The Antichrist's Arrival
Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 24 viewsNotes
Transcript
At the start of our series we saw that the central figure during the 7 years of Great Tribulation is a mysterious figure called the Antichrist.
He is given many other names:
The man of Sin; The son of perdition; The Lawless one and most telling: The Beast.
We saw that the Antichrist cannot reveal himself at his will because a restrainer is preventing him.
But God will take this restrainer out of the way one day soon.
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.
This restrainer is none other than the Holy Spirit filled Church of Jesus Christ and we saw that the act of the restrainer (The church) bewing “taken out of the way” is the biblical event we call the Rapture.
We saw all that last week.
Now, with the rapture having taken place and the restrainer now taken out of the way: The Antichrist can be revealed.
This is what we start looking at today.
The “ministry” of the Antichrist is divided into 2 periods.
The first 3.5 years of the Tribulation and the latter 3.5 years of the Tribulation.
The Antichrist operates and is energised by the power of Satan so it is no surprise that he uses Satanic tactics.
Key in Satanic tactics is lies and desceat. Satan is a decever and so is the Antichrist.
It is through deception that the Antichrist rises to power.
14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.
So the first 3.5 years of the Antichrists rule will be marked as a time of great peace and the Antichrist will be hailed around the worl as a man of peace.
Lets look at the pattern of this deception.
Satan has been at war with God ever since he, as Lucifer,
rebelled against God and tried to capture God’s throne.
12 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!
13 For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north;
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’
15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.
He tempted Eve in the Garden and, through her, caused Adam to
fall (Gen. 3).
In Genesis 3:15, God declared war on Satan and his family
(“seed”) and promised the coming of the Redeemer who would finally and
completely defeat Satan.
15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”
Why is he called the AntiChrist?
The Greek prefix anti has two meanings: against, and instead
of.
Satan not only opposes Christ, but he wants to be worshiped
and obeyed instead of Christ.
Satan has always wanted to be worshiped and served as God.
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’
5 Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
6 And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.
7 Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.”
8 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”
He will one day produce his masterpiece, the Antichrist, who
will cause the world to worship Satan and believe Satan’s lies.
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?”
Antichrist Deception 1: The peacemaker
Antichrist Deception 1: The peacemaker
1 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.”
2 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.
He will be a peaceful political leader who unites ten nations
of Europe into a strong power bloc.
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.
The rider on the white horse imitates Christ (Rev. 19:11ff).
He goes forth to conquer peacefully: he has a bow, but no arrows.
He will bring a brief time of peace to the world.
1 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you.
2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.
3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.
Antichrist Deception 2: The protector
24 “Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy.
25 “Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times.
26 “And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined.
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.”
We cannot examine the exciting details of this prophecy, but it is important to note several facts.
First, the prophecy applies to Israel, Jerusalem, and the temple, and not to the church.
Second, it announces the time when Messiah will come and accomplish certain purposes for the Jewish people.
The word week refers to a period of 7 years; 70 weeks are equal to 490 years.
Note that these 490 years are divided into three parts:
7 weeks or 49 years, during which the city would be rebuilt.
62 weeks or 434 years, at the end of which time Messiah would come and be cut off.
1 week or 7 years, during which a “prince” would have a covenant with Israel.
Notice that two princes are involved in this prophecy:
Christ, Messiah the Prince:
25 “Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times.
And Antichrist, “the prince that shall come”:
26 “And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined.
“The people of the prince that shall come” are the Romans; for it was they who destroyed the city and the temple in A.D. 70.
The coming Antichrist will belong to a nation that was part of the old Roman Empire.
He will make a covenant with Israel to protect her and permit her to rebuild her temple.
This covenant will be for seven years.
He will temporarily solve the Middle East crisis.
Israel will rebuild her temple in peaceful times.
Conclusion:
Imagine the impact of global peace...
