“The Next Big Event in Biblical History”
Throughout the Bible, we have seen many events since the creation; some of those major events are the flood, the birth of a new nation (Israel), the introduction of the Law through Moses and the prophets, and others pointing to our Lord Jesus Christ. Two thousand years ago, the greatest event in humanity’s history occurred as God himself became flesh and lived among us. Jesus Christ is the reason why our times are divided: before and after Christ. He was born of a virgin, ministered to us with great signs and wonders, lived a righteous and sinless life, was crucified, died, and on the third day rose again. After his resurrection, he stayed on this earth for 40 days; more than 500 people witnessed his life after the resurrection.[1] He returned to the Father and is sitting at his right hand today. Then we saw the birth of the church, called the Body of Christ.[2]
The next big biblical event is the rise of the antichrist. In the New Testament, we have three portions of Scripture that refer to the spirit of the antichrist; all three were given to us by the Apostle John.
Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come. 19 These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us.
20 But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you his Spirit, and all of you know the truth. 21 So I am writing to you not because you don’t know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies. 22 And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist. 23 Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
24 So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. 25 And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us.
26 I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray.27 But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ. I John 2:18-27 (New Living Translation)
In this first portion of Scripture, John establishes that there are many antichrists; he states that an antichrist is “…Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist. 23 Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either…” (I John 2:22-23)
There are some who utilized this portion of Scripture to establish that there is not such a thing as a singular Antichrist figure. They argue that the Antichrist is a spirit that comes against Christ; therefore, that spirit is in many people. This approach, as we will see more clearly, is partially true. In First John 4:1-6 John continues making his point about the antichrist’s spirit as he states,
Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. 2 This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God. 3 But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here.
4 But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. 5 Those people belong to this world, so they speak from the world’s viewpoint, and the world listens to them. 6 But we belong to God, and those who know God listen to us. If they do not belong to God, they do not listen to us. That is how we know if someone has the Spirit of truth or the spirit of deception. (NLT)
John tells us very clearly to test the spirit of those teachers, prophets, pastors, etc. We can’t become lazy or afraid of offending folks. We must ensure that we test the spirits of people coming to us with diverse teachings; we must know if they come from God or the devil.
The guidelines are very simple: if they acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God, they come from God; if they don’t, they are part of the antichrist spirit. John tells us, “Those people belong to this world, so they speak from the world’s viewpoint, and the world listens to them. 6 But we belong to God, and those who know God listen to us. If they do not belong to God, they do not listen to us. That is how we know if someone has the Spirit of truth or the spirit of deception.” (I John 4:5-6). 2 John 7 continues the same theme as John states, “I say this because many deceivers have gone out into the world. They deny that Jesus Christ came in a real body. Such a person is a deceiver and an antichrist.” (NLT)
This is Christianity 101. Every Christian must know whether the teachings we receive are from God. We must know these things. If not, we will be easily persuaded by any charismatic person who speaks eloquently and passionately. This is not a mystical or hard process to figure out. We must be aware of any so-called Christian Denomination that focuses on God the Father while denying Jesus, likewise, any Jesus Only denomination that denies the Father.
Now, let’s begin to make the case for this one individual who will be known as The Antichrist (Singular). Two men in the Bible stated almost everything we need to know about this man: Daniel and the Apostle John. However, we will see that the Apostle Paul also has valuable information. As stated before, the Apostle John is the only one who uses the word Antichrist: I John 2:18-27, I John 4:1-6, and 2 John 7. However, there are other names used in the Bible to describe this character:
- The Beast from the Abyss (Rev. 11:7)
- The Beast from the Sea (Rev. 13:1)
- The Man of Sin, The Son of Perdition, or The Man of Lawlessness (2 Thess. 2:1-12)
- The Little Horn (Daniel 7 and 8)
- The Abomination of Desolation (Daniel 9, 11 and 12)
- The Whore of Babylon (Revelation 17)
- The Man Doomed to Destruction (2 Thess. 2:3)
Daniel gives us some powerful information about the antichrist starting in Daniel 7:1-8
In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying in bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream.
2 Daniel said: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. 3 Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea.
4 “The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a human being, and the mind of a human was given to it.
5 “And there before me was a, second beast which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up and eat your fill of flesh!’
6 “After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.
7 “After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns.
8 “While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a human being and a mouth that spoke boastfully. (NIV)
These beasts represent kings of powerful nations. This period represents the last 7 years of this current dimension of life. If we are approaching these last seven years of this dimension of life, we could suggest the names of the first three beasts or nations, the first two more clearly, that will play a key role during the last 7 years.
- First Beast: England (Lion) and/or USA (Eagle)
- Second Beast: Russia (Bear)
- Third Beast: This one is complicated. It could be Pakistan, Afghanistan, Rwanda, and Somalia, as these nations utilized the leopard as their symbol.[3] Others argue that this portion of Scripture refers to Germany.[4]
I say this could change, and we cannot be clear about these nations because if the last seven years of this dimension of life take place 200 years from now, we may have a whole different set of powerful nations. History has shown us that powerful kingdoms do not remain powerful and that things do change. Daniel was particularly interested in that fourth beast. Daniel specifically asked for the fourth beast as he saw this vision; in Daniel 7:23, we read,
“He gave me this explanation: ‘The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. (NIV)
So, this kingdom will appear on the earth. This is not an established Kingdom; it sounds like it came out of nowhere. This kingdom will be different from the rest of the powerful nations. This kingdom will be more powerful than the others. We are talking about ten united nations here.
24 The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. 25 He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time. Daniel 7:24-25 (NIV)
Who are these ten nations? I have no idea! However, the antichrist is the little horn from among these ten nations. This king will subdue the other three kings mentioned before or three of the 10 mentioned here. Either way, it will be impressive because these are the big boys of the time. Understand that the Antichrist will end modern, powerful nations such as the USA and Russia, and he will speak against God. His focus will be on oppressing God’s people (The Great Tribulation).
God’s people will be delivered to him for three and a half years (That is the time of the Great Tribulation. Without God’s people during this time, there will be no Great Tribulation. The idea that the rapture will occur before the Great Tribulation is not Biblical. It is an idea that is the birth of a false prophetic view that God’s people are to prosper, be rich, and without pain and suffering. Daniel 7:25 tells us, “He will defy the Most High and oppress the holy people of the Most High. He will try to change their sacred festivals and laws, and they will be under his control for a time, times, and half a time.” (NLT) Daniel 12:7 also tells us: “The man dressed in linen, who was standing above the river, raised both his hands toward heaven and took a solemn oath by the One who lives forever, saying, “It will go on for a time, times, and half a time. When the shattering of the holy people has finally ended, all these things will have happened.” (NLT)
We will write an article focusing on what the Great Tribulation will look like; however, let us continue to focus on the Antichrist. I believe that for us to understand the Antichrist fully, we must be reminded that Satan is a master counterfeit and deceiver, and it is with this in mind that we proceed. Just as we have God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, we are going to see that Satan will operate the same way: 1) He is the Dragon or Satan representing the Father, 2) The Antichrist is the son of Satan, fully committed to his cause; (Just as Jesus was fully committed to the Father) 3) The False Prophet job will be to cause people to worship the Dragon, just as the Holy Ghost guides us to the Father. It is all a counterfeit. Consider the following points:
- The Antichrist could be Jewish: Just as Jesus was a Jew, it makes sense that the Antichrist comes from Israel. I am not 100 percent sure of this, but this proposition should be considered and has been considered before, as Satan is the master of counterfeiting. I think secular Israel will see the antichrist as the messiah they have been waiting for. (This is just an opinion at this point.)
2. The Antichrist will be born and raised in a religion he will later abandon: Daniel 11:37 tells us, “Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers…” (KJV) Other versions, such as the English Standard Version, used “gods”. The three main religions in the world, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, share the belief in one God. Is there a possibility that the antichrist enjoys the favor of one of these groups and deceives them later? There are many options if the proper translation is plural as referring to gods. Either way, the Antichrist was not born and raised in an atheist family.
3. The Antichrist will have no desire for women: Expanding on Daniel 11:37, we read, “Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women…” (KJV) Just as Jesus did not have a desire for women, the antichrist will follow the same pattern. (The counterfeit continues.)
4. The Antichrist will be the biggest narcissistic human being ever known to men: Daniel 11:37 continues to expand by telling us, “Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.” (KJV) This last portion of this verse tells us how narcissistic the antichrist will be. I don’t think the world will be able to see his narcissistic ways in the beginning, but they will eventually.
5. The Antichrist will be the King of a new cancel culture; this time, he will cancel everything that is traditional that comes from God: Something that we can’t ignore is that the Antichrist will try to change the times and the laws; in other words; he will try to change any traditions, morality, what is true, what is logic, etc. We are beginning to see the spirit of the Antichrist operating already, as we see absolute truths and common sense disappear from our society. Daniel 7:25 tells us,
He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time. Daniel 7:25 (NIV)
6. The Antichrist will die and rise again: This is, again, an imitation of Christ, who was killed and rose again. Revelation 13:3 tells us,
I saw that one of the heads of the beast seemed wounded beyond recovery—but the fatal wound was healed! The whole world marveled at this miracle and gave allegiance to the beast. (NLT)
7. The Antichrist will wage war against God’s people and will conquer them:
And the beast was allowed to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation. Revelation 13:7 (NLT)
During this time, there will not be any prayer that would save us from the Antichrist on this earth. Christians will be the only ones who will not worship Him and will have to pay with their own lives. We will be seen as the ones who are spoiling society, the ones who go against this wonderful thing happening in the world as the world finally enjoys peace. We will be the radicals, and we will be despised so much that our death will be perfectly justifiable.
8. The Antichrist will be able to do whatever he wants for 42 months. These will be terrible times as never seen before in the history of humanity. Evil will have free range for three and a half years.
Then the beast was allowed to speak great blasphemies against God. And he was given authority to do whatever he wanted for forty-two months. Revelation 13:5
9. The Antichrist will demand worldwide worshipped: Revelation 13:8 tells us,
And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered before the world was made.(NLT)
10. The False Prophet counterfeits the Holy Ghost: Revelation 13:11-12 tells us,
Then I saw another beast come up out of the earth. He had two horns like those of a lamb, but he spoke with the voice of a dragon. 12 He exercised all the authority of the first beast. And he required all the earth and its people to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. (NLT)
11. The False Prophet, who comes on behalf of the Antichrist, will perform miracles never seen before. Revelation 13:13-15 tells us,
He did astounding miracles, even making fire flash down to earth from the sky while everyone was watching. 14 And with all the miracles he was allowed to perform on behalf of the first beast, he deceived all the people who belong to this world. He ordered the people to make a great statue of the first beast, who was fatally wounded and then came back to life. 15 He was then permitted to give life to this statue so that it could speak. Then the statue of the beast commanded that anyone refusing to worship it must die. (NLT)
Could that statue be a clone of the Antichrist?
12. The Antichrist takes complete control over the people’s finances: We clearly see the formation of the one world order. The Antichrist will control the world as he offers a new religion where he is to be worshiped, a new political world order with him as the supreme leader, and a new financial world order. To buy and sell, you will need the famous mark of the beast. Obviously, by then, we would have become a cashless society. The worship of the Antichrist is not an option, as we can see in the following verses,
He required everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. 17 And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing his name. 18 Wisdom is needed here. Let the one with understanding solve the meaning of the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is 666. Revelation 13:16-18 (NLT)
13. The abomination of desolation: Even as we are not sure where the Antichrist comes from, there is something he will do that will give us no doubt of who he is. He will stand at the Temple in Jerusalem and call himself God.
“So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand—16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.
22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. Mathew 24:15-22 (NIV)
Daniel gave us the timelines; this is a short period of time, but it will be hell on earth: Daniel 12:11-12 tells us, “From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. 12 Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days. Daniel 12:11-12 (NIV)
Beloved, the next great biblical event is the appearance of this Antichrist, whose evil manifestation will be allowed for a very short period (7 years). The final three and half years will be the days of the great tribulation. It is appropriate to end our article not with my words but with the words of the Apostle Paul as he addressed the Thessalonian church. I know that we are waiting for the return of Jesus; however, the manifestation of the Antichrist will manifest first, as established by Paul.
Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. 3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
5 Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things?6 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 (NIV)
[1] After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. I Cor. 15:6 (NIV)
[2] In modern teachings, the “Body of Christ” is used by other Protestants to collectively describe believers in Christ, as opposed to only those who are members of the Catholic Church. In this sense, Christians are members of the universal body of Christ not because of identification with the institution of the Church, but through identification with Christ directly through faith. This theology is based on several passages in the Bible, including Romans 12:5,1 Corinthians 12:12–27, Ephesians 3:6, 4:15–16 and 5:23, Colossians 1:18 and 1:24. Jesus Christ is seen as the “head” of the body, which is the church, while the “members” of the body are seen as members of the Church. In this way, Protestantism defines the “Body of Christ” in a much broader way than does the Catholic Church. This has allowed for a broad base within Christianity to call themselves part of the “Body of Christ.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_of_Christ#:~:text=This%20theology%20is%20based%20on,as%20members%20of%20the%20Church.)
[3] https://hightimetoawake.com/the-leopard-is-upon-us/
[4] https://socialmediaministries.com/leopard-with-four-wings-and-four-heads/
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