Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. /// 1 John 2:18 (NKJV)

Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. /// Revelation 6:1-2 (NKJV)

Over the past couple of weekends, we have been discussing the return of Jesus Christ, or the King. Today we are going to continue in that vein – the vein of last day events/signs with a talk about the Antichrist. The scripture we just read tells us that that Antichrist is coming. Who is the scripture talking about? Let’s define the Antichrist:

As Jesus Christ was the picture of man totally submitted to the Father so Antichrist will be the picture of man totally submitted to the will of Satan. The Bible tells us this about him in 2 Thessalonians:

Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for 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 Thessalonians 2:1-4 (NKJV) 

Notice what is says: one who exalts himself above all that is called God and who will demand to be recognized as God. Antichrist is a tool of Satan, used to carry out his plan to control the world, obtain worship, and destroy Israel and believers in Jesus. 

Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”

And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

If anyone has an ear, let him hear. /// Revelation 13:1-9 (NKJV)

The dragon is Satan. The Beast is the Antichrist. He will arise out of a ten nation/ruler federation. He will subdue or overthrow three rulers. At some point, he will be mortally wounded and will recover from his wounds miraculously. He will be attended by a false prophet – a unity of religion and civil government. Here is what is said about the false prophet:

Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666. /// Revelation 13:11-18 (NKJV)

We will talk more about the mark next Sunday. Notice the spiritual power of this man. He will be a catalyst in ushering in a religious government in which all humanity is controlled by its rule. Jesus said this about these two: 

For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. /// Matthew 24:24

It is possible that these men are alive now, growing up unseen by the world until their time of manifestation. When will they appear? 

And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. /// 2 Thessalonians 2:6-12 (NKJV)

After the one restraining is removed. Who is this?

Could this be the rapture of the church? It’s something to consider. One more thing: notice that the spirit of the antichrist is already alive in the earth. People who say they would never affiliate with the Antichrist are filled with his spirit:

Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. /// 1 John 2:22

How can you say you know Jesus if He is not Lord of all? Take time to review your life and make sure that you haven’t placed anything higher than God. Next week, we’ll dive into everything about the mark of the beast.

Today’s Scriptures:

•   1 John 2:18 (NKJV)
•   Revelation 6:1-2 (NKJV)
•   2 Thessalonians 2:1-4, 6-12 (NKJV)
•   Revelation 13:1-9, 11-18 (NKJV)
•   Matthew 24:24
•   1 John 2:22

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