ANTICHRIST Part III

Image result for the popular encyclopedia of bible prophecy

THE POPULAR ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIBLE PROPHECY

ANTICHRIST  Part III

THE ANTICHRIST’S GENIUS AND POWER

The Antichrist will be the most incredible political leader that the world have ever known. on the surface he will appear to be the epitome of human genius and power. Arthur W. Pink ( P.77 ) writes,”Satan has had full opportunity afforded him to study fallen human nature… The devil knows full well how to dazzle people by the attraction of power…. He knows how to gratify the craving for knowledge….. He can delight the ear with music and the eyes with entrancing beauty…. He know how to exalt people to dizzy heights of worldly greatness and fame, and how to control the greatness so that it may be employed against God and his people.”

Note the following list of characteristics of the Antichrist as described in the scriptures:

  1. Intellectual genius ( Daniel 7:20 )
  2. oratorical genius ( Daniel 7:20 )
  3. Political genius ( Daniel 11:21 )
  4. Commercial genius ( Daniel 8:25 )
  5. Military genius ( Daniel 8:24 )
  6. Administrative genius ( Revelation 13: 1-2 )
  7. Religious genius ( 2 Thessalonians 2:4)

Perhaps the most telling of his characteristics is depicted in Daniel 11:21, which tells us that he will come to power and “seize it through intrigue”( flatteries, ” KJv ) Here is a master of deception, empowered by the “father of lies”. Many believe he will be Satan incarnate – thus his miraculous recovery in Revelation 13:3.

The Contrasts between Christ and the Antichrist shows them as mirror opposites.

CHRIST:

  1. The Truth
  2. Holy One
  3. Man of Sorrows
  4. Son Of God
  5. The Mystery of Godliness
  6. Good Shepherd
  7. Exalted On High
  8. Humbled Himself
  9. Despised
  10. Cleanse the Temple
  11. Slain For the People
  12. The Lamb Of God

The Antichrist:

  1. The Lie
  2. Lawless One
  3. The Man Of Sin
  4. The Son Of Satan
  5. The Mystery Of Iniquity
  6. Worthless Shepherd
  7. Cast Down to Hell
  8. Exalted Himself
  9. Admired
  10. Defiles the Temple
  11. Slays the People
  12. The Beast

A simple survey of characteristics of the Antichrist confirms that he is both a false Christ ( Pseudochristo ) and against Christ ( Antichristos ). He masquerades as an angel of light only to plunge the world into spiritual darkness. Like Satan, he is a destroyer, not a builder. Promising peace, he pushes the world into war. In every conceivable way, he is just like Satan, who indwells and empower him.

IS THE ANTICHRIST ALIVE TODAY

The Spirit of Antichrist is alive and well- it is the Satan Inspired expression of the lawless and rebellion against God, the things of God and the people of God. It has been alive since Satan slithered his way around the Garden Of Eden. It has been the driving force behind the whole terrible history of the Human Race- Wars, Murdered, Thefts, Rapes, and the like. It is the ugly expression of the destructive of the great deceiver himself. The New Testament Authors assure us that the Spirit of Antichrist was active in their days nearly 20 centuries ago. It has remain active throughout the whole of Church history, expressing it self in persecution, heresies, spiritual deceptions, false prophets, and false religions. Satan has battle the church at every turn through out its long history, waiting for the right moment to indwell the right person- the Antichrist- as his final masterpiece.

Guessing whether certain contemporary figures might be the Antichrist, however, has always proven futile. Viewing the future through the eyes of the present led to some fantastic yet incorrect speculations in the twentieth century alone. The problem with these identification is they are always tentative and are based on limited perspective. Tragically, people guessing dates and selecting possibilities for the Antichrist are claiming to know more than the writers of scriptures. The Apostle Paul comments on this in 2 Thessalonians 2: 1 -12, where he tells us that the coming of Our Lord Jesus” will not happen ” until the rebellion occurs” and the “man of Lawlessness is revealed.” Next, he tells us that “you know what is holding him back, so that he may be reveal at the proper time”( verse 6 ). Only after the rapture of the church will the identity of the Antichrist be revealed. In other words, you don’t want to know who he is. If you ever do figure out who he is, you have been left behind!

Satan must prepared a man to be his crowning achievement in every generation, so we should not be surprised that several candidates have appeared on the horizon of human history only to vanish away. Satan must wait on God’s timing, so he is already defeated before he ever begins his final assault on God. He can’t make his move until God release the restraining power of the Holy Spirit indwelling the church. Therefore, the spirit is the agent and the church is the means by which God restrains Satan’s diabolical plan until the father call us home to heaven.