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. Today, we study "The Rise of the Antichrist."
Section 1: Spiritual Darkness
I have seen spiritual darkness growing more and more in our churches and in our culture. Abortion, homosexual marriage, transgenderism, and confusion over gender all point to the deterioration in our land. The message we must send is REPENT OR PERISH. It is CHRIST OR HELL. Crime is increasing from every angle. Mass shootings occur o frequently now that we are no longer shocked by them when they occur.
Satan is counterfeiting everything that is spiritual Churches have lost the message of genuine salvation. Holy Spirit conviction is an ancient mystery, old time Bible repentance is laughed at, made fun of, and those few of us that speak of such things are called dinosaurs and "old fools." The Sovereignty of God is ridiculed, and the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ again is scoffed at. The doctrine of total depravity is sneered at, and salvation by grace through blood redemption has been set aside for an "another gospel." Satan's imitation program is as follows:
1. Make the world religious without Christ.
2. Satan's healing program with an emphasis on signs, miracles and wonders, has taken the place of the Gospel message of repentance and blood redemption.
3. A decision for Christ has been substituted for salvation.
4. Satanic conviction has been mistaken for Holy Spirit conviction. This conviction does reach the heart of a person. Holy Spirit conviction breaks up the fallow ground of the sinner, shows him that he is lost and headed to a devil's hell and brings a person to a place that they know without Christ, he has no hope. Everything else is Satanic conviction.
5. Have churches present a social gospel of recreation, banquets, religious movies, sporting events, etc. Replace old time agonizing prayer meetings with fun and games.
6. Deify man and humanize the Lord Jesus Christ.
The church today has nothing but a refined selfishness to offer the world. This is preparing the world to accept the Antichrist when he comes on the scene.
Section 2: The Stage is Set
We are facing a world crisis. There are political and social issues, war in Ukraine and the threat of other wars are imminent. Prophetically, there is nothing else remaining to be done before the Lord Jesus Christ returns to rapture the church and take them to heaven. It could happen before you finish reading this lesson. The believer is facing the soon coming of our Lord back to earth, and the unbeliever is facing world chaos and destruction. As soon as the rapture occurs and the true church is gone and the Holy Spirit no longer serves to restrain evil, the Antichrist will rise, and the tribulation period of seven years will begin. You are either going in the rapture or you are going to be under the authority of Satan and the Antichrist. PREPARE TO MEET THY GOD: the day of judgment is here. You will REPENT OR PERISH.
THE ANTICHRIST is most likely living today. He has already been born. However, he WILL NOT BE MANIFESTED UNTIL AFTER THE LORD JESUS CHRIST COMES FOR HIS OWN. (II Thessalonians 2: 7 reads: "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only He who now letteth (hinders) will let (hinder), until He be taken out of the way." Verse 8 states in part: "And then shall the Wicked (one) be revealed...." The Holy Spirit will accompany the saints in the first resurrection when Christ comes for His own. I Thessalonians 4: 16-17: "For the Lord Himself SHALL descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ SHALL rise first: then we which are alive and remain SHALL be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so SHALL we ever be with the Lord." There is nothing Satan can do to stop the SHALLS of God's Word. THE RESURRECTION OF THE SAINTS WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.
The stage is set, be ready.
Section 3: Rise to Power
The trend of the political world today is toward a centralized world government. The religious world is moving toward a world church. In 1997, steps were being taken to create the United Religions Organization, known simply as UR. It was composed of Catholic leaders, some from the Episcopal Church and others. As this spirit of centralization grows, there will be an increasing need for ONE VOICE OF AUTHORITY. From mankind there will come forth to meet this need. After the church has been removed, the path is clear for Satan to bring forth his son whom he has prepared to take over the governments of the world under a one-man rule. He will also become head of the religious world.
THE ANTICHRIST WILL BE A VERY ASTUTE POLITICIAN, one who will display shrewd discernment, cunning craftiness, and discriminating skill. He will be a liar and a deceiver like his father Satan. Daniel 11: 21 states: "He shall come in peaceably and obtain the kingdom by flatteries." Most likely, he will come from the United Nations.
Not only will he be a great politician, but he WILL also BE A GREAT ORATOR, OR RELIGIOUS PULPITEER. Daniel 7: 20 reads: "A mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows." "Stout" means he will be bold, courageous, resolute, determined, defiant, uncompromising, and self-willed. He will speak with authority. Revelation 13:2: "And the dragon (Satan) gave him his power, and his seat and great authority."
HE WILL HEAD THE WORLD CHURCH AS A GREAT RELIGIOUS LEADER, according to II Thessalonians 2: 4: "Who opposeth and exalted 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." I have recently written several lessons on "Satan's Imitation of the Holy Spirit." Satan wants to imitate God and be worshipped. With the removal of restraints at the Rapture, Satan and his son the Antichrist will temporarily achieve what he always wanted. As the trend increases of deifying man, he will have no trouble bringing the unsaved religious world to bow at his feet in worship. He will come forth as a performer of miracles with great power of healing (Revelation 13:14).
The spirit of exalting man is very prevalent in some churches today. So, WHEN THE ANTICHRIST COMES FORTH FROM THE DEAD, the world will be ready to worship him. The Antichrist will be slain, will be healed and will rise again (Revelation 13:3). Again, you Satan's desire to imitate God. Every media outlet will portray the Antichrist as a great ruler and savior of the world. The spirit of the Antichrist is in the world now and so probably is the Antichrist. The spirit of Antichrist seeks to exalt and deify man. THIS IS ALL THE SPIRIT OF ANTICHRIST, BECAUSE THEY ARE EXALTING A MAN, AND NOT THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. Satan cares not if you are religious as long as you don't have Christ.
THE ANTICHRIST WILL BE PROCLAIMED AS THE WORLD'S GREATEST RELIGIOUS LEADER AND WORLD'S ECONOMIC SAVIOUR. Think about world events. There is a war in Ukraine. Threats from China, Russian and North Korea to create the possibility of nuclear annihilation. Problems with food shortages abound and are getting worse even in the USA. For the one who is an unbeliever or a nominal believer in Christ (the term describes a lost soul but one that thinks he is saved), imagine one person coming on the scene after the church has been Raptured, and he solves the world's economic, political and food problems. There should be little doubt that the world would worship the one that can accomplish this. Further, the one that does all this is killed and comes back to life. They will proclaim him Christ, but he is the Antichrist. In addition, this man will perform miracles and lying wonders. He will require you to receive his mark in your forehead or in your hand to be able to conduct business or buy food.
Yes, the scene is set for the rise of the Antichrist. Will you be here when he comes into power. I don't want you to be. This ministry exists to help people know that they must repent of their sins, put their faith in the blood redemption offered by the Lord Jesus Christ, and make Him Lord over all of their lives. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ today!
Next week: "Lying Wonders."
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