Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

The Bible teaches us that we are at war with unseen forces on a daily basis; however, the greatest of Satan’s weapons has yet to be seen.

One of the most important strategies in any war is to know your enemy.

The more we know about the enemy, the more prepared we are to defend against him.

Therefore, in this lesson, we will spend some time getting to know the Antichrist, and some of the key aspects that the Bible tells us about him.

First, it is important to ask whether it is important for Christians to know as much as we can about him.

One way we determine the most important areas we should study in the Bible is by how often they are mentioned in the Bible.

We know that the Antichrist plays a central role in God’s plan, because he is mentioned in over 100 different passages in the Bible.

It addresses his origin, nationality, character, conquest, and his final doom when he falls.

His Aliases

The Antichrist appears in the Bible under several different names.

In fact, there are ten aliases for the Antichrist found in Scripture:

the little horn ()

a king, insolent and skilled in intrigue ()

the prince who is to come ()

the one who makes desolate ()

the king who does as he pleases ()

a foolish shepherd ()

the man of destruction ()

the lawless one ()

the rider on the white horse ()

the beast out of the sea ()

Most commonly referred to as Antichrist.

Refers to an individual & the system he represents.

Appears 5 times in the NT

In ; , it refers to an antichrist (singular) who is coming in the future, and antichrists (plural) ones who are already here.

John’s distinction clearly demonstrates that the final and ultimate Antichrist will be an individual and not merely a worldview.

The ones who existed in John’s day, the plural reference, were false teachers who embodied the spirit of the Antichrist: the lying deceiving spirit that would be manifest fully in the future.

The previous ones offer powerful evidence that his spirit was already working in the world.

John looked beyond his time to the final Antichrist who would come and represent the culmination of the lawless system that opposed Christ.

The Meaning of the name:

Hitchcock, Mark.

The End: A Complete Overview of Bible Prophecy and the End of Days (p.

254).

Tyndale House Publishers.

Kindle Edition.

The prefix anti- can mean “against”/“opposed to” or “instead of”/“ in place of.”

These meanings are undoubtedly included in the term “Anti” Christ.

He will be the archenemy and ultimate opponent of Jesus our Lord.

The origin, nature, and purpose of Christ and the Antichrist are diametrically opposed.

The Antichrist will be against Christ.

The Antichrist will also be “anti” Christ in the sense of “in place of” Christ.

He will parody the true Christ.

He will be a counterfeit Christ, a mock Christ, a pseudo-Christ, an imitation Christ.

In , Jesus says, “I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him” (NASB).

The one coming in his own name will be the

In , Jesus says, “I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him” (NASB).

The one coming in his own name will be the world’s final false messiah, the Antichrist.

He will attempt to be the “alter ego” of the true Christ.

It will not be enough for the Antichrist to oppose the work and person of Christ, he will be a pretender of Christ.

He will set himself up as the true Christ; he will be Satan’s counterfeit Christ.

To accomplish this, the Antichrist will mimic Christ in many ways:

Christ: miracles, signs, and wonders (; )

Antichrist: miracles, signs, and wonders (; )

Christ: appears in the millennial Temple ()

Antichrist: sits in the Tribulation Temple ()

Christ: is God (; )

Antichrist: claims to be God ()

Christ: is the Lion from Judah ()

Antichrist: has a mouth like a lion ()

Christ: makes a peace covenant with Israel ()

Antichrist: makes a peace covenant with Israel ()

Christ: causes men to worship God ()

Antichrist: causes men to worship Satan ()

Christ: followers sealed on their foreheads (; )

Hitchcock, Mark.

The End: A Complete Overview of Bible Prophecy and the End of Days (p.

256).

Tyndale House Publishers.

Kindle Edition.

causes men to worship Satan () followers sealed on their foreheads (; ) followers sealed on their foreheads or right hands () worthy name () blasphemous names () married to a virtuous bride () married to a vile prostitute () crowned with many crowns () crowned with ten crowns () is the King of kings () is called “the king” () sits on a throne (; ; ) sits on a throne (; ) sharp sword from his mouth () bow in his hand () rides a white horse () rides a white horse () has an army () has an army (; )

Antichrist: followers sealed on their foreheads or right hands ()

Christ: worthy name ()

Antichrist: blasphemous names ()

Christ: married to a virtuous bride ()

Antichrist: married to a vile prostitute ()

Christ: crowned with many crowns ()

Antichrist: crowned with ten crowns ()

Christ: is the King of kings ()

Antichrist: is called “the king” ()

Christ: sits on a throne (; ; )

Antichrist: sits on a throne (; )

Christ: sharp sword from his mouth ()

Antichrist: bow in his hand ()

Christ: rides a white horse ()

Antichrist: rides a white horse ()

Christ: has an army ()

Antichrist: has an army (; )

The Appearance of the Antichrist

Hitchcock, Mark.

The End: A Complete Overview of Bible Prophecy and the End of Days (pp.

255-256).

Tyndale House Publishers.

Kindle Edition.

Debuts on the World stage at the beginning of the Tribulation

His rise to power will likely be a direct result of the confusion following the Rapture.

Arthur Bloomfield also connects the Antichrist’s coming to a great crisis.

“Great men of history, famous and infamous, are products of their times.

And though we cannot exclude the sovereignty of God, it is easy to see why success or failure is sometimes born of ripe times and circumstances.

The Antichrist himself will be a product of his time.

A figure so sensational could come only out of sensational times.

A world crisis will produce the Antichrist.”

Chuck Swindoll describes the rise of the Antichrist in the wake of the Rapture.