The Antichrist

Transcript

GR 427
12/20/1981
The Antichrist
Selected Verses
Gil Rugh

Through our study of the Gospel of John recently. We focused our attention on the earthly ministries of Christ, His coming to earth. The ministry that He during three carried out, particularly the years of His public ministry where He presented Himself to the nation Israel as Messiah and King, God's only Son. God's provision for Israel as a Messiah for the world as a Savior. But the world was unwilling to have Jesus Christ as King. Unwilling to accept Him in spite of all the evidence given. One of the great difficulties was that Jesus Christ came in a manner unacceptable, particularly to the nation Israel. He did not cane in glory. He did not come with the display of power and majesty as we would respect in an earthly human being. He was born in a stable, raised in a rather humble environment, came to adulthood without any spectacular impact being made on the world at that time. Israel was unable to accept a Messiah like Him.

They were looking for a glorious political deliverer. That was first. And the spiritual impact and the spiritual significance was somewhere in the background. They world have voiced an acceptance of that, but as far as being willing to follow One like that, they were not ready.

Look over in John chapter 5. Jesus spoke about their unwillingness to accept Him. In John chapter 5 He speaks about much future material, particularly coming judgment. He is the One who is destined to judge everyone. To rule and to reign in power. Verse 39 of John 5 "You searched the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life. And it is these that bear witness of Me and you are unwilling to come to Me that you may have life." The Scriptures, the record from God testify to Me, but you are unwilling to have Me as your Messiah and Savior. Unwilling to come to Me that you might have life from God.

Down to verse 43. "I have carte in My Father's name and you do not receive Me." At the heart of the rejection of Jesus Christ is the sinful rebellion of humanity against God. It is not that Jesus Christ did not display power, did not manifest that He was from God. He did the greatest miracles that had ever or have ever been done. He taught in a manner that dumbfounded even the learned of His day. But, Jesus said, "I have come in My Father’s name and you do not receive Me." Because of the sinfulness of the human heart, our rebellion against a holy God, we are unwilling to have Him and His Son have their way in our lives. That's the basic problem.

That continues down to today. Why does the vast majority of the world celebrate Christmas and yet not believe in the Savior that is being provided in birth? Because of the sinfulness of the human heart, the unwillingness to submit ourselves to God and His plan and His salvation. So the character of humanity has not changed.

But note the last part of verse 43. "If another shall come in his own name you will receive him." The world has not ceased to look for a deliverer. The longing of the human heart has not changed. To have a Messiah, to have a Savior, It to have a King, is simply that sinful fallen humanity is unwilling to have God as its king. But Jesus says when one comes in his own name you will receive him. And here He is looking forward to that time when Satan will raise up a counterfeit Messiah, a counterfeit Savior. And this one will be followed by the war Id. Be submitted to by the war Id. Be believed in by the war Id. But he will be Satan's Messiah, Satan's king—not God's.

Look over in II Corinthians chapter 11. Paul writing here about those who are false teachers and false apostles. The danger that that poses. Even for Christians in being deceived by false teaching. Verse 3, Paul expresses his concern. "But I am afraid lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your mind should be lead astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ." Warning to those Corinthians about being lead astray from Christ. But be aware of how Satan works. He is a master counterfeiter. He presents something that has the appearance of being genuine, but is not. In many ways it looks real but it is not.

Down to verse 13. Concerning these false apostles and false teachers. "For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ and no wonder for even Satan himself disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness whose end shall be according to their deeds." This is Satan's program and operating in the world today. Not to annihilate religion necessarily, but to offer counterfeits for people to follow and believe in. Satan has no problem with people being religious. He has a vast intricate religious system. We'll see this in future studies on the apostate church in Revelation 17. He is a master at religious systems but he stands firmly opposed to the truth of God.

Look over in II Thessalonians where we were for our Scripture reading. Verse 9. Regarding now —This one, Satan has many counterfeits today. Down through the centuries he has developed counterfeit religious systems offering something for everyone. But this will all find its culmination and climax in the greatest counterfeit that he has ever constructed. That one who is the epitome. Satan's masterpiece—to imitate Jesus Christ. To be the false Messiah. Now there have been other false messiahs. There are some present in the world today. But this one will be the culmination of them all. The greatest of them all. His ministry will have world-wide impact and he will rule as a counterfeit god. Over the world for a brief period of time.

In verse 9 of II Thessalonians 2. "That is, the one whose coning is in accord with the activity of Satan with all power and signs and false wonders; with all the deception of wickedness for those who did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence that they might believe that is false." You see the stress here on that which is false, counterfeit, deluding, deceptive. That is the way Satan operates. That is why it is so crucial even for us as believers. Be careful to analyze and sift everything through the Word of God that we might not be deceived and deluded. And I thought it would be fitting for us this morning. We talked about the first coming of Jesus Christ to earth. We focused attention upon the fact that God has provided His Son. We look and see what the Bible says about a coming individual who is going to be the great imitation of Jesus Christ. And Satan is wise. He constructs a counterfeit that is acceptable to the world, followed by the world.

Turn back to the Book of Daniel. In our last consideration together we looked at the coming form of Western world government. That as Daniel surveyed the empires of the world beginning with the one of his day, Babylon Then Mado-Persia. Then Greece. Then Rome. Then Rome takes on a final form of a ten-nation confederacy. And we noted that this ten-nation confederacy is yet future. That the Western world. The Old Roman Empire, will be reassembled with ten nations federated together to form a kingdom that is both strong and weak.

And in Daniel chapter 7 these different empires are seen under the image of wild beasts. This is significant. This will be picked up again, this imagery in the Book of Revelation. Empires of the world seen as beasts, preying on one another. And in verse 7 of Daniel 7. "After this I kept looking in the night vision and behold, a fourth beast representing the Roman Empire. Dreadful, terrifying, extremely strong. It had large iron teeth. It devoured. Crushed. Trampled down the remainder with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it. And it had ten horns. Same thing that it symbolized in Daniel chapter 2 with the image of the man and the ten toes of iron and clay. Ten horns on this image. Still part of this fourth beast. Still talking about
the Roman Empire. That's why we speak of a revival of the Roman Empire.

Now there are ten horns on the head of this beast and we noted that over in verse 24 of Daniel 7: "As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom (the fourth kingdom, Rome) ten kings will arise." So out of the Roman Empire, the remnants of the Roman Empire that has seemed to be dead for so long, arises ten kings or kingdoms. A king and a kingdom are used interchangeably in biblical prophecy. Ten kings or ten kingdoms arise.

All right. Back to verse 8 of chapter 7. "While I was contemplating the horns, behold another horn. A little one came up among them and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it. Behold this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth uttering great boasts." So from within this ten- nation confederacy there arises a little horn evidently indicating his seeming insignificance, lack of prominence early in his career. But he absorbs three of these kingdoms and becomes the dominant influence in the revived Roman Empire. Now as we noted this is going on after the Rapture of the Church during what we call the seven years Tribulation. General framework we are dealing with.

Now for the first three and one-half years of this tribulation period the anti-Christ as we'll be talking about him, this political Western world ruler, will be the dominant element in the revived Roman Empire. For the last three and one-half years he will dominate the world in its entirety. So here the stress is on his rise to power. A little horn, coming up, seemingly insignificant. To take hold of power within this ten-nation confederacy. In becoming the dominant voice and dominant influence.
Over in verse 24 of Daniel 7. As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise and another will arise after them and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings. And will speak out against the Most High, wear down the saints of the Highest One. He will intend to make alterations in times and in law and they will be given into his hand for two a time, times and a half time. For a time, two times, and a half time. Three and one half times. You'll see in Revelation, that's three and one-half years. The last three and one-half years when he has come to solidify power in the world. Then he turns to vent his rage on the people of God and particularly the nation Israel. And attempts to annihilate them. Sets himself up as god in the world.

But the court will sit for judgment. His dominion will be taken away, annihilated
and destroyed forever. The sovereignty, the dominion, the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom and all the dominion will serve and obey Him."

It's at the intervention of Jesus Christ, at His second coming to earth, that the rule and reign of Satan's counterfeit Messiah is brought to a climax and a conclusion. The intervention of Jesus Christ Himself.

Look over in Daniel chapter nine. We spent some time here in our last study as well with the 70 weeks of Daniel. But again just to focus attention now particularly on this individual. He is called the little horn in the passage we just read in Daniel chapter 7. The little horn, indicating something of his insignificance at the beginning of his reign. In Daniel chapter 9 he is called the prince that shall come. The prince who is to come. We saw the chronology of the 70 weeks.
We won't take time to look at that again.

Verse 26. After the 62 weeks which was after seven weeks. So after 69 weeks, which is 483 years, 69 times seven. It's a week of years. It's not a week of days. Seven year period. 69 of those. After 483 years the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing and the people of the prince who is to come (that's Satan's counterfeit Messiah) the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. Even its end will come with a flood. Even to the end there will be war, desolations are determined." Now note "And He will make a firm covenant with the many for one week." Remember we noted. This marks the beginning of the seven year tribulation. Why we call it the 70th week of Daniel. This last seven year period that Daniel talks about. Begun when the anti-Christ signs an agreement as the representative of this Western world government, revived Roman Empire. Evidently guaranteeing the sovereignty and security of the nation Israel.

Because we find in Ezekiel 38 that Israel is living in peace without its own defenses during the first three and one-half years of the Tribulation. Evidently relying totally on this false Messiah who is guaranteeing their security and peace. He will make a firm covenant with the many. Israel for one week. But in the middle of the week, three and one-half years along, he breaks the covenant. Put a stop to sacrifice grain offerings. On the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until the complete destruction, one that is decreed is poured out on the one who makes desolate." He will continue until his own destruction at the hands of Jesus Christ.

He is mentioned also while you are in Daniel, over in Daniel chapter 11, verse 36. Daniel 11:36. Here he is called the willful king, the king who does as he pleases. Verse 36: "Then the king will do as he pleases." That willful king, the king who does as he pleases is again the anti-christ, this political ruler. "He will exalt and magnify himself above every god, will speak monstrous things against the God of gods. He will prosper until the indignation is finished for that which is decreed will be done. He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or the desire of women. Nor will he show regard for any other god. He will magnify himself above all. He will honor a god of fortresses, a god whom his fathers did not know. He will honor them with gold, silver, costly stones and so on. We'll be in this section in a future study because of the battle that is depicted here.

Cone over to II Thessalonians 2 again if you would, When will this this individual appear on the earthly scene? Not until after the Rapture of the church. Not until after believers are removed from the earth. Now he may be alive today. If the Rapture is any time soon he is alive today. But from what Daniel says about him being a little horn, he could be anyone we see probably living in Europe, coming out of the revived Roman Empire. An insignificant person at this point in time.

The Thessalonians were concerned because of the persecution beginning to envelope them that perhaps they had come into the Tribulation. The Tribulation had begun. Paul writes to correct that. You can't be in the Tribulation folks. The Rapture occurs before the Tribulation.

Verse 1 begins. "We request you brethren with regard to the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him. Remember we studied the Rapture of the Church? Christ’s coming and our being gathered to Him, caught up to meet Him in the air. "That you might not be quickly shaken from your composure, or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us to the affect that the Day of the Lord has come." Day of the Lord—drawing that expression from the Old Testament. The time of God's wrath we’re calling the Tribulation. That seven year period in particular. The time, the 70th week of Daniel. Don't let anybody fool you like they have gotten a letter from the Apostle Paul that we're in the Tribulation or they have gotten a message from God or any such thing. Verse 3: "Let no one in any way deceive you for it will not come [the day
of the Lord] unless the apostasy corns first." First thing that has to happen the apostasy. That's just the Greek word carried over into English, aposteia. It means a departure.

Now I think there's two possibilities for the word here. The word simply says unless the departure comes first. The only departure he has talked about in the context is the departure of the believers from the earth in verse 1. The coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him. Now let me tell you that the Tribulation will not come unless the departure canes first. What's the only departure he has talked about in the context? The departure of saints from the earth. The Rapture. I think that that has validity. The word simply means a departure. It's used that way of a departure from one place to another in a physical sense in the New Testament several times. Now it is also used to talk about a departure from the faith as Paul writes to Timothy. In the last days many will depart from the faith. There it is qualified by the expression "from the faith." So it could be talking about here a doctrinal departure. That there will be a mass moving away from the truth of the Word of God. However, that's general. There will be people who believe the Word of God at all times. But there will be a general deterioration in the world. Not a general improvement, but a general deterioration. That's Scriptural. So either one would fit here. Both are true. But the Rapture is going to occur before the Tribulation also. Things are going to deteriorate doctrinally and spiritually in the world. And you may be talking about that. I prefer the Rapture as being in view here, but either is true.

"And the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction." Note—the antichrist must be revealed at the beginning of the Day of the Lord because remember Daniel 9:27 he must sign the agreement with Israel to mark the beginning of the Tribulation. He is called here the man of lawlessness and the son of destruction. Two other names for the antichrist, this political ruler of the Western war Id. He is the son of lawlessness, the man of lawlessness. Meaning that is his basic character as regards God he is lawless. He is contrary and stands against all that God is. He is also the son of destruction or perdition, as Judas Iscariot was. He is the man destined for destruction in hell. He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship so that he takes himself in the temple of God displaying himself as being God.

Verse 6. "You know what restrains him now so that in his time he may be revealed." There is something restraining the unveiling of that person in the outbreak of full lawlessness. "For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work." We see that going on with rapidity today. John saw it in his day. It's getting worse. We wonder why lawlessness is breaking out.

Interested in the news magazines recently. One of the cover stories on the increasing lawlessness in our own country and the inability to stop it. It is getting worse and worse. I was reading about one of the countries in Europe this morning. One of the news magazines. Several pages devoted to the lawlessness going on there. Around the world. Another cover story in this weeks’ Time magazine. Talking about how lawlessness has reached a new degree. That now the heads of state become potential targets for assassination and the inability to cope with the deteriorating situation in the world. The mystery of lawlessness is already at work. We as believers ought not to be surprised that this is going on. We ought not to be shaken in our faith because this is happening. The Scripture clearly lays out that lawlessness will continue and get worse and worse and the reason that it does not envelope the world in its entirety is there is a restraining influence on lawlessness today.

Verse 7. The mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth, “referring to the antichrist. So he cannot be revealed until the Restrainer is removed. Who is the Restrainer? It's the Holy Spirit of God. He is the only One who acts to hold back wickedness today. Some have interpreted this as human government. Human government will not come to an end with the arrival of the antichrist. This will be the climax of human government, not the end of it. We see government often used to promote lawlessness in situations like Nazi Germany, communist parts of the world. Libya under Gidafe. Government is used to promote lawlessness, not to restrain lawlessness in many cases. The Restrainer is the Holy Spirit.
He will be removed.

How will He be removed? He will be present in the world as He has always been. He is omnipresent as God. But as He indwells the Church, having core in a unique way at Pentecost in Acts chapter 2. So with the Rapture of the Church the Spirit of God will be removed in that special ministry He has been carrying on in the Church. And in that way that aspect of His restraining influence will be removed. So Satan is now given liberty and freedom to unveil his master counterfeit and present him as the false savior. So you see the antichrist will not be revealed or unveiled until after the Rapture and then he will care to rise very quickly. Does not mean he could not be laying the groundwork, assimilating the base of his power so that as soon as the Rapture occurs that Satan is ready to move him to the fore. And Satan as the god of this world could move a man into leadership just overnight.

I was interested. I was reading "Tine" magazine's cover story on Libya and Gadape and the situation there and I want to say at the beginning I do not believe that he is the antichrist. Now I want to say that at the beginning or else somebody will misunderstand and go out and I say that the ruler of Libya is the antichrist. I do not believe that. Okay? All right.

When we get to Ezekiel 38 we'll talk about Libya and Libya is aligned with Russia against the Western world in the Tribulation. But interesting to read there how an individual who was insignificant coming to power in 1969 replacing a Western oriented regime. A man who ruled over a little patch of barren desert of only 3,000,000 people has so absorbed the attention of the world so that now the president of supposedly one of the most powerful countries of the world is afraid that someone sent by this man might execute him or members of his government. And we see what happens. I encourage you to read that article because it just reminds you of how quickly a relatively insignificant person can cone on the scene and from a relatively little power base, exert influence far beyond what you might expect.

But the antichrist is going to arise from the nations within the old federated Roman Empire within Europe, assimilate power after the Rapture of the Church. Now he functions for 3 and one-half years as the friend of Israel, assimilating his power.

Come over to Revelations 13. We'll come back to II Thessalonians 2, time permitting. Revelation 13. Just want to touch on all these basic passages with you and the information that is given here. Revelation 13, he is identified as the beast. Now there's two beasts in Revelation 13. A beast from the sea and a beast from the land or the earth. They are different individuals. The beast from the sea is the one we are talking about as the antichrist.

Verse 1. The second statement. "I saw a beast coming up out of the sea." Now this beast remember goes back to what Daniel saw in Daniel chapter 7. So you have put on your Old Testament hat to think like an Old Testament person, the beast. Well that's the images that Daniel had. Caning up out of the sea. Sea probably referring to the people. Over in Revelation 17, the waters are said to be the peoples, the nations of the world. Coming out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads. Ten horns—we saw that in Daniel chapter 7. Seven heads— seven heads. Daniel had Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome. That's four. But Daniel encompasses the empires that preceded Daniel's time as well. John does. John takes the whole scope of the nations of the world as they relate to Israel. So he includes Egypt and Assyria as world empires that were significant because of their relationship to Israel. Remember all of this is seen in relation to Israel now. So that is six added to Daniel's four. Egypt and Assyria preceded Babylon. Then you have four. That's six. There's seven here. Well, the seventh is the kingdom, the ten-nation confederacy that we have been talking about developed a little bit further. Let's go on and see how this unfolds.

Ten on his horns were ten diadems. Now the diadems you remember are crowns of a ruler. So these are kingdoms or kings. On his heads were blasphemous names. So these empires of the world have been godless empires. Godless kingdoms. "The beast which I saw was like a leopard. His feet were like those of a bear. His mouth like that of a lion." Remember Daniel chapter 7? You can go back and read it if you weren't here for our last study. In his final empire encompasses all the other empires as elements that is absorbed from them all. So these animals are the animals used to depict the various empires in Daniel chapter 7. And note that the reason that Revelation is such a hard book to understand is because it is full of the Old Testament and we know little about the Old Testament. It's the least original book in the Whole Bible probably because all of it is drawn from the Old Testament. Here, these animals which seem so confusing.

The end of verse 2 is particularly important. "The dragon gave him his power and his throne and his great authority." Now the dragon. Back up to Revelation chapter 12, verse 3. "Another sign appeared in heaven. Behold a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns and on his heads were seven diadems." You see the basis for these earthly empires is the dragon.

Now down in verse 9 of Revelation 12. "The great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan who deceives the whole world. You see the motivating power and force behind these earthly worldly empires? The one supporting them, motivating them, Satan. He is the god of this world and the empires of this world are blasphemous. They have written across them blasphemous names because they are godless empires motivated and dominated by Satan. We see in Daniel something of the arrangement of the demonic world of this. Where the demonic being who is the prince of Persia does battle with the angel of God in Satan's hierarchical structure.

So you core over to chapter 13 again. This final beast, the antichrist has his power, authority, and might from Satan himself. Verse 3: "I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain and his fatal wound was healed and the whole earth was aim zed and followed after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast and they worshipped the beast saying, 'Who is like the beast and who is able to wage war with him?' And there was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words, blasphemies." You note. An authority to act for 42 months was given to him. Remember we said in Daniel that when you talk about a time, times and a half times. When we talk about the 70 weeks and talk about in the middle of the 70th week there'll be a change. Here are 42 months. 42 months is how long? Three and one-half years. You'll have that by days also in this section. 360 days is what we are talking about. A prophetic year in Scripture is 360 days. So 1260 days is 3% years. So it's not a matter of guess work, of how much time are we talking about. The time of his absolute dominion is 3h years.
So the miles over the federated 10 nations in the Western world for the first 3h years. There'll be some things happen in the middle of that 7 year period that enables him to assert world-wide power and to rule as world ruler for the last 3h years. Okay
that's what we are talking about then here. We ought to pick up verse 3. "I saw one of his heads as it has been slain. His fatal wound was healed." Two possibilities here. Sane hold that the antichrist, this man, will be mortally wounded, experience death, and be brought back to life. This will make such an impact on the world that they will accept him as deity, as God. This could happen in the battle connected with Russia's invasion of Israel that's going to occur in the middle of the Tribulation and now with our worldwide communication, with satellite tv and so, this event could be all over the world. Think of the impact that that would make, that this man is killed and the world is mourning. All of a sudden, with all the television cameras on him, everybody around the world watching, he is brought back to life. That would cause you to stop and think that maybe what's in view here. Many good Bible teachers believe that.

Other possibility is that the head that has been slain refers to the Roman Empire that seems to look like for all intents purposes to have died as an empire. Mean—is the Roman Empire functioning as an empire today? We would say, No, it's dead and it's been dead for centuries, but it's going to come back under this man's dynamic. Motivated by Satan he is going to resurrect an empire that seems to have been dead. The world is going to be so am zed at his power and might that they will follow him as divine. I personally favor the second interpretation that it refers to the Roman Umpire being brought back to life here. Although the other wouldn't shatter my faith and I won't be here to see either one, but I prefer that it's, I think it's more consistent to say that it is the empire here since one of his heads has been slain and the heads refer to the empires. That one of the empires having died, particularly the Roman Empire, here the last one.

Verse 6 "He opened his mouth in blasphemies against God to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, those who dwell in heaven. It was given to him to make war with the saints, to overcome them." He is going to be successful during these last three and one-half years in his program. Now he'll be cut off before he can complete it but many people are going to be saved during the Tribulation. Many of those who came to trust Christ during the Tribulation are going to be martyred for their faith. "Authority over every tribe and people, tongue and nation was given to him and all who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the Lamb's Book of Life." Note that—it's a worldwide rule with a worldwide worship.

Now just a note with verse 11 there's a second beast who comes on the scene. He is a religious character. He is the false prophet as we term him. Another beast coming out of the earth. Seme take this to mean he will be a Jew. "Out of the land". And you talk about the land or the earth. Many interpret this to be a Jew caning out of Palestine. That might be. Now his prime function is to direct the worship of the world to the antichrist. So you see you have a Satanic trinity. You have Satan paralleling God the Father. You have the antichrist paralleling Jesus Christ and you have the false prophet paralleling the ministry of the Holy Spirit. What does the Holy Spirit do? Jesus said the Holy Spirit will glorify Me. What does the false prophet do? He glorifies the antichrist and directs the worship of the world to him.

Verse 12. "He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. He makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast whose fatal wound was healed. He performs great signs so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men."

Now I tell you. You're sitting at home watching your television, the evening news and here this man is on and he calls down fire from heaven. What do you think the world is going to think? I think that the tremendous emphases today on the miraculous, on miracles, the absorption of people and wanting the supernatural. Part of the preparation for the coming of this man. We have many gods today. Many messiahs who have made themselves wealthy many times over, who have established little empires by claiming to be able to do miraculous things. Some of you watch them on your television screen and
you shouldn't do it. They're counterfeits. They're part of Satan's program to prepare the world for the master counterfeiter. You haven't seen anything. The greatest miracle worker the world will ever see apart from Jesus Christ Himself is Satan's counterfeit. Christians need to be careful they're not absorbed in, oh, look at the miracles. Look what's going on. Satan is preparing the way for his master miracle doer.
Verse 14: "He deceives those who dwell in the earth because of the signs which it was given to him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and its come to life. There was given to him breath to give breath to the image of the beast that the image of the beast might even speak." Now here you're really getting into something. They make an image to the beast, the antichrist and his empire and then the false prophet says, now watch this. And that image that he has constructed begins to speak and come to life. He gives literally spirit to the image. It may be that through demonic activity this image takes on the form of life. Amazing. That's impressive. Going to deceive the world with that. Who else but God could do it? Now this becomes an important event here because this ties and we don't have time to go into the details. We'll pick some of these up along in our further studies.

But you remember the abomination of desolation of Daniel 9. In °Matthew chapter 2 4 "when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet" then don't go home to pack your clothes. But take off to hide in the hills. That's what we're talking about in Revelation 13, the abomination of desolation. Thessalonians talked about it where the antichrist will sit in the temple of God declaring himself to be God. The temple is going to be reconstructed in Jerusalem. The antichrist perhaps through his favor with the Jews will aid the construction of this temple during the first three and one-half years of the Tribulation. The middle of the tribulation—he takes up residence in the temple, has his image set there defiling the temple as Antipas Epiphanes did in Daniel 8 to be a type of the antichrist. Then he declares all the world must worship him and any who will not worship him is to be executed.

Verse 15. "There was given to him breath to give breath to the image of the beast that the image of the beast might even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. He causes all, the small, the great, the rich, the poor, the free men, the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead. He provides that no one should be able to buy or to sell except the one who has the mark. The name of the beast or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast for the number is that of a man. His number is 666."

And to enlighten you at this time of year I spent much time researching 666 and I don't have the foggiest idea what it means. It's the mark of a man six being the number of a man. Don't know but I take it perhaps the Tribulation cones, those who are believers with the events that are transpiring, this number 666 will take on special significance. That those who are reading this in the 7 year Tribulation will cane to believe in Jesus Christ ‘will recognize the significance of 666 and be able to put it together. You and I can't. Just like we can't identify the antichrist today. But I take it it will be significant for those then, particularly the nation Israel who will be studying this passage in the Tribulation. Coming to believe in the Messiah of Israel.

One other passage and we have to be done. Revelation 17. You have the same kind of analogy. First part of Revelation 17 talks about the apostate church, the false religious system that will be in existence during the first three and one-half years of the Tribulation. We see after the Rapture of the Church when all true believers in Jesus Christ are removed from the earth, religion will go on and flourish. You have some of the same analogies in verse 9. "Here is the mind which has wisdom the seven heads are seven
mountains on which the woman sits. They are seven kings, five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come." Five have fallen. That's Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, five have fallen. One is—that's Rome. The other has not yet come. That refers to the ten nation confederacy. So you see even as John writes, 60 years after the death of Christ the ten nation confederacy has not come into existence yet. That shows there is a break between the 69th and 70th week of Daniel.

"And when he canes he must remain a little while. And the beast which was and is not is himself an eighth is one of the seven." So you see John says here even you can divide this seven- ten nation confederacy into two kingdoms. The first three and one-half years there will be ten nations. For the last three and one- half years there will be one individual, one world ruler, the beast. The ten horns which you saw are ten kings. They have not yet received the kingdom. They receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. They have one purpose. They give their power and authority to the beast. So these ten nations federated together, joined together in agreement to give all their power to the antichrist to promote him to world rule.

So you see the Bible says clearly Satan has a man coming on the scene. Isn't it amazing? 2000 years ago God sent His only begotten Son to earth to be the Messiah of Israel, to be the Savior. And men are unwilling to have Him. Satan will construct a counterfeit and he'll be like the Messiah in every way except he'll be Satanic and not divine. Now that's a major difference. But the world will love him. You know why? My sinful heart will have a God that fits my sinful desires. That I can worship the way I want to worship. The problem there. Jesus Christ came to be the Messiah, to be the Savior and He is. Praise God that we have the privilege of believing in One who is true, One who is genuine, One who is real. We'll see the end of this false Messiah is hell. He'll be cast into the Lake of Fire by Jesus Christ. And all those who are his followers will be cast into hell with him. What a tragedy. There are people today confronted with the reality of Jesus Christ as God's Son who came to earth to be their Savior. They say, No, I won't have Him. No, I'm unwilling to believe in Him and when Satan presents his master counterfeit they'll say, Yes, now I've found what I've been looking for. The man that I can follow and believe in. And he's leading them to hell. What a tragedy! Have you considered who Jesus Christ is? Have you stopped to consider the significance that the Son of God came to earth so that He might be your Savior? That He might pay the penalty for sin. That He might redeem us. That He might cleanse us. He might make us a people for God's special possession. Have you ever come to believe in Him? I trust you will if you haven't even today.

Let's pray together