Have you heard of "The Assyrian" or "The King of the North" or "The Little Horn" or "The rider with a bow on a white horse"?
These are a few of the many titles given in the Bible to a man called "The Antichrist" - The Ultimate Dictator - fierce, cruel and meciless. He is the "Man of sin" who is to rule the world during a period of 7yrs - (The tribulation) after the "Rapture". He is probably now in the World; plotting, manipulating things. He is the right hand man of Satan.
Antichrist basically means anyone against Christ.
If we read 1 John 2:18 it says, " Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard the antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time."
Also in 1 John 2:2 we read, " Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son."
Again in 1 John 4:3 we read, "And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come: and even now already is it in the world."
In 2 John 7 we read " For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh,. This is a deceiver and an antichrist."
From the above passage we infer that many antichrists have alread come - liars, who have denied that Jesus us the Christ. And the spirit of the antichrist. i.e. Satan or the Devil is already in the world.
But 2 Thessalonians 2 speaks of a specific antichrist or "The man of sin".In 2 Thessalonians 2:3 we read, "Let no man deceive you by any means; for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition:
So the day of the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ will not occur until "The man of sin or "The antichrist" or "The son of perdition" is revealed. But why is the Antichrist not revealed yet? Simply because the Church is still functioning spreading the Gospel and the born again believers are still not raptured.
In 2 Thessalonians 2: 6,7 we read, "And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work, only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way":
Unless "Rapture" takes place the Antichrist will not come on the scene. He may be out there somewhere; scheming things. Once Rapture occurs and the world is in utter chaos concerning the disappearance of millions of born again persons; at that moment "he will make his grand entry" providing a peaceful solution to the crisis.
This crisis will be great, because when millions of believers disappear, accidents will occur all over the world involving cars, trucks, buses, planes and ships as their drivers, pilots and navigators would be missing suddenly.
As we read in Revelation 6:2 "And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow: and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering and to conquer."
He comes on a white horse. i.e. proclaiming peace and though he is out to conquer he has only a bow but no arrows.
In Daniel 9:27 we read, "And he shall confirm the convenant with many for one week…
This "one week" here refers to the 7 year convenant that "the Antichrist" will establish with many nations.
In Isaiah 10:27 we read "And it shall come to pass in that day his burden shall be taken away from of they shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.This means that "The Messiah" at His 2nd coming will destroy the Antichrist who persecutes Israel.
From Isaiah 10:28-33 we understand that "the Antichrist" will conquer many places with great armies and that he will stay a city called Nob which is north of Jerusalem while he is waiting to capture it.
In Daniel 7:8 we read about the "little horn" in which there were eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth speaking great things. This "little horn" agains refers to the Antichrist.
Let's see where the "little horn" comes from!
In the same chapter we read about the four great beasts that come up from the sea (Daniel 7:3-7) namely beasts like a lion, a bear, a leopard and unnamed dreadful one. These refer to the Babylonian empire headed by King Nebuchadnezzar; the Medopersian Empire with Cyms the Persian, Darias the Mede and others ruling; the Grecian empire founded by Alexander the Great and the old Roman empire.
In Daniel 7:7,8 we read about "the little horn" coming out of the 10 hours. i.e. 10 Kingdoms of (the Roman empire to be) the end days. And he (the little horn or Antichrist) will pluck up or capture three of the 10 kingdoms and the remaining will submit to him without resistance.
Daniel 8:3-5 speaks of ram with 2 horns and a goat with a horn between his eyes. Horns in almost all contexts here refer to kings of kindoms. The ram with 2 horns being the kings of Media and Persia and the goat being the Grecian empire with King Alexander as the horn between the eyes.
Daniel 8:8 says,
"Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.
The 4 horns that come out of the broken great horn are the 4 kingdoms formed out of the Grecian empire. Today they are known as Greece, Syrian, Egypt and Turkey.
In Daniel 8:9 we read,
And out of one of them came forth a little horn which waxed exceeding great……
So the Antichrist will come from one of the above countries.
In Daniel 9:2 we read,
"In the first year of his reign, I, Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish Seventy Years in the desolations of Jesusalem."
The 70 Years mentioned here has relevance when we read of the 70 weeks of Daniel 9:24.
The phrase 70 weeks literally mean 70 sevens (Hebreq for week is shabua, seven)
Daniel 9:27 says
"And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week; ….."
Here we see the Antichrist making or providing a peace treaty for 1 week,1 seven.
Keeping this in mind we read Daniel 7:25 where the Bible says,
"And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out of the Saints of the most High and think to change times and laws; and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
Here the Bible speaks about the Antichrist warring with God's saints and that they will be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.i.e for 3 ½ years.
In Revelation 13:5,7 we read about the same thing.
"And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months."
"And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them………"
If he (the Antichrist) is to continue of 42 months (3 Yrs) and he makes a peace treaty of one week or one seven. Surely it is 7 years that the Bible speaks of and not 1 week.
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In Revelation 13:11 we read of the beast coming up out of the earth. This is the false prophet who will be the religious leader of the Antichrist and he performs great miracles and brings more and more people to worship and accept the Antichrist, even bidding them make an image of the beast and worship it.
The Antichrist will force upon all people to take his mark, either on their right hand or their foreheads. ''and he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads; And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast; for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six."(Revelation 13:16-18)
Alphabets of Greek and Hebrew system represent certain numbers. The total of these numbers in the Antichrist's name will be 666. Those who do not take the mark of the beast on their bodies will be killed by the Antiochrist and his armies.
What happens to the "little horn" or "the Antichrist" finally?
Revelation 19 speaks in detail of the fate of the Antichrist. In Revelation 19:11 we read about Christ seated on a white horse coming with His heavenly armies to judge and make war against the Antichrist and his armies. In Revelation 19:19, we read about the Antichrist and his armies gathered together to make war with the one on the white horse (Christ) and His army.
In Revelation 16:13 we read,
"And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the Kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty."
And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue "Armageddon"
Here we see 3 demonic spirits working miracles and wooing men to worship the Antichrist and be his followers and join his armies. These verses also imply that the devilish spirits will gather all the armies of Antichrist fo fight Jesus and the place where the battle of the great day of God Almighty will take place is "Armageddon".
This battle will last only for 1 day as we read in Zechariah 14 and it will be a day where the light will be faint all througout.
"And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: But it shall be one day which sahll be known to the Lord, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light." (Zechariah 14:6,7)
2 Thessalonians 2:8 also speaks about the destruction of the Antichrist.
"And then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming."
The final destiny of the Antichrist and the false prophet is clearly outlined in Revelation 19:20
"And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both are cast alive into a lake of fire, burning with brimstone.'
Terrible times are ahead dear friend, Living during the reign of the Antichrist is asking for trouble.
Either you accept his mark or if caught by his armies be killed by behading. Rev. 20:4 says that those not accepting the mark of the beast or worshipping it will be beheaded ruthlessly.
Also the tribulation is a period when God pours forth his wrath on mankind. Wars, pestilences, famines, plagues are all going to happen during that period.
Why wait for that trial? Be prepared to meet the Lord in the air during Rapture and be with Him forever.
Cry our to God today. "O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help."
(Psalm 71:12)
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