and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the
LORD. And everyone who calls
on the name of the LORD will be saved" (Joel 2:28-32).
Because evangelism is such a threat, Satan will do anything he can to prevent, sidetrack, or discourage it. His anger and hatred mount when a caring Christian wants to witness to an unsaved friend or loved one. The Bible specifically warns us that Satan will try to obstruct any growth toward G.o.ds kingdom in the last days. He will use with renewed intensity the tactics he has always relied on.
People will mock Christian beliefs. "You must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, "Where is this "coming" he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation"" (2 Peter 3:3-4).
Wicked behavior will continue. "The words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand" (Dan. 12:9-10).
"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days" (2 Tim. 3:1).
There will be apostasy. "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons" (1 Tim. 4:1).
"Watch out that you are not deceived" (Luke 21:8).
"Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap" (Luke 21:34).
There will be political upheaval and great distress in the world. "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven" (Luke 21:10-11).
False Christs will deceive many people. "Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name claiming, I am he," and will deceive many" (Mark 13:5-6).
Not all Christians have the gift of the evangelist, but all are to evangelize. Every Christian is to be a witness for Christ. Satan would like church members to think that this is only the responsibility of pastors and church leaders. Satan would like us to think that "someone else will do it," but we might be the most effective communicator of the gospel in a particular situation. Friends and neighbors know us and how we live. The enemy will try to persuade us that we are not worthy; he will remind us of our failures; he will tell us that our witness will not make a difference. There is no question that Satan will escalate his all-out attack on evangelism.
The Attack on Church Attendance.
EVEN THOUGH THERE SEEMS to be tremendous growth in the church worldwide, church attendance in the United States is at a standstill. While there seem to be pockets of "revival" and church growth, overall the American church has plateaued or is declining in numbers. According to Bill Hendricks of the Dallas Mom-ing News, the number of born-again Christians remains at 32 percent. Canadian sociologist Reginald Bibby has shown that fewer than 10 percent of those who join evangelical churches come from outside the evangelical community, and most of that 10 percent usually come from other churches or through intermarriage. The Barna Research Group states that church attendance currently is at its lowest point in the last decade-42 percent of the U.S. population attends on any given weekend-and those who attend do not do so as often as they did five years ago. The average adult attendance at weekend church services is 92 people, a 9.8 percent decline from 102 in 1993.29 Bible reading outside of church services has. .h.i.t a new low in America. Just 31 percent say they read the Bible during the course of a typical week.
It could be that the enemy has targeted the American church because of its tremendous commitment to missions over the years. More missionaries and more money has been given for world evangelism from the United States than any other country since the beginning of the church. This kind of commitment is a tremendous threat to Satan"s work.
Satan is against any Bible-believing church that seeks to glorify G.o.d. He does not want us to be consistent in our church attendance or to be involved in the ministries of the local church. He wants to distract us from the worship, fellowship, and service we experience there.
The Attack on Unity in the Church.
ONE OF SATAN"S FAVORITE strategies is to "divide and conquer." If he can persuade church members to feud, bicker, slander, or speak against one another, he can paralyze the church"s impact on a community.
The church comprises all true believers who have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. Some estimate that there are nearly two billion people worldwide who say they are Christian believers. The number is very likely not this high, because among this group are people who have severely erred in their doctrine or who practice sinful behavior that the Bible clearly condemns. For example, members of the so-called gay church rationalize that they were created as h.o.m.os.e.xuals and therefore G.o.d will accept them this way. But that is not part of the true church of Jesus Christ. In fact, it is a mockery of G.o.d"s holy standards of living, a result of Satan"s deceptions. There are many others in the visible church who are not "born again" and proclaim a message of compromise and unbelief. Only G.o.d knows how many people are true believers.
This "true church" is the greatest threat to Satan in this world. In The Screwtape Letters, C. S. Lewis ill.u.s.trates this concern of Satan.
One of the great allies, at present, is the Church itself. Do not misunderstand me. I do not mean the Church as we see her spread out through all time and s.p.a.ce and rooted in eternity, terrible as an army with banners. That, I confess, is a spectacle which makes our boldest tempters uneasy. But fortunately it is quite invisible to these humans.30 The Bible admonishes us to maintain the unity of the church, not to create it. Christians expect attacks from the outside, but not from within. We need to protect our unity in G.o.d"s "true church." The Bible instructs us numerous times on this theme.
"Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him" (t.i.tus 3:10).
"I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned" (Rom. 16:17).
"I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought" (1 Cor. 1:10).
"So that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other" (1 Cor. 12:25).
The Attack on Prayer.
WHEN WE DISCUSSED THE weapon of prayer in an earlier chapter, we observed that Satan will do anything possible to keep people from this activity. Paul instructed us to "pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints" (Eph. 6:18).
We need to pray. The enemy is on the attack against prayer because he knows how powerful the Christian"s prayers are. We must pray for our loved ones. We must pray for our communities. We must pray for our churches. We must pray for our cities and our nation. We must pray for the leaders in government. An apathy toward prayer is nothing less than the a paralysis inspired by Satan.
Prayer is the key that opens the way for G.o.d to do what he wants to do. In America there is much to pray about. Ralph Reed writes, We live in a country in which one out of every three children is born out of wedlock, one out of every two marriages ends in divorce, one out of every three pregnancies ends in abortion, and one out of every four high school students drops out of school without graduating. We have 90 million functional illiterates in our society. Murder is the leading cause of death for African-American males aged eighteen to thirty-four, and a minority adolescent male living in our nation"s capital has a higher likelihood of being killed than an American soldier did in Vietnam.31 A man we will call William was raised in church, but turned his back on G.o.d in favor of drugs and the occult. He was lured into h.o.m.os.e.xuality and, with the growing emptiness in his heart, became suicidal. An attempt to end his life didn"t work. His involvement in witchcraft, New Age thinking, reckless promiscuity, drugs-all failed to resolve his search for meaning.
William decided to attend his parents" church one Sunday, but his purpose was to disrupt the services by calling on evil spirits. His plan didn"t work.
The next night, out of curiosity, William returned to the church. Thoughts of suicide filled his mind. The speaker, a missionary named Steve Hill, wanted to meet the young man and began to walk toward him. William panicked. His drug-saturated mind told him he could climb the wall next to him and escape. When this didn"t work, William began to run from the church. Steve caught him in the foyer, and a group of Christians gathered around the tormented young man and began praying for him.
Later that night, with family members praying, the intense warfare ended and William surrendered completely to G.o.d. That night he began a new life in Christ. He collected his crystals, witchcraft books, and rock CDs into a pile in the backyard and burned them. William was miraculously delivered from his drug addiction, h.o.m.os.e.xuality, and demon possession.
The family had almost lost William while he was in his old way of life. But they prayed. Many other people had given up on him, but his loved ones didn"t. They loved William, and they knew G.o.d could help him if he would only let Him. Prayer changed William. Prayer can change many things: a bad marriage, a terrible situation, a society.
The Attack on G.o.d"s Word.
WHILE TRAVELING ON AN early flight to the West Coast, I decided to sit alone.321 put a few papers and books in the empty seat next to me. I noticed that there was a teenage girl sitting on the other side of the empty seat, but I did not think she would want to talk. I was hoping to catch a nap for about a half-hour. However, about five minutes after I closed my eyes, I sensed that someone was looking at me. I opened my eyes to find that the young girl had put my books on her seat and moved to the empty middle seat. She was watching me.
"h.e.l.lo, how are you?" I greeted her. She said in an Eastern European accent that she was fine but would like to talk to me. I knew that my nap was over.
I asked her where she was from and about her family. She explained that she was an exchange student from Russia and was living in a little town near Springfield, Missouri. Curious about her religious upbringing in Russia, I asked, "Did you grow up in a family that believed in G.o.d?"
She said that her family knew there was a G.o.d but did not know who He was, and they could not freely seek Him or worship Him. She said that just a few weeks ago she had attended a Bible study at her American high school. Her face brightened and she smiled when she said she had become "born again" after hearing about Jesus Christ. She said she had never experienced anything like that in her life.
I smiled back and said that I also had received this same experience of becoming born again. When she heard that, she could not contain herself from talking more about her newfound faith.
After a few minutes, she asked me what I did for a living. When I told her I was a minister, she became even more excited and said she had some questions for me. I encouraged her to ask, and her first question was, "I know my experience with G.o.d is real, but can you tell me why the Bible is true?" I was glad to explain why the Bible is true and how she could rely on G.o.d for anything she might experience.33 There is an all-out war today over the accuracy and trustworthiness of the Bible. The Bible is the inspired, inerrant word of G.o.d. Paul wrote, "All Scripture is G.o.d-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of G.o.d may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Tim. 3:16-17). David said, "The words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times" (Ps. 12:6). He also said, "Your word, O LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens" (Ps. 119:89).
Satan would like people to doubt all or part of G.o.d"s Word. If we doubt the accuracy of one portion, why not another? The enemy will do anything he can to discredit Scripture and cause people to question its validity and stay away from the Divine Library.
Battling for the Bible.
IN A MAGAZINE ARTICLE, D. A. Carson wrote, ... the Jesus Seminar, a group of 74 scholars who have crowned the first six years of their work by publishing The Five Gospels: The Search for the Authentic Words of Jesus (Macmillan). In fact, fully 82 percent of what the canonical Gospels ascribe to Jesus is deemed inauthentic, and much of the remaining 18 percent is only doubtfully authentic___ They present papers, discuss texts, and then with self-conscious theatricality, vote on blocks of text (sometimes an entire section, sometimes as little as a word or two) using colored beads.
Casting a red bead means that the scholar thinks Jesus said this or at least something very much like it. Pink signals less certainty about a sayings authenticity. Gray means that Jesus did not say this, but maybe something of his thought hides obscurely behind the pa.s.sage. Black signifies that the text comes from earlier or later sources, but cannot be credited to Jesus.34 Carson"s appraisal states it best: "The Jesus Seminar is not so much a work of scholarship as a tract for the times." Throughout the ages, Satan has tried either to destroy the Bible or to destroy people"s confidence that it is G.o.d"s Word. That will never happen because G.o.d"s Word is eternal. The critics of His Word are all eventually proven wrong.
The present-day attack of Satan is rigorous, and his strategy has been well planned, but the Christian"s weapons are more powerful. We can resolve to stand for what is right and true, no matter what the cost, because we have an eternal reward that will never fade away.
Defending the Faith.
DR. BOB MOOREHEAD, A pastor in Seattle, Washington, wrote this declaration of faith: I"m part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have the Holy Spirit"s power. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made ... I"m a disciple of His. I won"t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I"m finished and done with low living, sight walking, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, worldly talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals.
I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don"t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, am uplifted by prayer and I labor with power.
My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my road is narrow, my way rough, my companions are few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the enemy, pander at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.
I won"t give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me. And, when He comes for His own, He will have no problems recognizing me ... my banner will be clear!35 May we all be this committed. It is time to make our stand.
ELEVEN.
The Rise of the Antichrist.
Adolf Hitler was deeply involved in the occult. He consulted horoscopes and had an uncanny ability to influence and control people. He also established a Federal Commission for Occultism in the government of n.a.z.i Germany.
"He has the stare of an insensitive psychopath," Hans Frank, Hitler"s former lawyer, said. Frank confessed to the prison psychologist that in serving Hitler he had been "in league with the devil."1 In his book The Spear of Destiny, Trevor Ravenscroft reveals that Deitrich Eckart, one of the founders of the n.a.z.i party, introduced Hitler to the occult.2 Hitler then became a member of the powerful Thule Group in Germany, an occult society that included judges, lawyers, doctors, university professors, industrialists, surgeons, military men, and members of the n.o.bility. The members of this secret society were Satanists who practiced the black arts and communicated with demons. Eckart was the reigning high priest. Hitler was the promised messiah, whose coming the mediums foretold. Initiation into the deeper mysteries of this powerful and widespread fellowship of occultists included committing atrocities as part of the ritual magic. Horrible rites opened Hitlers soul to possession by powerful demons.3 One secret goal of the n.a.z.i party was to introduce a new religion that the world would have to recognize. Instead of using the sign of the cross, the swastika would become this religions symbol of allegiance. Hitler would be the messiah, and demons would guide the destinies of mankind.4 In their goal to control the world, Hitler and the n.a.z.i party came too close for comfort. They did not succeed because G.o.d did not permit it. But it was no accident that Satan made an all-out attempt to set up a one-world government through this evil dictator. Satan senses that his time is short, so we can antic.i.p.ate other attempts to control this world through a political system, economic structure, war, or all of the above. Hitler and other dictators like him are forerunners of the coming world leader known in Scripture as the Antichrist (1 John 2:18).
Is the Antichrist Alive Today?
IT IS VERY POSSIBLE that the Antichrist is alive today.
When Jesus taught the disciples about the end times, he described what those last days would be like (see Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21). According to His teaching, the indicators are in place for the Antichrist to come onto the scene. There has never been another time in history when the signs were so right as they are today. We could be the terminal generation for the church age, when the body of Christ will be raptured. Soon after the church is taken from the earth, the Antichrist will become the leader of the one-world government. He will have an a.s.sistant whom the Bible calls the false prophet, and this a.s.sistant will seek to promote total allegiance to the Satan-inspired leader. When these two people gain control of the one-world government, they will make Hitler look like child"s play. Satan will finally have the ultimate man at his beck and call to do his work.
The irony is that most of the leaders of the nations will make it possible for this new system of government to take hold even though they should know better. The German philosopher Hegel said, "History teaches us that man learns nothing from history."
George Sweeting, chancellor of Moody Bible Inst.i.tute, said, The world is looking for a powerful leader-an international figure to offer practical solutions to the world"s problems of war, suffering, hunger and pestilence. Weary of hollow promises, people want a tried and proven super-leader, a shining knight strong enough to guarantee peace.
In the world today, international leaders change with amazing speed. Looking back over the past ten years, we see that the roster of leaders who were in power ten years ago and still are today is incredibly short. They have been removed from power by resignation, a.s.sa.s.sination, revolution, and death, and often their power base crumbles with their pa.s.sing. Those who succeed them often blur their predecessor"s achievements and discredit his words; then they fall from power just as quickly.
It is into this kind of political atmosphere that the Antichrist will come. He will offer peace and prosperity, but ultimately he will threaten the very existence of civilization. His power will be so complete and evil that only Jesus Christ will be able to conquer him and free the world from his grip, thereby bringing down the curtain on the present age.5 Satan"s Agenda.
SATAN WANTS TO BECOME "like the Most High" (Isa. 14:14). This incredible self-deception and sickening pride have grown to the point where he actually believes he can dethrone the Creator G.o.d. Even though Satan was defeated in his original rebellion, he has continued to try to usurp G.o.d"s authority. His end-time strategy is to use a man to control the world through a one-world government. As Satan entered into Judas, so he will enter into this man, whom the Bible calls "the beast." This man will attempt to carry out the "perfect will" of Satan. Just as there is one triune G.o.d who has existed for eternity as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-so Satan will once again try to counterfeit G.o.d by creating his own trinity: Satan, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet. The False Prophet will be to the Antichrist what the Holy Spirit is to Jesus. Satan desires to be worshiped openly by all people. In the same way that we worship G.o.d the Father through Jesus Christ, the Antichrist will be the one through whom people will worship Satan.
Billy Graham writes, This person is not Satan, but will use every evil device of Satan to oppose the work of G.o.d. The apostle Paul uses the term "the man of lawlessness" or "the lawless one" to speak of this individual (2 Th. 2:3, 8). He will be the embodiment of evil, and will have great power to deceive those who choose to follow him.... The time will come, therefore, when someone who is totally opposed to Christ will achieve great influence. However, in the end, he will be defeated by Christ.6 Who Is the Antichrist?
THE WORD ANTICHRIST MEANS "one who stands against Christ." This person will be directed by Satan to oppose Jesus Christ and call into question His reality and authority. Jesus is the Anitchrist"s greatest threat, and it against Him that he will make his greatest strike. But the Antichrist"s attack will not be obvious-at first. He will be "a master of intrigue" (Dan. 8:23); he will use flattery and manipulation to win people"s favor (Dan. 11:32); and he will be a more clever deceiver than any other human being who has ever lived. His ability to deceive comes from the one who created lies.
The Antichrist is also called "another horn"-a little horn (Dan. 7:8; 8:9); "king of Babylon" (Isa. 14:4); "the man of lawlessness" (2 Thess. 2:3); and "the beast" (Rev. 13:1). He will be the humanist"s hero and the materialist"s answer. He will bring great relief to the hedonists, who want pleasure and gratification without moral restraint. Like many political leaders today, he will care nothing for the Bible or its G.o.d-given truths-or at best will feign respect for the Bible to gain followers.
He will deceive people into accepting his rule by convincing everyone that he has the answers to the complex problems of the world. Then he will abuse his power and "will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called G.o.d or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in G.o.ds temple, proclaiming himself to be G.o.d" (2 Thess. 2:4). Through this man, Satan will finally and publicly declare his motive toward mortal human beings.
The Antichrist"s power will extend to every area of life and every part of the world. All nations will follow his directives in his dictatorship over the military, religious, political, and economic systems. He will deny that Jesus Christ came in the flesh (2 John 7). In doing this, he will say that the incarnation of Jesus as fully G.o.d yet fully man did not happen. He will hate Christians, stand against any biblical solutions to human problems, and turn the world against the people who will come to Christ after the rapture of the church. John Bunyan wrote, "Antichrist is so proud as to go before Christ; so humble as to pretend to come after him; and so audacious as to say that himself is he."7 Given the continual bombardment of occultic movies, videos, television programs, music, and games, it becomes easy for people to accept the validity of such phenomena. The supernatural is fascinating to people, and most do not see the incredible diabolical evil in occultic practices. There is no question that the Antichrist will be immersed in the occult and the supernatural. He will perform "counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders" (2 Thess. 2:9). His ability will surprise few, but impress ma.s.ses. The stage is set for this kind of leader. People are hungry for demonstrations of power from leaders, no matter how wicked they might be.
In his book There"s a New World Coming, Hal & Lindsey quotes from a 1984 interview conducted by U. S. News World Report with Keith Harary, an experimental psychologist and co-author of the book The Mind Race: Understanding and Using Psychic Abilities: The U.S. government is interested in psychic research and for more than a decade has been sponsoring a multimillion-dollar research program at SRI International, a West Coast think tank. Beyond that, I can"t comment or speculate on Defense Department involvement in this field. I can say, however, that the Soviet Union is interested in psychic research. The Soviets take it very seriously at the highest levels-no doubt about it. My co-author, Russell Targ, and I have visited their remote-viewing laboratory in Soviet Armenia, and it appears the Soviets are also pursuing their interest in the theoretical possibility of behavior manipulation from a distance.8 There is no question that G.o.d will continue to demonstrate His power through G.o.dly people with the evidence of powerful signs and wonders. He has continually done this throughout the history of the church. He is a G.o.d of miracles who heals, delivers from bondage, and most important, forgives and redeems sinners. Yet Jesus warned that many deceivers, false Christs, and wolves in sheep"s clothing would be active in the last days (Matt. 7:15; 24:23-25). We must use discernment as to whether people who promote manifestations, signs, and miracles are being used of G.o.d or are part of that group of people who will deceive many. We should not be impressed by miracles, but impressed with Jesus Christ.
Many a naive Christian or searching non-Christian has been thrown off course by such diabolical people. We learned a long time ago to evaluate people"s ministries by their fruit. Are they giving glory to Jesus Christ? Do these people seek to point others to Jesus or to themselves? Is what they are teaching biblical? Are these people humble before the Lord? Our mental alarm clocks should go off if these people are promoting extrabiblical teaching. If we ask these kinds of questions, G.o.d will help us discern right from wrong, and G.o.dliness from deception.
The world is ready as never before for that "son of perdition" (2 Thess. 2:3 KJV). If the church were raptured from this world today, the Antichrist would have welcome acceptance tomorrow.
The Characteristics of the Antichrist.
SCRIPTURE DESCRIBES WHAT THE Antichrist will be like and what he will do.
He will be against G.o.d and anything sacred to G.o.d.
He will blaspheme G.o.d. It is prophesied that the Jews will rebuild their temple in Jerusalem and restore temple worship. But after a short period of time-three and a half years-the Antichrist will turn on the Jew, seize the temple, and shut down all worship (see Matt. 24:15; Mark 13:14; 2 Thess. 2:4; 1 John 2:22; Rev. 13:5-6). He will then enter the holy of holies and declare himself to be G.o.d. There is a growing hunger among the Jewish people to rebuild the temple. In his book Beginning of the End, John Hagee quotes an organization called the Temple Foundation: Today, at the Temple Inst.i.tute in Jerusalem, Biblical prophecy is being fulfilled. Here, you can see something which has not been seen on the face of the earth for 2,000 years: In preparation for the Third Temple, the Temple Inst.i.tute has created authentic Temple vessels and priestly garments according to Biblical specifications. This is an ongoing process, and to date over 60 sacred objects have been recreated from gold, silver and copper. These vessels are not models or replicas, but they are actually made according to all the complicated nuances and requirements of Biblical law. If the Holy Temple were to be rebuilt immediately, the Divine service could be resumed utilizing these vessels....
In addition to its work on the recreation of Temple vessels, the Inst.i.tute is conducting a number of related research projects. These include importation of authentic Red Heifers to Israel, in preparation for the ritual purification detailed in Numbers 19. Other firsts include the identification and gathering together of all 11 ingredients of the incense offering, and the long and exhaustive research in identifying the stones of the High Priest"s breastplate-the Urim and Thummim. There is even advanced work being done by technicians and architects, using sophisticated computer technology, to design actual blue-prints for the Third Temple.
He will devise and offer a peace treaty to Israel and the Middle East. This peace treaty will temporarily calm the constant unrest in the Holy Land. It seems that the treaty will have a term of seven years, but the Antichrist will break it halfway through (Dan. 9:27).
He becomes empowered by Satan. We can conclude that Satan"s religion becomes the Antichrist"s religion. It has always been Satan"s goal to become G.o.d, and therefore the Antichrist will be an atheist or believe that he is G.o.d (see 2 Thessalonians 2:9; Daniel 11:36-37). When he breaks the treaty, he will boldly seize the temple the Jews will have built; he will sit in the holy of holies and declare himself to be G.o.d. His brazen declaration will shock, anger, and offend the Jewish community, but it will only be another demonstration of his unbridled leadership style.
He will demonstrate hatred toward both Christians and Jews (Rev. 13:5-7). The seven-year tribulation period will see persecution and martyrdom as never before, especially toward the new Christians who have come to Christ after the rapture.10 These Christians will refuse to take the mark of the beast and refuse to cooperate with his evil system of government. The Antichrist will hate them for that reason, but even more so simply because they love G.o.d. People who love Jesus will infuriate him, and he will do all he can to eradicate them. Likewise, the Antichrist will endeavor to destroy the Jews because G.o.d loves the Jews, and anything G.o.d loves, Satan hates.
He will be a popular political world leader (Rev. 13:7-8). The Antichrist will set up a one-world government and a new world order. In our day we hear the terms "one-world government" and "new world order" more and more frequently. John Hagee writes, After World War I, "the war to end all wars," President Woodrow Wilson crafted the League of Nations to uphold peace through a one-world government. Adolph Hitler told the German people he would bring a "new order" to Europe.... The communists of the former Soviet Union pledged to inst.i.tute a new world order.... Now the United Nations want to establish a new world order!11 As the leader of the world, the Antichrist will wage war continually as he tries to hold his one-world government together. The focus of activity will be the tiny country of Israel, and specifically Jerusalem. This city will be trampled for three and a half years (Rev. 11:1-2). Israel will be the seat of the Antichrists government. Since G.o.d loves the Jews and loves Israel, Satan will aim his attack at the place G.o.d loves.
He will come from a country in Europe (see Daniel 7-8). In somewhat complex terms, Daniel covers thousands of years of history as he prophesies that in the last days ten nations will emerge from the location of the old Roman Empire. Daniel explains that this "end time" empire will come from the fourth world empire that has risen and fallen-the four empires being Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. The ten nations will organize a political allegiance and become a formidable world force. The Roman Empire included most of Western Europe. The Antichrist will rise to leadership from one of these ten countries of Europe.
Today the European Economic Union is in the final stages of selecting a common currency that can be used in all its member nations. It is forming a structure to enable people from one member country to work in another. It is becoming a global economic force that will offer stiff compet.i.tion to the rest of the world. However, this alliance is more than economic. It is also a political union of a nature that Daniel prophesied thousands of years ago.
He will devise a cashless society in which every financial transaction will be monitored. This worldwide economic system will restrict anyone from buying or selling without a "mark" that signifies allegiance to the Antichrist. This cashless system will be readily accepted by the world because it will counteract robbery, credit card theft, poor credit ratings, and bad checks. The apostle John wrote, "He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark" (Rev. 13:16-17). This economic system will be a means of exerting control over everyone and identifying those who refuse the mark.
It is conceivable that a cashless society could be established in a fairly short time. Electronic scanners have eliminated the need for writing checks at many American supermarkets, department stores, and gas stations. Many employers provide direct, electronic deposit of paychecks into the bank. A Reader"s Digest article tided "Coming Soon: Electronic Money" claimed that "millions of Americans are already receiving their wages and salaries electronically via direct deposits."12 When the cashless system is fully implemented, a person will simply pa.s.s his or her hand over a scanner and the deduction from the bank account will occur automatically. If there is no money in the account, the person"s credit will automatically be used to complete the transaction. Homes, cars, heat and electric bills, medical charges, food, clothing, emergency needs-everything will need to go through the cashless system. Bank of America has advertised the slogan, "The whole world welcomes world money." We already have the technology for the cashless society. Only G.o.d holds the Antichrist back.
Robert J. Samuelson wrote in Newsweek magazine that.
Every age has its illusions. Ours has been this fervent belief of the power of prosperity. Our pillars of faith are now crashing about us. We are discovering that we cannot, as we had once supposed, create prosperity at will.... Worse, we are learning that even great amounts of prosperity won"t solve all our social problems. Our Good Society is disfigured by huge blemishes: entrenched poverty, persistent racial tension, the breakdown of the family, and staggering budget deficits. We are being rudely disabused of our vision of the future. The result is a deep crisis of spirit that fuels Americans" growing self-doubts, cynicism with politics, and confusion about our global role.13 Samelson"s observations and concerns about America can be duplicated in nations world-wide. The Antichrist will take advantage of the confusion and crisis that people feel and offer a false hope. The world will buy into it.
He will demand that people worship him. People will say, "Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?" (Rev. 13:4). "All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast" (v. 8; see also vv. 11-15; Daniel 8:11). Anyone who refuses to worship an image of the Antichrist will be killed (Rev. 13:15). Many have thought Antiochus Epiphanes,14 Mohammed, Hitler, or others could have been the Antichrist. These people had traits similar to the real person to come.
He will be healed of a fatal wound (Rev. 13:3). Perhaps someone will have tried to a.s.sa.s.sinate him ("wounded by the sword," v. 14). He will be healed of the wound, and the "whole world" will be astonished and follow him. Many will wonder, "Who is this man who has such miraculous power, and authority, such amazing charisma and intelligence and who seemingly cannot even be killed?"
His kingdom will have enormous wealth (Rev. 18). This city or empire, called "Bablyon the Great," will suddenly be destroyed under G.o.ds judgment during the tribulation (v. 8). People around the world will be shocked by its sudden destruction and grieve over its downfall. They will say, "Woe! Woe, O great city, O Babylon, city of power! In one hour your doom has come!" (v. 10).
The secular world church will be allowed to grow until it becomes a threat to the Antichrist. This world religion will comprise cults, various religions, and so-called Christian faiths that do not follow the true apostolic, New Testament doctrine. But the Antichrist will quickly destroy all religions that do not acknowledge him as G.o.d (Rev. 17). Religions other than Christianity and cultic movements have never been a threat to Satan. The people who adhere to false religious faith are still under his control. At various times in history, they have cooperated with Satan in that they have become "drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus" (v. 6). Religions with totalitarian power have always been guilty of killing G.o.d"s prophets and His saints.
He will be a military leader but will lose the war of Armageddon (2 Thess. 2:8; Rev. 16:16; 17:14; 19:17-21). Although the Antichrist will have power and abilities greater than any other human being has ever had, he will be quickly destroyed. "The Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming" (2 Thess. 2:8). This mans abilities and satanic impowerment are as nothing to Jesus Christ. When his time is finished, the Antichrist will be removed in an instant. His arrogance will turn into panic in a split second, when he suddenly realizes who Jesus is and sees that he has absolutely no power over Him (see Revelation 19:11-20).
The Antichrist"s Personality.