The Antichrist Is Coming, Part II
"He [the Antichrist] 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, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name."3
When the Antichrist appears, much of the world (if not all of it) will be facing economic and political chaos; it will be threatened by ongoing wars, continuing terrorist attacks, and possible nuclear destructionâ€"it will be a world desperate for peaceâ€"especially peace regarding the endless war-torn Middle East area of the World. As it was in Hitler's Germany, this will set the stage for the ready acceptance of a dynamic and charismatic leader who will make grandiose promises of peace and prosperity for all. The masses of people, desperate for help, will buy into his propaganda, and be blinded by his deception because he will turn out to be the dictator from hell. Those who oppose him will take the risk of being killedâ€"thousands will be.
What will the Antichrist do? "According to the Bible, in the last days the Antichrist will control everything people see, hear and read. It says in Revelation 13:7 that 'Power was given him over all kindred, tongues, and nations.' This future fuehrer will have the task of propagandizing the world through a [totally] controlled media. This antichrist will be a passionate leader with an appealing message and the power of oratory that will be out of this world because his power comes from another world [from Satan]. He will be a master of doublespeak. But he must [will do everything to] silence his opponents."4
Once the Antichrist comes to power, this will mark the beginning of his seven-year reign with world-wide control. For people to buy and sell, they will have to have on either their right hand or forehead the "mark of the beast" (see Revelation 13:16-17). This could very well be some kind of computer chip or electronic identification mark.
Recently Joy, my wife, bought a new cell phone with GPS (Global Positioning System), and when she typed in our name and address, the names and addresses of all the people who live on our street automatically appeared. When every person on earth has some kind of electronic chip or ID, a government who controls a GPS satellite system will know exactly where every person on earth is, and as such will be able to control them. Warning: the technology to make this possible is undoubtedly already in place.
At the beginning of his seven-year reign the Antichrist will make a peace pact with Israel, making it appear that peace has finally come to the war-torn Middle Eastâ€"a peace pact that no other leader from any other country has ever been able to achieve, although several have tried (see Daniel 9:27).
However, in the middle of this seven-year tribulation period, the Antichrist will break his peace pact with Israel, enter and desecrate the re-built Jewish temple in Jerusalem by setting himself up as God (see Daniel 9:27, 11:31, 12:11; Matthew 24:15; and 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4). For the next three and a half years all hell will break loose on earth when God pours out his judgments on earth during the Great Tribulation (see Revelations chapters 8 and 9). What will end the Great Tribulation will be the battle of Armageddon (see Revelation 16:16). This will be when the nations of the world unite to come against Israel in an attempt to "wipe her off the map." At this time Jesus Christ will return with his true followers to step onto the stage of mankind's history and will totally destroy the Antichrist, his armies, and his followers and all who seek to destroy Israel and Jerusalem. Armageddon will be the war to end all wars.
By way of interest, recently Joy and I had the opportunity to be on a tour of Israel where we visited the city of Megiddo which overlooks the enormous valley of Megiddo (some 20 miles long and 14 miles wide) where the battle of Armageddon will be centered. It is a real place. The name, Armageddon, comes from the Hebrew, Har Megiddo.
After Armageddon Jesus will, with the aid of all his true disciples, rule and reign on earth for a thousand years (see Revelation 20:6). During this time Satan will be bound and, at the end of this millennium, will be released for a short while and then cast into hell for all eternity (see Revelation 20:1-3). Furthermore, all those whose names are not written in God's book of life, that is, those who never accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and received God's free pardon for all their sins, will stand before God at the Great White Judgment throne of God and be judged for all the sins they ever committed and, with Satan, will also be cast into hell for all eternity (see Revelation 20:11-15). After this God will create a new heaven and a new earth, and all of God's children will live together forever with God and Jesus Christ, and there will be no more sorrow, no more death, no more crying, and no more pain (see Revelation 21:1-4).
It is no secret that the nations surrounding Israel today are already determined to wipe Israel off the map once and for all. The day is coming when they will join forces to attempt to do this. That day may be a lot closer than many think.
For instance, when Joy and I were in Israel a few months ago, we visited the Temple Institute in Jerusalem and learned firsthand that the Jewish people are currently preparing to build the third temple and re-institute temple worship. Priests are now being trained for this temple ministry, and the instruments needed for temple worship are being made at this time. Plans for building the third temple are under way right now. This temple will need to be erected either before or during the beginning reign of the Antichrist for the simple fact that three-and-a-half years into his reign, he will enter the temple, and desecrate it by setting himself up as God (see Matthew 24:15, and 2 Thessalonians 2:4).
With all that is happening in today's world the setting of the stage for both the coming of the Antichrist and the real Christ is accelerating. That time could be very near. The Antichrist will promise peace but as Jesus said, "When men say peace, then sudden destruction" (see 1 Thessalonians 5:3).
The most important issue is this: If Jesus Christ should come today for all his true followers, are you ready? Or would you be left behind and have to go through the Great Tribulation under the reign of terror by the Antichrist? Have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior and received God's forgiveness for all your sins? To help you to be ready be sure to read, "How to Be Sure You're a Real Christian" online at: www.actsweb.org/christian.
Be sure and accept Jesus today. As every prediction in God's Word, the Bible, concerning Christ's first coming, written hundreds of years prior to his birth in Bethlehem two thousand years ago, was fulfilled in minutest detail, so also will his second coming be fulfilled as spelled out in God's Word. Furthermore, so will the predictions concerning the coming of the Antichrist also be fulfilled in detail.
To be concluded . . . .
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you that you have clearly warned me in your Word that the Antichrist, being empowered by Satan, is coming, and when he does, will unleash his fury, and tyranny of evil and destruction on mankind. Please help me to be ready for your return and be delivered from the evil power of the Antichrist. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."
3. Revelation 13:16-17 (NIV).
4. Jan Markell, Olive Tree Ministries, www.olivetreeviews.org.
Book: Is the Antichrist Alive Today? by Mark Hitchcock, a recognized authority on end times prophecy. On sale ... only $7.99. Click HERE or on http://tinyurl.com/antichrist-alive
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