There is a Holy Trinity: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. There is also an unholy trinity: Satan, the Antichrist and the False Prophet. You can read more about the unholy trinity in Revelation chapters 12 and 13. Today, I want to bring you a study on the coming world dictator, the Antichrist. I believe this is an appropriate time to bring this study because with the way the world is going, we must be getting close to the Rapture, Great Tribulation and the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Section 1: The Antichrist's Birth
First, we will look at his birth. In II Thessalonians 2:3 he is spoken of as he "son of perdition," and in II Thessalonians 2: 9, we find these words, "Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders." The Antichrist is the son of Satan. He gets his powers from Satan. Revelations 13: 4 states: "And they worshipped the dragon (Satan) which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?"
John 8: 44 reads: "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." The phrase "When he speaketh a lie," is referring to the Antichrist as the lie. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Truth and the Antichrist is the lie. We see that Satan is the Antichrist's father, because he said, "For he is a liar, and the father of it."
If Satan is the father, how will the Antichrist be brought into being? The Lord Jesus Christ was born of a woman, and I am of the opinion, so will be the Antichrist. Satan likes to imitate the workings of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, he will be born of a woman. In Genesis 6: 2 states: "The sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose." The "sons of God" means "the sons of Elohim," that is the sons by direct creation. The same expression is used in the first chapter of Job, "the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD," which must mean the angels of God. One of the causes of the flood was that the angels cohabited with women and produced a race of giants. "As in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the coming of the Son of Man." Do not think this too farfetched. We live in a day of increased "spiritism." The practice of "spiritism" reaches into the very heart of many churches. I see videos of people that think they are Christians, but they have given themselves over to demonic spirits. Here is a clip of a woman giving herself over to demonic spirits (try to make it to the 3-minute mark and watch the uncontrollable shaking:
https://youtu.be/XjMYqDHbYtg (Copy and paste)
Summary of Section 1:
1. There is a Holy Trinity and there is an unholy trinity.
2. Satan is the father of Antichrist.
3. Antichrist will be born of a woman.
4. Antichrist gets his powers from his father Satan.
Section 2: Characteristics of the Antichrist
The Antichrist will be a world dictator. The following will be some of his characteristics:
1. He will be one of the world's GREATEST ORATORS. Daniel 7:20 states: "Even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows." He will use his words using a mob psychology to produce worldwide compliance. Revelation 13: 5 reads: "And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies." The world will hang on every word that he says, and opposition will be put to death.
2. He will be a very ASTUTE POLITICIAN. Daniel 11: 21 says: "And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably and obtain the kingdom by flatteries." The Antichrist will not come with an army, but he shall come in peace. He will take the kingdom with shrewdness, subtleness, and by craftiness. He will seek to please by insincere praise and attention. The spirit of Antichrist is in the churches today. Churches today seek not to offend anyone. They flatter people to get them to join their church. The Gospel is offensive because it confronts sin. If you see a church that follows the "seeker sensitive" model in any way, they are operating under the spirit of the Antichrist.
If you want to know whether your pastor is operating under the Antichrist spirit, ask yourself these questions:
a. Does he flatter new people without a regard to their spiritual state? If so, he is of the Antichrist.
b. Does he preach man down and Christ up? If he does, he is legitimate. If not, he isn't operating under the Holy Spirit, but rather the Antichrist spirit.
c. Is Christ minimized and humanized while man is elevated, deified and glorified? If so, he is of the Antichrist.
3. He will be a great COMMERCIAL WIZARD. Daniel 8: 25: "And through his policy also he shall cause craft (manufacturing) to prosper in his hand." Further, Daniel 11:38: "But in his estate shall be 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." Revelation 13: 17, we read: "And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name." We live in a very materialistic world today. A commercial wizard will have an open door into the lives of the unsaved and many (means most) of the churches. Most of the church world today focuses on the material side of life. Think about the prosperity churches and many (means most) of the charismatic churches that are all about your health and wealth. They are the fastest growing churches worldwide. The table is set for the Antichrist to move into position.
4. He will be a SUCCESSFUL GOVERNOR. Revelation 13: 7 reads: "And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations." He will be a worldwide ruler over all types of people. He will have the power to put to death every born-again believer. Yes, people will be saved during the tribulation, but it will be very difficult for them. Everyone who gets saved after the rapture will have to seal his testimony with his own blood, and it will be harder to get saved then than it is now.
5. He will be a great RELIGIOUS LEADER. II Thessalonians 2: 4 states: "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." The world will worship Satan (the dragon) because he gave power to the Antichrist. Revelation 13: 8 says: "And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him (Antichrist), whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."
6. He shall be the world's ECONOMIC MESSIAH. He will promise deliverance from tough economic times using flattery, and he will set himself up in the temple, and when he does, he will command the world to worship him, and every individual who will not bow down and worship him will be put to death. Satan from the time he rebelled against God has sought to be worshipped. One day he will realize this ambition through his son the Antichrist.
Conclusion
In conclusion of Part 1, we are to test the spirits (1 John 4: 1-6) and not believe every spirit. Here is the test for the Antichrist: The Antichrist will not magnify and exalt the Person and work of Christ. Listen to your preaching, listen to your teaching. Do they magnify the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ? Does the church you attend have an Antichrist spirit? If it does, you should lovingly confront leadership with the truth. If they fail to listen, take a witness with you and try again. If they still refuse to listen, shake the dust off your feet and find a Gospel believing church. They are out there but they are in the minority.
Next week: Signs of the Antichrist.
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