“I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive." John 5:43 NKJV
Unsurprisingly, considering the days in which we live, attempts to positively identify this coming world leader who is also known as the antichrist, have increased dramatically. In many ways, it might seem appropriate given the times in which we live and the overwhelming evidence pointing to the nearness of the rapture of the Church. Truthfully though, I and many other teachers believe it is a fruitless endeavor to attempt to identify him simply because the Bible makes it clear that his identity will not be positively revealed until he tries to convince the world that he is God.
In this passage we see Jesus making a statement to the Jewish leaders who were seeking to kill him because He claimed to be God. Here Jesus prophecies that while they will reject Him and His claim, a time will come when the Jews will accept another man as their messiah. This person is, of course, the man most often referred to as the antichrist, who comes as a man of peace but will ultimately plunge the entire world into war and suffering on a scale never before seen. If the world is as close to the tribulation as many believe, obviously this person is currently active on the world scene and in a position to assume his ultimate role.
“Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,” 2 Thessalonians 2:1-9. NKJV
In discussions on the subject of the antichrist, I have often been asked if I have any "favorites" as far as candidates for this position, and many have shared their picks with me. Although the Bible gives us 43 names of this man, as well as a complete physical description, I believe we also need to understand that the Bible suggests it is fruitless for us to try and identify who he may be.
There are, however, several points the Bible makes clear about the identity of this coming world leader which we as believers need to be aware of. Of these, the one that is the most important to our discussion here is found in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-9. It is here that Paul tells us that there is a prerequisite for the revealing of this man to the world and that is the removal of someone or something called "he who now letteth" or "he who now restrains" depending on the translation you use.
Who or what is this "restrainer"? Some feel this is a reference to world governments that exist at the time, but the most common interpretation is that this is referring to the Holy Spirit which at this time is present in all believers, the body of Christ, also known as His Church. So if Paul tells us that in order for this man to be revealed the Church must be removed, it seems obvious he is talking about the rapture. The obvious conclusion from what Paul has to say is that we, the Church, won't be here when the Antichrist is revealed and begins his rule.
This event, proclaiming himself to be God, occurs halfway through the seven year tribulation period so the question which should be on everyone’s mind is why is he not recognized before then? I can’t say for certain, but the fact that this coming world ruler will be not only received with open arms, but embraced as the answer to all the world’s problems should certainly give us pause for thought. Although there will be those few who will understand who he really is,there is obviously something about this individual which makes him stand out from the other leaders of the time, and the result is that he will succeed in gathering a following which will propel him to a position of immense power.
“And in the latter time of their kingdom, When the transgressors have reached their fullness, A king shall arise, Having fierce features, Who understands sinister schemes. His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; He shall destroy fearfully, And shall prosper and thrive; He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people. “Through his cunning He shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule; And he shall exalt himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in their prosperity. He shall even rise against the Prince of princes; But he shall be broken without human means.” Daniel 8:23-25 NKJV
The truth is, what we are witnessing today occurring all around the world is Satan preparing the way for the emergence of his lackey, the antichrist. Somehow this coming man of sin will rise to power by deceit and cunning while at the same time managing to broker and enforce a peace when so many before him have failed. If we are as close to the end as many believe, this man is currently active on the world stage and being positioned by Satan. With the formation of a one world government as prominent in the thinking of the European Union, as well as many of the worlds leaders, it would certainly come as no surprise if the coming antichrist has been somehow involved in the politics of its gestation and waiting in the wings for his time to appear.
A natural question arises as to how much just one man can change the world in which we live? I'm sure that most people would come to the conclusion that one man can't, given the complexity of the world's governments, financial institutions, and even religions that exist today. Unfortunately though, the Bible makes it clear that there will be a man who not only can and will accomplish great change, but will also change the course of history by sending the earth as we know it on a path to certain destruction.
When discussing the coming antichrist, many have made the point of describing all of the attributes listed in God’s Word about this man as a way of explaining how he is able to somehow achieve the impossible. While not disagreeing about their importance I would like to suggest one simple explanation which may often be overlooked. You see, in the passage above from Daniel we are told that although this coming world leader will be extremely strong, “his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power”. So the question which follows is simply this; “if it’s not his power, who’s power is it?” If we look at it this way, I believe the answer is clear as to where his power originates.
“Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.” Luke 4:5-6 NKJV
I’m sure many of you remember this passage from Luke, and the events which surround it. Yet the point is clear that Satan, as the prince of this world, has the ability to not only control kingdoms, but to give their power to whomever he wishes. That conclusion is obvious from the fact that Jesus does not dispute this statement when Satan makes it. This then, is where the antichrist will get the power to control the kingdoms of the earth, and to enforce a peace between Israel and its enemies in the most volatile region in the world. Yet it also raises another question that needs to be answered, as Jesus revealed in the passage from John at the beginning of this article, and that is why does the nation of Israel agree to this peace?
The Bible tells us that the very first problem that he appears to solve is the conflict between Israel and all the surrounding nations that seek to destroy it. How many nations, how many administrations, how many politicians, and how many years have so many tried to solve this problem with no success whatever? Yet this man does what no man has been able to do; enforce a peace agreement to that part of the world. That in itself will make this person a household name all over the world, but in effect, it will only serve to bring him to the attention of the entire world in order for him to begin to consolidate his power. Then also, let’s not overlook the fact that according to Jesus’ own words, the nation of Israel will accept him as well.
I believe the simple answer as to why Israel chooses to place their security in the hands of the antichrist is that they believe he is their messiah. Now if that sounds strange to you, it might be that there is an important part of Judaism many Christians are not aware of and it is simply this; in Judaism the coming messiah is not divine, but simply a great man descended from the Davidic line who will be a great political leader. In the passage from Luke we see that the men talking with Jesus were disappointed because they were expecting a king who would “redeem Israel”. If we look closely at the thinking and especially the words of the religious leaders of Jesus’ day, we are told the real reason they were so intent on putting Him to death.
"Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. " John 5:18 NKJV
Not only is it important to understand that the messiah Judaism is looking for is not divine, there is one other matter which will cause the nation of Israel to welcome him with open arms. You see, something else Judaism believes is that the Jewish messiah will allow the rebuilding of the Temple and re-establish worship as it was in Old Testament times. This, obviously, is an accomplishment many would consider equal to bringing peace to the Middle East. The Jewish nation rebuilding their Temple for worship in the middle of a region which is almost totally Islamic, is to many, quite unbelievable. Yet is it really so hard to understand if you consider the source of his power?
Given that his power and success is orchestrated by Satan himself, many might believe that there is no limit to what he might accomplish. There are, however, within his seeming unlimited powers, the seeds of his own downfall. While he will appear to be a savior to the world, his success will be short-lived and failure will be his ultimate accomplishment. This, I believe, will be a result of a character flaw that many great men before him have suffered from, and one which we as a nation could say we see played out in our own political arena on a weekly basis. Like many who have come before him, he too will fall from grace and his ultimate failure is guaranteed.
"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men." John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton, first Baron Acton
Most of you have probably heard this quote at one time or another, and in the case of the coming man of sin it could not be more appropriate. Although I choose not to speculate on possible candidates I will go so far as to say this. In my opinion, the individual who will someday become the antichrist is active right now in world politics. It’s just too late in the game for him to begin now to establish his resume. I also believe he suffers from a terminal case of megalomania. I believe it is fair to say that anyone with the desire to rule the entire world, who works towards that end, and eventually proclaims himself to be God, must suffer from this psychopathological condition and it is this which produces his downfall.
"I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things." Daniel 7:8 NKJV
Here Daniel introduces us to this coming man of sin by calling him the “little horn”. In the Bible, a horn is used to signify a strong ruler and in this verse it would seem applicable because the first thing he does is uproot three other horns as he starts to consolidate his power. Most scholars agree that the scenario here is that this leader demonstrates his power by conquering three of the ten kingdoms (plucked up by the roots) and the remaining seven simply capitulate because they believe resistance is futile. Obviously he has an agenda and his intent is for it to culminate in world domination.
I find it curious too that we are given descriptions which not only give insight into his physical appearance but personality as well. Remember we have already found that a horn signifies a strong ruler, yet notice also the passage mentions his eyes and his mouth. Eyes signify intelligence and insight, along with a shrewd and clever personality which can deceive. Also the mouth which can speak “great things” which people will find attractive and believable, but in the end will be misleading and deceitful. Remember his ultimate goal is to rule the entire world, so anything he says or does is to that end.
"The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie," 2 Thessalonians 2:9-11 NKJV
In the end, after all is said and done, you have to ask yourself why in the world do people accept this man of sin as their leader and embrace him with open arms? Is he really so deceitful that the world is completely taken in by his lies and deception or is something else going on here? A fact sometimes overlooked is that this man of sin somehow manages to rise from whatever position he now holds to the absolute ruler of the entire world in only three and one half years, when he sits in the temple and proclaims himself to be God. Looking at the world as it is today, most if not all would say that the chances of that ever happening are virtually impossible. Yet the Bible tells us it will happen and many, myself included, are convinced that it is going to happen very soon.
The stage certainly appears to have been set for someone with all of the answers to the worlds’ problems to appear. If we are truly that close to the end of the age, there is one supremely important question that also needs to be asked. If you have never made the decision to accept the salvation offered by the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I suggest you do that today so you too can spend eternity with our Father in Heaven, and watch all of these things unfold from there, rather than here. If you are reading this and have never made the decision to accept Jesus Christ into your heart and accept the free gift of eternal life He has offered you, I urge you to do so right now. You can do that by praying this prayer and accepting the gift of eternal life God has offered you by the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ.
Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I believe You died for my sins. Right now, I turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and life. I confess You as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank You for saving me. Amen.
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