One of the features of our society is that we have a growing number of Antichrist influences which are controlling not just our part of the world but other parts of the world all over.
Biblical Christianity is being suppressed in the media in the education system even in parts of the church.
And we see that there’s a rise of what we call ‘ecumenism, Interfaith, cultural Marxism, yoga, New Age, Islam, evolutionary science, liberal theology in the church. Various cults like Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, etc too.
If you look at all of these, all of them, in some way, will deny the relationship of the Father and the Son, that Jesus is fully God, and also deny that Jesus has come in the flesh, that He’s fully man.
There will be some attack on the person of Jesus in every one of these. Every one of them will undermine the truth that the Bible is true, and that Jesus is the Messiah who has come to redeem us, who died on the cross to set us free from the power of sin, who took the punishment for our sins at the cross and rose from the dead.
Jesus does live,
He DID live, He DOES live, and He WILL live forever, and He is the One who can redeem us and bring us to God.
We have therefore, many antichrists who’ve gone out and are preparing the way for the Antichrist, the unique bad man who will appear at the end of days. And I believe also that the world situations are pushing us in this direction.
We don’t live in normal times. You notice that! I believe that we’re living in times which are leading towards the fulfilment of Bible prophecy, specifically, the Great Tribulation and the rise of the Antichrist as described in Revelation chapter 13.
I just put up here 7 characteristics of Antichrist which are recorded in scripture.
● 1. Emerges from 4th beast, Daniel 7. Revived Roman Empire. Revelation 17.9-13. EU, UN, global government agenda?
● 2. Given power by the devil, speaks words against the Lord and His people. Persecutes the saints. Daniel 7, Revelation 13
● 3. Aspires to world power and briefly achieves it. (7-year tribulation period, divided into two periods of 3 ½ years). Brings in Mark of the Beast. Revelation 13.15-18
● 4. Sets up and breaks a covenant with Israel / Prince to come who makes 7-year covenant of Daniel 9.27
● 5. Understands sinister schemes. Causes people to believe the lie, puts them under the ‘strong delusion’. Daniel 8, 2 Thessalonians 2
● 6. Sets up the abomination of desolation. Worshipped as a god. Daniel 11, Matthew 24, 2 Thessalonians 2, Revelation 13
● 7. Destroyed and thrown into hell by the Lord at His return. Revelation 19, Daniel 7, Isaiah 11.4, Habakkuk 3.13, 2 Thessalonians 2.8
Let’s just have a brief run through these.
FIRST, he emerges from the fourth beast of Daniel chapter 7 which is revealed as some kind of revived Roman Empire (Revelation 17.9-13).
9 “Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. 10 There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. 11 The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition.
12 “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. 13 These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast.
Revelation 17.9-13
This gives you the idea that there is going to be some revival of some entity like the Roman Empire in the last days which will push towards a global government agenda. Some liken it to the European Union, the United Nations or some kind of coming together of nations such as the G20 bringing together nations.
And this 4th beast comes out of the Roman Empire – a revived Roman Empire – and out of which the Antichrist arises.
The SECOND point is that he is given power by the devil.
Revelation 13 says that quite specifically. And it also says he speaks words against the Lord and against His people, and he persecutes the saints (Daniel 7, Revelation 13).
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. 2 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. 3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marvelled and followed the beast. 4 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?”
Revelation 13.1-4
The THIRD point is that he aspires to world power and briefly achieves it.
I’m going to read Revelation 13 in a minute and show you how he does that.
There’s a 7-year tribulation period which is divided into two halves of three and a half years each. At its midpoint, he brings in the famous Mark of the Beast of Revelation 13, the ‘666 mark’ without which you can’t buy or sell (Revelation 13.15-18).
15 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. 16 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, 17 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.
18 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 13.15-18
The FOURTH point is that he sets up and breaks the covenant with Israel, and this sets off the 7-year period.
If you read Daniel chapter 9 verse 27, you’ll find that there will be some situation in the Middle East which will bring a need for a global peace treaty, and the Antichrist will be the one who will bring this covenant which he is going to break halfway through.
27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.”
Daniel 9.27
Another reason is that these things can’t come to being until you have a return of the Jewish people to Israel. So, Israel is itself significant in bringing these things to pass.
The FIFTH point is that he understands sinister schemes and causes people to believe the lie. He puts people under a strong delusion. We read that in Daniel 8, 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, he sets up the ‘abomination of desolation’ in which he’s worshipped as a God (Daniel 11, Matthew 24).
9 And out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land. 10 And it grew up to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them. 11 He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down. 12 Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered.
13 Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who was speaking, “How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?”
14 And he said to me, “For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.”
Daniel 8.9-14
The SIXTH characteristic is in Matthew 24. Jesus speaks about the abomination of desolation standing in the Holy Place.
15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
Matthew 24.15-22
When that is set up, it sets off the time which Jesus describes as the Great Tribulation which ‘if God didn’t cut short, no flesh would be saved’. This event also spoken of as the time of Jacob’s trouble according to Jeremiah chapter 30.
5 “For thus says the Lord: ‘We have heard a voice of trembling, Of fear, and not of peace. 6 Ask now, and see, Whether a man is ever in labour with child? So why do I see every man with his hands on his loins Like a woman in labour, And all faces turned pale? 7 Alas! For that day is great, So that none is like it; And it is the time of Jacob’s trouble, But he shall be saved out of it.
Jeremiah 30.5-7
And the final point, the SEVENTH characteristic, is that he is destroyed and thrown into hell by the Lord at His return.
19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.
Revelation 19.19-21
Several scriptures tell you that: Revelation 19, Daniel 7, Isaiah 11, Habakkuk chapter 3, 2 Thessalonians 2, which remind us that the victory is going to be with our man, with Jesus Christ.
So, if you get a bit alarmed by some of the things I’m telling you, then look to the end of the events prophesied and know that Jesus wins.
If you’re on Jesus’ side, you’re part of the victory. If you’re not, you’re going to be defeated.
One of the main lessons we need to learn from this is that we need to be right with God, ready for Jesus to come.
And one of the points which I make when I give my talks is that the Antichrist doesn’t come out of nowhere.
5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 7 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. 8 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. 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
2 Thessalonians 2.5-12
There must be something preparing the way for him. If he’s around today – and I think he is but I’m not going to attempt to identify him – as far as I can see, if we’re living in the last days, he must be somewhere around.
He can’t be born now and be ready to do what he’s going to do immediately. Therefore, I would guess he’s somewhere around, but I’m not going to tell you where since I don’t know. I’m not going to tell you how he’s going to come but my guess is that he is around now. But we won’t get into the details of that.
The Antichrist is not going to come out of nowhere, there must be an agenda taking place now leading to his coming.
And one of the things, if you follow my talks on the Signs of the Times, you can see that there is an agenda behind so much of world politics today pushing the world towards a ‘new world order’, a world government program to bring together the nations into a union out of which he will emerge.
Dear Tony, Jew hatred is a terrible thing and must be opposed by all lo ers of Messiah, but isn’t it obvious the antichrist must be Jewish, how would he ever gain any traction with the Rabbinic anti-Messianic factions in Israel otherwise? What Jew would ever worship a Gentile? That granted, Sabbatai Sevi, bar Koch a and other are powerful paradigms to learn from in studying the antichrist.
Indeed! Jesus was a Jew.
Very good article much appreciated.
Thank you Johnny! God bless.