Antichrist

The Coming Peace in the Middle East

"And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy" (Revelation 13:1). This is the Anti-Christ. Right now there is a political power called the European Union which is ten nations strong. This is where the Anti-Christ will come from. "The ten horns are ten kings who shall arise from this kingdom. And another shall rise after them; he shall be different from the first ones, and shall subdue three kings" (Daniel 7:24). After defeating these three nations and their kings, the other nations will submit to his power.

One of the first great feats that the Anti-Christ will perform is peace in the Middle East. By some "miracle" he will solve the crisis, and even allow the Jewish Temple to be re-built, and Jewish sacrifice to resume in the Temple. Many will see him as a "saint", when in fact, this man will sell his soul to the devil in return for political power. Daniel 9:27 tells us: "And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate."

So the Anti-Christ will allow the sacrifice to resume, but after three and a half years he will demand that it stop. "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. 13:3). It seems as if something will happen to the Anti-Christ and he will be fatally wounded, but then he will be miraculously revived, mocking the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. This will cause people to follow and worship him. Also with him will be the false prophet, who will not seek to be worshipped of himself, but will direct all worship to the Anti-Christ. The Anti-Christ will set himself in the Temple inside the Holy of Holies as the Messiah, and will demand to be worshipped. "And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, 'Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to able to make war with him?'

"And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name" (Rev. 13:16-17). With this scenario in place, we are looking at a one-world religion, and a one-world economy. Without this mark, a person cannot buy or sell. That means starvation unless you can figure out how to sustain yourself in some manner. By accepting the mark, a person has lost any chance of salvation and life eternal in the presence of God. "And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name" (Rev. 14:9-11). What a dreadful thought! Anyone that worships the Anti-Christ and accepts his mark will receive eternal torment. Anyone who refuses the mark will probably be a martyr for Christ.

"And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth" (Rev. 11:3). There will be two great witnesses for Christ and 144,000 from the 12 tribes of Israel. There will be 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes. If anyone tries to hurt the two witnesses, they will be killed (Rev. 11:5). However, "And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them" (vs 7). The Anti-Christ will kill the two witnesses. People let their bodies lay in the street for 3 days while they celebrate and rejoice over their deaths. "And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, 'Come up hither'. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them" (Rev. 11:11-13).

Terrible days are ahead for people that have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. It could be that the Anti-Christ is alive and among us today. Given all the fulfilled prophecies of the day, it is very possible that we are rapidly approaching the "debut" of the Anti-Christ. You may have passed him on a busy street, or shared a cab with him. Beware of anyone coming and proclaiming to be the Messiah, because we will see on the next page just what will happen with the next coming of Jesus. Do not believe anyone claiming to be the Messiah, and beware of anyone claiming to have the answers of peace. It just might be him.