biblical chronologists always humiliate themselves when
they attempt to predict the Rapture based upon the prophetic timetable.
If they included the Mystery in their calculations they would receive the
following message, "unknown period of interruption." You see, God must
first complete His plans and purpose among the Gentiles, which terminates
with the imminent return of Christ for the Church.

THE HYSTERIA OVER THE ANTI-CHRIST
========================================

    "And then shall that Wicked [one—the Anti-Christ] be revealed,
whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall
destroy with the brightness of His coming: Even him, whose coming is
after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders"
(II Thes. 2:8,9).

    Those who underestimate the importance of rightly dividing the Word
of truth normally end up drifting into a Mid, Pre-wrath, or
Post-Tribulational Rapture of the Church. It is somewhat understandable
how Acts 2 dispensationalists could be swept into these camps simply
because they believe Paul's apostleship and message are merely an
extension of the kingdom gospel.

    But this is inexcusable for someone who understands Paul's unique
apostleship and message, although, sadly, it does happen from time to
time. We should probably brace ourselves because these types of
departures from the faith will become more and more common as the days
grow more evil. We've often said that those who depart from the doctrine
of the Pretribulational Rapture of the Church never fully understood the
nature of Paul's gospel to begin with. If the Rapture is near, as some
predict, or the Body of Christ is going through the coming Tribulation,
as others teach, this explains the present day mania over the identity of
the Anti-Christ.

    One popular prophecy teacher is convinced that the Anti-Christ is
Bill Clinton. He points out that the number equivalent of his name is
666. Through elaborate charts, diagrams, and genealogies he somehow draws
the conclusion that Mr. Clinton is a direct descendant of the Emperor
Nero, and heir to the Rothchild fortune. According to him, Mr. Clinton
could be, might be, probably is the Anti-Christ, the last great world
dictator. He's the seventh head1 of John's apocalyptic vision (Rev. 13:1
cf. 17:9), which, by the way, this self-ordained prophet surmises the
heads to be:

    (1) Nebuchadnezzar
    (2) Cyrus
    (3) Alexander the Great
    (4) Antiochus Epiphanes
    (5) Nero
    (6) Hitler
    (7) Clinton—Anti-Christ

    Wow! This sounds like a riddle wrapped in an enigma to me. If there's
one thing that the past should have taught us, it would be this: it is
extremely dangerous to interpret the Bible according to current events.
Those who lived through World War II will recall how well-known Bible
teachers confidently declared Adolph Hitler to be the Anti-Christ, only
to find that they had to recant their position after the war. While it
could be said Hitler was anti-Christ, he was not the Anti-Christ foretold
by the prophets.

[nChrist]

The Present Obsession With the Anti-Christ
By Paul M. Sadler
The Berean Bible Society

    During the Nixon administration many believed Henry Kissinger was the
man of sin—they, too, found themselves in an awkward situation trying to
explain that it was apparently a case of mistaken identity. Now we are
being told President Clinton is the Anti-Christ. Mark these words and
mark them well, those who teach this will also be running for cover in
the very near future.

    Incidentally, we know Mr. Clinton could not be the son of perdition
for a number of reasons. First and foremost, the last three world leaders
referred to by this prophetic teacher, Nero (54-68 A.D.), Hitler
(1939-1945), and Mr. Clinton (1992-2000), have all ruled and reigned
during God's parenthetical period of Grace. But the Anti-Christ is
inseparably bound to prophecy; therefore, his reign cannot begin until
the close of the age of Grace.

    Truth always exposes error. This is why in my personal ministry I
have never spent a lot of time familiarizing myself with false teaching.
I spend the lion's share of my time studying the truth—it makes error
stand out like ink on a white shirt.

    They say the Federal Reserve never train its agents with counterfeit
bills for obvious reasons. Instead, they take actual currency and make
each agent memorize the minutest detail of each denomination. This is
done over and over again until it makes an indelible impression upon
them. Consequently, when counterfeit bills are intermingled with the real
thing, they are able to detect the forgery every time. The same is true
in regard to spiritual things; darkness cannot withstand the light of
God's Word.

WHAT THE SCRIPTURES SAY ABOUT THE ANTI-CHRIST
====================================================

    The prefix "anti" means against and/or instead of. Both are true
concerning this future dictator. He poses as the Messiah, but opposes
Christ by executing all that name His name. The Anti-Christ will have a
winsome personality that the world will find irresistible. The prophet
Daniel says:

    "And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt
himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous
things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be
accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. Neither shall he
regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any
god: for he shall magnify himself above all" (Dan. 11:36,37).

    In this narrative, the prophet Daniel gives us a biographical sketch
of the Anti-Christ. As we know, the Tribulation is said to open with wars
and rumors of wars. It will be a period of unparalleled lawlessness
(Matt. 24:6 cf. II Thes. 2:7). Like Hitler, the Anti-Christ will take
full advantage of the times. In fact, they will provide the platform for
him to "prosper politically" and become a household name.

    During the forty days in which Christ was tempted, you will recall
the devil took our Lord up into a high mountain and "...showed unto Him
all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said
unto Him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for
that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou
therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and
said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt
worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve" (Luke 4:5-8).

    Notice that the world lies in the lap of the evil one. The devil
gained power over the nations when Adam fell. Clearly he has control of
the kingdoms of this world if he offered them to Christ. Of course, our
Lord exposed the devil's desire to overthrow the plans and purpose of God
by quoting the Scriptures. But the Anti-Christ, whose coming is after the
working of Satan, will happily receive control of the nations (Rev.
13:1,2,7). While we know him to be a ruthless dictator who opposes the
righteous ways of God, he begins his reign of terror as a man of peace.
And, sadly, the world will be predisposed to accept peace at any price.

    Having control of the kingdoms of this world, the Anti-Christ
negotiates a peaceful solution with those nations that are at war with
one another. Eventually, he forms an alliance with these nations which
serve as his seat of authority (Rev. 13:2 cf. 17:9-13). At the same time,
the Anti-Christ strikes a covenant with the nation Israel, which allows
her to re-establish the Old Testament sacrificial system. This brings
peace to the Middle East.

    "And he [the man of sin] shall confirm the covenant with many for
one week [7 years]: and in the midst of the week [middle of the
Tribulation] he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and
for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even
until the consummation..." (Dan. 9:27).

[nChrist]

The Present Obsession With the Anti-Christ
By Paul M. Sadler
The Berean Bible Society

    We believe the Anti-Christ will seek to conceal his identity for as
long as possible at the beginning of the Tribulation. In other words, he
would never be so foolish as to say publicly, "I have come to deceive and
rob the nations of their autonomy." This isn't how deception works.
Notice that Daniel states: "He shall confirm the covenant with many for
one week...." This dynamic impostor will establish this peace agreement
with "many" in Israel, but not all. While he may deceive the religious
leaders and their followers as to his true identity, apparently some in
Israel will suspect that he has evil intentions, and rightfully so.

    Thus, the initial agenda of the Anti-Christ will be to bring peace to
the world, as uncertain and fleeting as that may be. As this false sense
of security sweeps across the landscape, the world will wonder after the
beast, saying, "Who is like unto the beast?" (Rev. 13:4). But "when they
shall say, peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as
travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape" (I Thes.
5:3). It quite literally is going to be hell on earth with the wrath of
God raining down from heaven and the military machine of the Anti-Christ
crushing anyone or any nation that stands in his path.

    "But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom
his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with
precious stones, and pleasant things" (Dan. 11:38). In addition to his
lavish lifestyle, the Anti-Christ will honor the God of forces with his
wealth. The word "forces" is the Hebrew term "ma'owz" or fortresses.
Satan is the god of fortresses or war—he is the author of confusion.

    The General who leads the forces of evil into battle in the coming
day of the Lord is none other than the Anti-Christ. His military prowess
will make the remarkable accomplishments of Alexander the Great look
insignificant. He is the rider on the white horse who goes forth to
conquer (Rev. 6:2). And the main objective of this diabolical leader will
be to do battle with the saints and destroy the Nation Israel. Little
wonder the souls of the martyrs cry out to the Father, "how long, O Lord,
holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that
dwell on the earth?" (Rev. 6:10).

    Daniel also informs us that "neither shall he regard the God of his
fathers" (Dan. 11:37). The phrase "God of his fathers" is uniquely
Hebrew. The "fathers" is a reference to the patriarchs, namely Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob. Upon receiving the decree from King Artaxerxes that
Israel could return to the land with the gold and silver vessels of the
temple, Ezra offered a prayer of thanksgiving:

    "Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, which hath put such a
thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of the LORD
which is in Jerusalem" (Ezra 7:27).

    In relation to the Anti-Christ, he will have little regard for the
"God of his fathers." He'll have absolutely no desire to know Him nor
worship Him, as did his predecessors before him. However, our phrase does
clearly indicate that he will be a Jew, even though he'll seek to
disassociate himself from the Hebrew fathers and what God promised to
them. Furthermore, Daniel adds, "nor the desire of women" (Dan. 11:37).
This phrase can be taken to mean either the Anti-Christ won't desire
women or women will desire him, but he'll be oblivious to their advances.
In either case, Daniel's point is this: the Anti-Christ will be so
self-absorbed that he'll be more than content to remain single.

To Be Continued!
____________________


Endnote
==============

1. The heads in Revelation 17:9 are said to be seven mountains. A
mountain is often a reference to a "kingdom" in Holy Scripture—see
Jeremiah 51:24,25. In this case, the seven mountains are seven kingdoms.

[nChrist]

The Present Obsession With the Anti-Christ (Part II)
By Paul M. Sadler - Berean Bible Society
=========================

    In the beginning God and man lived in perfect harmony with one
another. Man was given dominion over the earth while the Creator supplied
his spiritual needs. Adam naturally desired to obey the will of God. But
all this changed the day the tempter appeared in the garden to hatch his
unseemly plot of deception. Implying that God had withheld something from
our first parents, the tempter sought to subvert the commandment of God.
He suggested that it would be advantageous for them to eat of the
forbidden tree.

"And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God
doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened,
and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil" (Gen. 3:4,5).

    The moment Adam ate of that forbidden fruit man would never again be
satisfied to merely rule under God; rather, he wants to be God! There are
essentially two sources of power in the world: government and religion.
The first represents the things of man; the second the spiritual things
of God, which Satan and men covet. Although these two spheres intersect
one another, historically it has been God's will that they remain
separate.

    For example, under the Law the high priest was exclusively chosen by
God to offer gifts and sacrifices for the people. He was an extension of
the hand of the Most High. "And no man taketh this honour unto himself,
but he that is called of God, as was Aaron" and his successors (Heb.
5:4). So when King Saul foolishly intruded into the office of the
priesthood by offering a burnt offering at Gilgal, the judgment of God
was swift. In fact, the kingdom was taken from him and given to David as
a consequence of his actions (I Sam. 13:8-14).

    Among the affairs of men, the heads of state and religion so-called
have usually tolerated one another historically. Occasionally, however,
there were attempts to combine these two powers into one supreme power.
Consequently, many ancient dictators were arrogantly consumed with
self-deification. Nebuchadnezzar's attempt to erect a gold image of
himself is a case in point.

"Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold….in the plain of Dura,
in the province of Babylon…. And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth
shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the
cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of music, all the
people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the
golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up" (Dan. 3:1,6,7).

    Carefully note the phrase "all the people, the nations, and
languages." The King's purpose was to unify all the religions of his
great kingdom under one head. He was the image of gold. He was declaring
himself to be God. Here the words of Sir John Acton are ever so true:
"Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely." So it
should not surprise us that the Anti-Christ will exploit the religious
system of his day, as we shall see, to catapult himself into a position
of "absolute power" in the coming day of the Lord.

THE TIMES OF THE GENTILES
=========================

"Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the
four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. And four great beasts
came up from the sea, diverse one from another" (Dan. 7:2,3).

    Whew! Those are deep waters! If it were not for the Scriptures
themselves, we would be hard pressed to interpret this secret code. Like
the reed blown in the wind, the four winds speak about movement, divine
movement. God is ushering in a new phase of His prophetic purpose. It
moves the great sea, which is clearly a reference to the unsaved masses
of the world (Isa. 17:12; 57:20).

    "And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from
another." Out of the Gentile nations of the world arises "four great
beasts" that Daniel identifies as "…four kings, which shall arise out of
the earth" (Dan. 7:17). This marks the beginning of the Times of the
Gentiles. The Times of the Gentiles has to do with Gentile world
dominion. According to prophecy, it began when King Nebuchadnezzar
carried Israel into the Babylonian captivity in 586 B.C. Since that time
Israel has been under Gentile domination in one form or another as a
chastisement. In part, due to her failure to observe the Sabbath rest of
the land (II Chron. 36:21).

[nChrist]

The Present Obsession With the Anti-Christ (Part II)
By Paul M. Sadler - Berean Bible Society
=========================

    With the intervening dispensation of Grace, the Times of the
Gentiles, prophetically, has been temporarily suspended. This is another
reason why the Anti-Christ cannot be revealed until after the Rapture.
Today God is not dealing with the nations as nations. Rather He is saving
individuals out of the nations according to the Mystery (Rom. 10:12,13).
Interestingly, the dispensation of Grace does not conflict with the Times
of the Gentiles merely because Israel is still scattered throughout the
world. There are nearly as many Jews in New York City (under Gentile
rule) as in the land of Palestine (also controlled by Gentile interest
behind the scenes). So the "fulness of the Gentiles" must first be
fulfilled before God will continue His prophetic purpose (Rom. 11:25).

    After our departure to glory, the Times of the Gentiles will resume
with the establishment of the fourth Gentile World Empire—the
Anti-Christ's kingdom. This period will close with the future destruction
of this kingdom at the battle of Armageddon when Christ returns in power
and great glory (Luke 21:24-28).

    But before we go any further, let's go back to the beginning and
trace the Times of the Gentiles from their inception. Here we should
pause a moment to give a brief history lesson. I believe it was Dr.
Ironside who said, "History is nothing more than prophesy written afore
time." Sometimes to understand the future, we must first understand the
past.

    Having identified the four beasts that arise out of the sea to be
four kings, Daniel now describes these kings and their kingdoms in more
detail. Three of the four kingdoms foretold by Daniel are now a matter of
history. While Daniel predicted these events years before they actually
transpired, we have the privilege of consulting ancient history to
witness the amazing accuracy of his words.

"The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the
wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made
stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it" (Dan.
7:4).

    The first Gentile world power was Babylon. So King Nebuchadnezzar is
the first beast. Babylon was like the lion that stalks its prey
unmercifully (II Chron. 36:17-20). Yet it is also said to have the wings
of an eagle, which shows a graceful side to this kingdom. Babylon was
well known for its magnificent cities and beautiful hanging gardens. In
fact, the city of Babylon was one of the seven wonders of the ancient
world. This kingdom was the crown jewel of Gentile world dominion. Its
supreme power, strength, glory and splendor is unmatched by that which is
to follow.

"And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up
itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the
teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh" (Dan.
7:5).

    The second Gentile world power was Medo-Persia. This kingdom is
likened to a bear that lumbers about devouring what it will. Notice that
it is said to have raised up itself on one side. Neither Media nor Persia
possessed the military might to conquer Babylon. Therefore, they formed
an alliance to accomplish this end. Since Persia was stronger than Media
it was the side that "raised up itself," and became the more dominant of
the two.

    While King Darius, the Mede, began the campaign against Babylon, the
actual consolidation of power came under King Cyrus, the Persian. So
then, Cyrus is the second beast Daniel saw (Dan. 6:28; 10:1). It is
interesting that all of these kings are referred to as beasts—that is,
the nature of these kings was beast-like. They had brutal military
machines that crushed their enemies under foot. They ruled the world.

"After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon
the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and
dominion was given to it" (Dan. 7:6).

    The third Gentile world power was the Grecian Empire under the reign
of Alexander the Great. He is the third beast. This kingdom was like a
leopard, cunning, swift, and vicious. This is a perfect description of
the armies of Alexander the Great.

    It is said that Alexander the Great marched his armies days on end to
surprise his enemies. As history bears witness, he conquered the world,
then sat down and wept because there were no other kingdoms to conquer.
The expansion of Alexander's kingdom made it the larger of its two
predecessors. It literally covered the known world of that day.

[nChrist]

The Present Obsession With the Anti-Christ (Part II)
By Paul M. Sadler - Berean Bible Society
=========================

THE ANTI-CHRIST KINGDOM
=======================

"After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast,
dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron
teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the
feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it;
and it had ten horns" (Dan. 7:7).

    According to the traditional interpretation of this passage, it is
generally believed that the fourth Gentile world power was Rome. This
would make Caesar Augustus the fourth king. While this is certainly
plausible and worthy of your consideration, it does, however, lack
consistency.

    First, most historians would concur that Rome never completely
conquered the world, at least not in the sense of Alexander the Great.
But this is a prerequisite for the fourth kingdom that was to follow,
according to Daniel's prophetic vision. In addition we must not forget
that the dispensation of Grace interrupted the prophetic program shortly
before the Roman Empire experienced its finest hour. Consequently, Rome
would play a greater role in the expansion of the gospel of the grace of
God. Although the exploits of the Roman Empire were notable, Rome in all
its glory will not be able to hold a candle to the future Anti-Christ
kingdom.

    The seat of authority of the first three Gentile World Empires was
located in the east. On the other hand, the seat of authority of the
Roman Empire was at Rome, located in the west. This also poses a major
problem for those that believe the Anti-Christ kingdom will be the
revival of the ancient Roman Empire. But here again the seat of the
future Anti-Christ kingdom is said to be in Babylon, which, as we know,
is situated in the east (Rev. 18:1-24). It should be remembered that
while the Mystery has had its greatest effect in the west, the hub of
prophecy is the Middle East. This is not to say that the west won't play
a secondary role in the coming affairs of the Anti-Christ.

    Perhaps the most damaging argument against this fourth kingdom being
the Roman Empire is the prophecy that it will be destroyed by the Second
Coming of Christ (Dan. 2:40-45). This, of course, cannot be said of the
Roman Empire.

    We believe the fourth and final Gentile world power to be the future
Anti-Christ kingdom. This means that the fourth beast is the Anti-Christ.
He will be the last world dictator. Daniel says in regard to this
kingdom, "After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth
beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great
iron teeth…." This empire is a kingdom of darkness. It is "exceeding
strong" because the Anti-Christ will establish a one-world government
(Rev. 13:7).

    The great iron teeth of this regime are probably a reference to the
largest military machine the world has ever seen. Those nations that
oppose him will either be brought into submission or crushed by his
military might. After suffering millions and millions of casualties at
the hand of God's wrath, near the end of the Great Tribulation this army
is still over 200,000 million strong (Rev. 9:16).

    Daniel also states that this beast is "diverse from all the beasts
that were before it…." The Anti-Christ is different because he will be
the very embodiment of evil. While the former kingdoms were decades in
the making, the man of sin will forge his kingdom from the ashes of
broken promises within a three-year period.

    Furthermore, the Apostle John reveals that the Anti-Christ kingdom
will be an amalgamation of the former Gentile world powers. "And I stood
upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea…And the
beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet
of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion…" (Rev. 13:1,2).
Apparently, the Anti-Christ will assimilate into his empire the power,
wealth, splendor, glory, and military strategies of the ancient kingdoms
before him. This Kingdom will cover the territory of Alexander's Kingdom
and more, form alliances like Media-Persia to consolidate power, and
defile the temple of God, as did Babylon.

    The system the beast uses to bring himself to the pinnacle of
absolute power is organized religion portrayed as the Mother of Harlots
in the Book of Revelation. But once she has served her purpose he has her
burned at the stake (Rev. 17:1-7,16). The coronation is at hand. The time
will be the middle of the tribulation; the place, Jerusalem; the
facility, the temple. Paul exposes for us the wicked intentions of the
man of sin, "Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called
God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of
God, showing himself that he is God." This is the abomination of
desolation (Matt. 24:15 cf. II Thes. 2:4).

To be continued!

[nChrist]

The Present Obsession With the Anti-Christ (Part III)
By Paul M. Sadler - Berean Bible Society
==============================

"For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now
letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that
Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His
mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming."  —II Thes.
2:7,8

    The ultimate goal of Satan is to be worshipped as God. This
diabolical plot is called the mystery of iniquity. While the world is
going about its business, the evil one is methodically working behind the
scenes to undermine the authority of God. God has established a chain of
command that if closely adhered to gives stability to governments, the
Church, and the home.

    Interestingly the apostle says, "the mystery of iniquity doth already
work." If that was true in Paul's day, how much more so today! The rule
of civil law that was once highly revered now only serves to measure the
depth of blood that runs in our streets. As we draw closer to the
Rapture, lawlessness will become more commonplace as mankind slides down
the slippery slope of rebellion. Eventually Satan will bring the world to
a place of utter and total chaos.

    With the stage set, the Anti-Christ will be standing in the wings
prepared to take control of the affairs of men. The only event hindering
Satan from fulfilling his objective is the Rapture. God will not allow
him to carry out his program of evil until He has completed His plan and
purpose for the Church, the Body of Christ. To say otherwise is to
confuse the two programs of God, which are mutually exclusive of one
another. When this present program abruptly comes to a close at the sound
of the trump, Paul says, "And then shall that Wicked [one] be
revealed...." In other words, the man of sin will not be revealed until
after the Rapture.

    Beloved ones, we are not of the night. We are the children of the
day, that is, the day of Christ; therefore, it would serve no purpose for
us to know the identity of the Anti-Christ. In fact, there is strong
evidence that not even those living in the early part of the Tribulation
will know his true identity—something he's sure to conceal as long as
possible. So then, the exploits of the man of sin belong to the future
day of the Lord, from which the Church is promised deliverance (I Thes.
5:1-9).

THE LAST WORLD DICTATOR
==============================

"And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume
with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of
His coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all
power and signs and lying wonders" (II Thes. 2:8,9).

        Notice the apostle clearly makes reference here to two monumental
events, both of which are destined to change the course of the world. The
first has to do with the appearing of the Anti-Christ at the beginning of
the Tribulation. This is confirmed by the statement, "even him, whose
coming is after the working of Satan...." The fulfillment of this
declaration will set the prophetic clock in motion once again. But Paul
is careful to add that the Second Coming of Christ will bring his reign
of terror to a swift end. Hence, "whom the Lord shall consume with the
spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming."

    According to prophecy there will be seven years between these two
great prophetic events. During this period Satan hatches his evil plot to
overthrow the plans and purposes of God. He is the great counterfeiter.
As God sent His only begotten Son to the earth to redeem mankind, Satan
will send the man of sin to deceive the nations of the earth. We also
witness the manifestation of the satanic trinity during the Tribulation:

God the Father (I Cor. 8:6)—The Dragon—Anti-God (Rev. 13:4)

God, the Son (Rom. 9:5)—The Beast—Anti-Christ (Rev. 14:11)

God, the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3,4)—The False Prophet—Anti-Spirit (Rev.
16:13)

[nChrist]

The Present Obsession With the Anti-Christ (Part III)
By Paul M. Sadler - Berean Bible Society
==============================

    Shortly after our departure to glory, "nation shall rise against
nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and
pestilences...." These aren't isolated clashes, but global conflicts.
Normally it takes years to address these types of problems through
diplomatic channels. However, once the Anti-Christ appears on the scene
he'll have viable solutions to all the world's ills. In fact, he will
single-handedly bring a time of "peace and safety" to the earth (I Thes.
5:3). This isn't by chance, but design. For as the apostle says, his
coming is "after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying
wonders." He is the rider of the white horse who will go forth conquering
his enemies with the swiftness of an Alexander the Great. Those who name
the name of God in that day will perish at the edge of his sword (Rev.
6:2,9-11 cf. 13:6,7).

    As the Anti-Christ rises to world prominence, one of the means he
uses to deceive the nations is signs and wonders. Interestingly, the
Greek words semeion (signs) and teras (wonders) are the same terms used
for the miraculous manifestations that our Lord performed during His
earthly ministry. Therefore, we have little doubt that these miracles
will be authentic. To suggest otherwise would be to cast a shadow of
doubt over the authenticity of our Lord's miracles. Although Satan is a
created being, he does possess unbelievable powers. In a moment of time
the devil flashed all the kingdoms of the world before our Lord stating,
"All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is
delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it" (Luke 4:6).

    While the Beast and the False Prophet are mere mortals, the dragon
will empower these workers of iniquity to perform the miraculous. Even
the very elect will be deceived. Perhaps the most amazing demonstration
of this power is seen shortly after the Anti-Christ is assassinated in
the middle of the Tribulation. John records, "And I saw one of his heads
as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the
world wondered after the beast" (Rev. 13:3). Although it is questionable
that Satan can restore life, it appears God allows him to do so in this
case, that He might demonstrate the glory of His power at the Second
Coming of Christ.

    We are not told how long the Beast remains in the Abyss after being
slain, but we can probably safely surmise it will be three days and three
nights. "The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out
of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the
earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from
the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is
not, and yet is" (Rev. 17:8).

    Carefully note, the Beast "that was," before his assassination; "and
is not," his absence from the earth during the period he's in the Abyss;
"and yet is," his miraculous raising from the dead. Unlike Christ, who
resurrected from the dead, the Anti-Christ is merely resuscitated similar
to the widow's son of Zarephath and Lazarus. Here again Satan is seeking
to imitate the things of God. The Anti-Christ will be slain, be raised
from the dead, and ascend from the lower parts of the earth. Sound
familiar?

    Upon being revived from his mortal wound, the Apostle John adds this
commentary about his reappearance: "And the beast that was, and is not,
even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition."
This sounds like a riddle wrapped in an enigma. The "seven" refers to the
seven original Mid-East kings and kingdoms that will form an alliance
with one another, which makes up the heart of the Anti-Christ kingdom.
After the Anti-Christ, who was numbered with the original seven, returns
from the dead he's called the eighth because there's something
dramatically different about him—he's the very embodiment of evil.

"And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and
blasphemies; and... he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to
blaspheme His name, and His tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven"
(Rev. 13:5,6).

    It is at this point in time the Anti-Christ enters the temple in
Jerusalem and declares himself to be God. This is the "lie" Paul speaks
about in II Thessalonians 2:10-11. "And with all deceivableness of
unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love
of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send
them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie."

[nChrist]

The Present Obsession With the Anti-Christ (Part III)
By Paul M. Sadler - Berean Bible Society
==============================

    Some teach, based on this passage, that those who reject the gospel
of salvation today will not have another opportunity to be saved during
the Tribulation. This would mean then that very few would be saved in the
coming day of the Lord, since the message of Christ's redeeming love has
reached around the world today through every medium imaginable. Yet, the
record is clear that a great multitude, "which no man could number" will
be saved during the Tribulation (Rev. 7:9-15).

    After the Rapture, the program of God will immediately revert back to
prophecy. Thus, Paul briefly shares with us here in II Thessalonians
2:10,11 the prophetic order of things following our departure to glory.
Dear ones, it is imperative that we understand the immediate context in
which these passages are set is the coming day of the Lord. Consequently,
those who reject the "truth" in verse 11 are rejecting the truth of the
kingdom gospel. Insofar as the terms of salvation will change in the
future Tribulation, God graciously gives the world another opportunity to
be saved.

    However, two things must be remembered. First, they will return to
the Great Commission in those days, which gives Israel a position of
preeminence over the Gentiles. This greatly diminishes their exposure to
the gospel. In other words, the Gentiles will once again have to be saved
through Israel. Second, the clock is ticking. The inhabitants of the
world will only have three and one-half years before the Anti-Christ
requires the mark of the beast, 666. Without this mark no one will be
able to buy or sell. However, the moment those who worship the Beast
receive the number of his name, they are eternally damned, without hope
of reprieve (Rev. 13:15-18 cf. 14:9-11).

    To those who reject both the gospel of grace and the kingdom gospel,
God will send strong delusion to believe the lie, that is, the
Anti-Christ is God! Paul's reference to strong delusion here is to be
understood as "a working of error or inward working of delusion." Hiebert
comments: "It should be noted that God does not send them `error' as
such, but rather an inward working of the inevitable consequences of
error. They will fall under the influence of a power working within them
which leads them farther and farther away from the truth. Since they
deliberately chose falsehood in defiance of the truth of God, God
subjects them to the power of error they chose. God uses their choice of
evil as the very instrument to punish their sin."1 (See Prov. 5:22,23).

    Another area where the Devil will weave his tangled web of deception
is in regard to the False Prophet. Like the Holy Spirit who speaks not of
Himself but glorifies the Son, the False Prophet will exalt the man of
sin. He will cause the whole earth to worship the Anti-Christ. The False
Prophet is able to accomplish this by a set of carefully orchestrated
miracles.

"And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from
heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And deceiveth them that dwell on
the earth by the means of those miracles [Gr. semeion] which he had power
to do in the sight of the beast.… And he had power to give life unto the
image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and
cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be
killed" (Rev. 13:13-15).

    In the Old Testament the prophet Elijah called fire down out of
heaven to turn the heart of the people back to the true and living God.
Here, the False Prophet calls fire down from heaven to turn men away from
the living God to worship the image of the beast that he miraculously
causes to speak.

THE KINGS OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS
===========================================

"And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume
with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of
His coming" (II Thes. 2:8).

    During the latter part of the Tribulation God will call His people
into the wilderness where He protects and nourishes them for three and
one-half years (Rev. 12:13-17). Apparently, near the end of this period
the Anti-Christ discovers where Israel is hiding. He wastes no time
assembling an army that would dwarf anything known to man today.
Destination: the valley of Megiddo outside of Jerusalem. The plan is
simple: wipe the chosen nation from the face of the earth. What he fails
to understand is, like the Egyptians of old, God is going to draw him
into the jaws of death.

[nChrist]

The Present Obsession With the Anti-Christ (Part III)
By Paul M. Sadler - Berean Bible Society
==============================

    There have been many great battles since the dawn of mankind, but
there is one battle yet to be fought that will be unlike any other before
it—Armageddon! As the Apostle John stepped to the edge of this arena he
saw the armies of the earth. They extended across the plain of the east
as far as the eye could see. Then he looked heavenward and beheld another
white horse whose rider that sat upon him "was called Faithful and True,
and in righteousness He doth judge and make war.…and the armies which
were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen,
white and clean" (Rev. 19:11,14).

    This is the Second Coming of Christ that will bring an end to the
Anti-Christ's reign of terror. Christ will utterly destroy him with the
brightness of His Coming when He returns in power and glory with the host
of heaven. The scene will cause men's hearts to fail within them. "And
out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the
nations...and He treadeth the wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of
Almighty God." This is a true demonstration of power, His almighty power.
What a scene! The carnage will be so enormous that the blood is said to
run to the horse bridles for two hundred miles (Rev. 14:14-20).

    He who deceived the world and caused millions to be damned will not
be permitted to merely suffer an untimely death. Both the Anti-Christ and
the False Prophet are cast alive into the lake of fire burning with
brimstone (Rev. 19:20). As Christ overthrows the kingdoms of this world
and establishes His kingdom of righteousness, Satan will be bound during
the Millennium. Interestingly, when he is cast into the lake of fire at
the end of the thousand years, the biblical record states: "where the
beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for
ever and ever."

    A correct understanding of the Word rightly divided and "things to
come" will keep us from being tossed to and fro by every wind of
doctrine. If someone claims to know the identity of the Anti-Christ our
response should be, "But what saith the Scriptures?" As a member of the
Body of Christ I'm looking for the Upper-Taker, not the undertaker.
Thankfully we have been delivered from the wrath to come!

_________________________________________________

Endnote
==============

1. The Thessalonian Epistles, D. Edmond Hiebert, Moody Press, Chicago,
IL, pg. 319.

[Maryjane]

Romans 10:15

And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news"

Jesus is coming again!!!!

[Shammu]

Romans 10:15

And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news"

Jesus is coming again!!!!

AMEN!!

[nChrist]

Romans 10:15

And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news"

Jesus is coming again!!!!

ANOTHER AMEN SISTER!

One of the quotes that I liked the best from this article is:


As a member of the Body of Christ I'm looking for the Upper-Taker, not the undertaker. Thankfully we have been delivered from the wrath to come.

Our hopes and Citizenship is not in this world.

Love In Christ,
Tom

John 15:15 NASB  "No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.

[Maryjane]

I like you quote....I will be singing at the veterens nursing home and I am going to share your quote with them....I will be singing..Make Me a Promise..and your quote fits it so perfectly..

Have a great day BEP

[nChrist]

Hello MaryJane,

Sister, I hope and pray that the gathering is blessed. The quote belongs to our Dear Brother Paul Sadler from the Berean Bible Society. I'm sure that he will appreciate it being used for the LORD'S Glory.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Ephesians 5:19-20 NASB  speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;