Antichrist - Part 6
The Career of the Antichrist
As we look into the actual career of the man of sin, the son of perdition, it might help us to first take a few moments to think about how the career of this evil one is in contrast to the career of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
These few items will highlight the true nature of the imitator as well as display how he works in the shadow of darkness as opposed to the one who is our true light of life:
Christ came down from heaven (John 3:13).
Antichrist comes up out of the bottomless pit (Rev 11:7).
Christ came in another’s name (John 5:43).
Antichrist will come in his own name (John 5:43).
Christ came to do the Father’s will (John 6:38).
Antichrist will do his own will (Daniel 11:36).
Christ was energized by the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:14).
Antichrist will be energized by Satan (Rev 13:4).
Christ submitted himself to God (John 5:30).
Antichrist defies God (2 Thess 2:4).
Christ humbled himself (Phil 2:8).
Antichrist exalts himself (Daniel 11:36).
Christ honored the God of his fathers (Luke 4:16).
Antichrist refuses to do so (Daniel 11:37).
Christ cleansed the temple (John 2:14-16).
Antichrist defiles the temple (Matt 24:15).
Christ ministered to the needy (Luke 4:18).
Antichrist robs the poor (Psalm 10:8-9).
Christ was rejected of men (Isa 53:7).
Antichrist will be accepted of men (Rev 13:4).
Christ leads the flock (John 10:3).
Antichrist leaves the flock (Zech 11:17).
Christ was slain for the people (John 11:51).
Antichrist slays the people (Isa 14:20).
Christ glorified God on earth (John 7:14).
Antichrist blasphemes the name of God in heaven (Rev 13:6).
Christ was received upward into heaven (Luke 24:51).
Antichrist will go downward into the lake of fire (Rev 19:20).
As we study the career of the son of Satan, we should think about some of the items we have gathered from our best friend, holy scripture, concerning this dark one to come:
Time of his appearing:
While we spent much discussion reviewing those who were seen to be antichrists (small “a”) in history, we also reviewed the indications given to those items that must occur so that the true Antichrist (large “A”) and his false prophet may appear. We saw that there must first occur the falling away, the general apostasy, in our world.
ARE WE SEEING THIS TODAY?
Before this man can appear, the Holy Spirit must be taken out of the way (2 Thess 2:7). It is the Holy Spirit who has from the time of the ascension of Jesus that has hindered this coming. We are further told that the final form of the old Roman empire must arise as the ten kings BEFORE the “little horn” comes into full view. Israel must have been renewed AND the holy temple must rise again.
In our day, the items are perhaps still in the future, and exactly how far away is knowledge available to no man. But we do know that Jesus taught us that His children are the “salt of the earth” and as salt, we keep the body of Christ from spoiling by this evil one who would like to turn His body here into a body of death. The saints here, under the direction of the Holy Spirit are the light of the world since Christ rose upward. As that light we hinder, again under the power of the Spirit, the covering of darkness to come (Isa 60:20).
This hindering factor will be removed at the rapture (1 Thess 4:16) as the present age of grace will end.
We should take a moment to recall that there was a time of silence of thirty years between the coming of Jesus Christ from the virgin until He stepped forward to minister. So it may yet be that a similar time shows itself between the rapture and the public appearance of the Antichrist.
We do know that he will be revealed before or at the beginning of Daniel’s 70th week as he will make a covenant with the Jews in their land.
We take heart in that just as Saul preceeded David, so also will the Antichrist preceed Christ.
The place of his appearing:
The scriptures of Daniel chapter 7 with their great symbolic words lead us to feel that this one will rise in the middle east, of Jewish heritage. While he is shown as the “little horn”, meaning at first he will spring from a smaller beginning, there will be quickly a gathering by him of power from the ten kingdoms. This power will be willingly granted to him as taught in Revelation 17.
Daniel 8 makes no mention of him “waxing great” toward the north, perhaps because he came from the northern kingdom, now known as Syria. Isaiah 10:12 has prophecy of one of the names given for him as “King of Assyria”. It makes some sense also to recall that the first one who declared open defiance of God, Nimrod, sprang from the area of Babylon. Does it seem likely that this far greater defier will also be generated from this area?
His work:
Daniel 11:21 tells us he will come peaceably and will obtain the kingdom by flatteries. Remember that Rev 6:2 teaches he will come on his white horse with a bow but no arrows, appearing to mean his early victories will be bloodless.
Daniel 7:24 teaches that he will first subdue three kings, “waxing great” toward the south (Egypt?).
In short order he will gain control of the ten kingdoms, rising to political power and become like an emperor. Remember this is happening as he seems to have all the answers to world problems and power will be given to him willingly. Many, perhaps millions, will follow him.
As Satan’s masterpiece, he will revive the old kingdoms, appealing strongly to those who live in nations long ago powerful but in recent times not seen to be of power.
We then see him moving onward from political power into the area of religious power. History has taught us of many who were powerful politically and militarily moving toward self divinity. Remember in the days of the gospels, people were forced to yearly offer worship to Caesar as god. Revelation 13 shows that “… they worshipped the dragon that gave power to the beast…”.
This will lead to the abomination in Jerusalem as he sits himself upon the throne of the temple requiring worship of himself as god. His claim will be backed by many miracles, which will realistic. Recall that 2 Thess 2:9 shows that his coming “…will be after the working of Satan, with all power and signs of lying wonders”.
We must NOT forget that Jesus taught us that the Jews will accept him as he comes in his own name (John 5:43).
In the middle of this seven year period he will begin to appear as he truly is, taking away the daily sacrifice of the temple and replace it with an image of himself.
Isaiah 37 teaches he will return to his own land, probably Babylon, where we are told by prophecy he will be seen to be slain by the sword, but will live again, another of his miracles. We see the result in Rev 13:3-4 where he is described: “And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast…”. Rev 9 gives us the view that just as Christ was risen from the dead so also will this Antichrist rise from the dead, once more imitating the Lord. Now his false prophet also appears, and the Antichrist masses his forces to make war against Israel, while a godly remnant flees to the mountains (Matt 24:16). Heaven will respond to their cries and the beginning of the end is close.
Next we look at the work of the Antichrist in the Revelation of John and we welcome the ultimate doom of this one who poses in place of the Savior, deceiving so many.