THE ANTICHRIST

by Dr. Hank Lindstrom 

     God has forewarned us of a time when the man of sin, a super human dictator known as the Beast, will be given power over all kindred, tongues and nations.  All that dwell upon the earth shall worship him (except the saints), and he will cause all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive his mark, number or name, in order to work, buy or sell. (See II Thessalonians 2:4, and Revelation 13:7,8,16,17).

     The Antichrist will probably come out of the United States of America.  The little horn of Daniel Chapter 7 is the Antichrist.  Daniel speaks of an image with ten toes and a beast with ten horns corresponding to the ten toes of the image. (See Daniel chapters two and seven.)

     Daniel says, "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 a man, and a mouth speaking great things (Daniel 7:8)."  "And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall arise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings (Daniel 7:24)."

     Note carefully there are eleven horns total or there are eleven nations total.  The little horn represents the eleventh nation and also the man who heads it--the Antichrist.  Horns on an animal tell its age.  An animal with a little horn must therefore be a young animal.  What young nation has come out of the ten European nations of the ancient Roman Empire and is young in comparison?  The United States is the only nation that meets that description.

     We need to be watching the political races in this country as the Antichrist could emerge at anytime.  With national elections for a new President every four years, this could be very interesting.  Although the Antichrist will not be revealed until after the rapture, it is interesting to speculate (See II Thessalonians 2:3-4).  Could it be that the Antichrist would be elected to office in 2000?

     The major sign indicating that we are in the Latter Days is the return of the Jews to the State of Israel.  Since 1948 Israel is a nation again for the first time in 2,000 years.  This is the generation that will see the return of the Lord (See Matthew 24:34).  We are told to be watching in numerous passages such as Luke 21:28.

     A seven-year peace treaty will be negotiated by the Antichrist between Israel and her Arab neighbors.  Daniel 9:27 speaks of this treaty as the covenant for one week (week of years).  Be watching for negotiations along this line.  One of these days some great leader admired by the world as a man of peace will offer to settle the Arab-Israeli dispute.

     Watch out when this happens!  For this man will be the Antichrist.  This man's words of peace will soon lead to the most devastating seven years of terror, violence, and murders that the world has ever seen.  This seven-year period will occur after the rapture, and will be known as the tribulation period.

     The rapture refers to the next event in God's program, which will occur prior to the seven-year tribulation period.  According to I Thessalonians 4:13-18, Jesus will catch out all believers from the earth to meet the Lord in the air to escape the tribulation.

     The tribulation will be a period of seven years, following the rapture, of phenomenal chaos and troublous times.  It is quite interesting to note that Jesus Christ in John 5:43 made a prophetic reference to the Antichrist when He said: "I am come in my Father's name, and ye received me not: if another shall come in his own name, him will ye receive."  It is sad as we look back to realize that the world rejected Jesus Christ as the Messiah at His first coming, but when the Antichrist comes they will receive him with open arms as their Savior and their King.

     In Daniel 11:36,37 we are told that the Antichrist will, "...exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god...", and in II Thessalonians 2:4 it is revealed, "...so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God."

     Who is the Antichrist?  It is important to keep in mind that the Antichrist will not be revealed until after the rapture.  So to name an individual before that time would be pure speculation.  However, the Bible does give some key characteristics that will expose his true identity as the Antichrist.

1)     He will be popular and worshipped (Revelation 13:3.4).
2)     He will be fearless (Revelation 13:4).
3)     He will persecute the tribulation believers (Revelation 13:7).
4)     He will be a world dictator (Revelation 13:7).
5)     He will be a maker of peace treaties (Daniel 9:27).
6)     He will negotiate a seven year treaty with Israel that he will break after three and one half years (Daniel 9:27)
7)     He will be a skilled negotiator (Daniel 8:23)
8)     He will be Jewish, but not respect the God of his fathers (Dan. 11:37)
9)     He will respect only the god of force (Daniel 11:38)
10)     He will be a great orator (Daniel 11:21)
11)     He will have brilliant mind (Daniel 8:23)
12)     He will control all buying and selling (Revelation 13:17)
13)     He will use force to conquer nations (Revelation 6:2)
14)     He will not regard the desire of women (Daniel 11:37)
15)     He will claim that he is God and magnify himself above every god (Daniel 11:36; II Thessalonians 2:4)
16)     He will enter the rebuilt Jewish Temple as God (II Thessalonians 2:4)

     The Antichrist is part of the satanic trinity, just as Christ is part of the heavenly trinity.  The members of the satanic trinity (Revelation 16:13) are as follows:
(1) Satan is sometimes referred to in Scripture as the Dragon and is known as anti-God.  He imitates the work of God the Father (Revelation 12:9; 20:2).
(2) Antichrist is sometimes referred to in Scripture as the Beast.  Antichrist imitates the work of God the Son (Revelation 13:1; 19:20).
(3) The False Prophet is referred to in the Scriptures as the Second Beast.  The False Prophet imitates the work of God the Holy Spirit.

     How soon will it be until the Antichrist will be revealed?  According to II Thessalonians 2:3, the Antichrist will be revealed right after the rapture.  The rapture could happen at any moment!  The signs of the times are everywhere, especially with the Jewish people back in the state of Israel.  So the Antichrist may be living somewhere in the world right now, ready to be revealed.

     Are you looking for Christ's return at the rapture?  "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved (Acts 16:31)."  Trust Christ today!  Do not delay!

     Could it be that we are looking at the Antichrist and don't even know it?  Remember that the Antichrist will be revealed after the Rapture according to II Thessalonians chapter two.  Picture this scenario: The Rapture occurs on the Feast of Trumpets [Rosh Hashanah].  The Antichrist comes out of this country, as we are the eleventh horn or country that Daniel the Prophet speaks of in the seventh chapter of Daniel.  Should the president, vice-president and the speaker of the House be Christians they would be raptured out and would disappear!  What confusion!  Some unknown person down the line in the power structure of this country would be sworn in as the President of the United States!  The undisputedly most powerful position in the world could be held by the Antichrist?  It could happen that quickly!  Think about it!  COULD IT BE?

     I WILL MEET YOU IN THE AIR! (I Thessalonians 4:13-18).