| Scriptures Warning of the Antichrist, False Christs, and False Prophet (The notes I have made are a literal interpretation of some of these scriptures. Many people receive different interpretations of scripture.) Mat 24:3 Later, Jesus sat on the slopes of the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and asked, "When will all this take place? And will there be any sign ahead of time to signal your return and the end of the world?" Jesus told them, "Don't let anyone mislead you. For many will come in my name, saying, `I am the Messiah.' They will lead many astray. (Take note: Many deceivers will come in the Lord's name as 'Christ'. You also may read this literally. Many will come in the name of 'Jesus Christ'. During the period of the "end of the age" (end of days as spoken of in Revelation), many liars will come claiming to be 'Christ' or literally 'Jesus Christ'). And wars will break out near and far, but don't panic. Yes, these things must come, but the end won't follow immediately. The nations and kingdoms will proclaim war against each other, and there will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this will be only the beginning of the horrors to come. "Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because of your allegiance to me. And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will lead many people astray. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But those who endure to the end will be saved. And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then, finally, the end will come. "The time will come when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about: the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place"-reader, pay attention! Mat 24:20 And pray that your flight will not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For that will be a time of greater horror than anything the world has ever seen or will ever see again. Mat 24:23 "Then if anyone tells you, `Look, here is the Messiah,' or `There he is,' don't pay any attention. For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great miraculous signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God's chosen ones. See, I have warned you. (False Christs will use power from the occult (Satanic power) to deceive followers with lying deceiving signs, wonders and miracles. The Lord tell us false Christs will ask you to come and meet them in a particular location. Anyone who claims to be Christ and yet asks you to meet them is an antichrist and liar. The Lord will come to you on the clouds of the sky according to Matthew 24:30. You will not have to move one muscle in order to find the Lord. He will come to you.) (These false Christs and prophets may be convincing enough to fool the elect. This is interesting to note. If you were to deceive the elect which were so familiar with the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ (Yahushua Hamashiach) as savior, your doctrine would need to coincide with the biblical doctrine. If so many are going to pretend to be Christ at the end of the age, pretending to be 'Jesus Christ' himself would be the easiest way to fool the elect.) Mat 24:26 "So if someone tells you, `Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,' don't bother to go and look. Or, `Look, he is hiding here,' don't believe it! For as the lightning lights up the entire sky, so it will be when the Son of Man comes. Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near. (This repetitive warning occurs in several books of the New Testament. The bottom line? The Lord will not ask you to meet him anywhere. He will come to you where you are.) "Immediately after those horrible days end, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of heaven will be shaken. And then at last, the sign of the coming of the Son of Man will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the nations of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man arrive on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send forth his angels with the sound of a mighty trumpet blast, and they will gather together his chosen ones from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven. "Teacher," they asked, "when will all this take place? And will there be any sign ahead of time?" Luk 21:7 He replied, "Don't let anyone mislead you. For many will come in my name, claiming to be the Messiah and saying, `The time has come!' But don't believe them. (Many will come near the end claiming to be Christ or pretending to be 'Jesus Christ'. Don't believe them.) And when you hear of wars and insurrections, don't panic. Yes, these things must come, but the end won't follow immediately." Then he added, "Nations and kingdoms will proclaim war against each other. There will be great earthquakes, and there will be famines and epidemics in many lands, and there will be terrifying things and great miraculous signs in the heavens. "But before all this occurs, there will be a time of great persecution. You will be dragged into synagogues and prisons, and you will be accused before kings and governors of being my followers. This will be your opportunity to tell them about me. Luke 21:24 "And there will be strange events in the skies-signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And down here on earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides. The courage of many people will falter because of the fearful fate they see coming upon the earth, because the stability of the very heavens will be broken up. Then everyone will see the Son of Man arrive on the clouds with power and great glory. (Everyone on this earth will see the Lord Jesus Christ in the sky He will be revealed to the entire world at the exact same time.) So when all these things begin to happen, stand straight and look up, for your salvation is near!" Then he gave them this illustration: "Notice the fig tree, or any other tree. When the leaves come out, you know without being told that summer is near. Just so, when you see the events I've described taking place, you can be sure that the Kingdom of God is near. Mar 13:4 "When will all this take place? And will there be any sign ahead of time to show us when all this will be fulfilled?" Jesus replied, "Don't let anyone mislead you, because many will come in my name, claiming to be the Messiah. They will lead many astray. (This warning is repeated time and time again. The Lord clearly wants to emphasize this point. Many liars will come claiming to be him. Hopefully, the Lord's children will notice this.) And wars will break out near and far, but don't panic. Yes, these things must come, but the end won't follow immediately. Nations and kingdoms will proclaim war against each other, and there will be earthquakes in many parts of the world, and famines. But all this will be only the beginning of the horrors to come. But when these things begin to happen, watch out! You will be handed over to the courts and beaten in the synagogues. You will be accused before governors and kings of being my followers. This will be your opportunity to tell them about me. Mar 13:21 "And then if anyone tells you, `Look, here is the Messiah,' or, `There he is,' don't pay any attention. For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform miraculous signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God's chosen ones. Watch out! I have warned you! "At that time, after those horrible days end, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of heaven will be shaken. Then everyone will see the Son of Man arrive on the clouds with great power and glory. Just so, when you see the events I've described beginning to happen, you can be sure that his return is very near, right at the door. I assure you, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these events have taken place. (Notice the sign of the times before you assume the time of the end will be. He gives us a hint about what will be happening before his coming takes place.) Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will remain forever. 1Jo 2:18 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 end of the world has come. (There are many antichrists over the different generations or ages. There is not only one throughout history. There however is only one that tries to deceive the entire earth. This one is spoken of in the 'Book of Revelations'.) 1 Jo 2:22 And who is the great liar? The one who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Such people are antichrists, for they have denied the Father and the Son. (Jesus Christ (whose true Hebrew name is Yahu'shua Hamashiach) is the one-and-only savior. He is the road to salvation and the only way to the Father of Creation). 1Jo 2:26 I have written these things to you because you need to be aware of those who want to lead you astray. 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 all things, and what he teaches is true-it is not a lie. So continue in what he has taught you, and continue to live in Christ. (Spiritually discern the difference between the anointing and the counterfeit anointing. This way you will be able to discern what spirit a person is from.) 1 John 4:1 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. This is the way to find out if they have the Spirit of God: If a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ became a human being, that person has the Spirit of God. If a prophet does not acknowledge Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist. You have heard that he is going to come into the world, and he is already here. Mat 7:15 "Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep, but are really wolves that will tear you apart. You can detect them by the way they act, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit. You don't pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles. A healthy tree produces good fruit, and an unhealthy tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, the way to identify a tree or a person is by the kind of fruit that is produced. (A holy person is not known by the words they speak, but by their actions. Before jumping on a boat with a Christian or Jewish philosopher, you should notice whether they are practicing what they preach. Are they making an effort to follow the commandments of God or live a holy life? Hypocrites stand behind pulpits too.) 2Cr 11:4 You seem to believe whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach about a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed. (Jesus Christ (Yahushua Hamashiach) does not change. He will not change the Father's word nor would he contradict his own scriptures. Although man changes the scriptures in order to be politically-correct, the Lord would never do this. Any teacher who would change the laws or concepts of the bible is not helping the body of Christ, only hurting it). 2Cr 11:13 These people are false apostles. They have fooled you by disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. But I am not surprised! Even Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light. (This is literal. Satan appears holy in order to deceive people. Holiness must be seen in a person's actions. Our Lord has performed many signs, wonders and miracles; but Satan has as well. He uses the occult to deceive a person's eyes, although this deception will lead to Hell. Never be impressed by occultic illusions. They are a temporary cheap-trick which leads to a permanent state apart from God.) So it is no wonder his servants can also do it by pretending to be godly ministers. In the end they will get every bit of punishment their wicked deeds deserve. (Satanists will pose as Christian ministers.) Gal 2:4 Even that question wouldn't have come up except for some so-called Christians there-false ones, really-who came to spy on us and see our freedom in Christ Jesus. They wanted to force us, like slaves, to follow their Jewish regulations. But we refused to listen to them for a single moment. We wanted to preserve the truth of the Good News for you. 2 Th 2:1 And now, brothers and sisters, let us tell you about the coming again of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered together to meet him. Please don't be so easily shaken and troubled by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Even if they claim to have had a vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us, don't believe them. Don't be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed-the one who brings destruction. (This is a very important verse to take note of!! The man of lawlessness will be revealed to the world BEFORE the Lord comes.) He will exalt himself and defy every god there is and tear down every object of adoration and worship. He will position himself in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God. (There goes our religious freedom. He forbids all religions except for the deceiving doctrines he creates.) Don't you remember that I told you this when I was with you? And you know what is holding him back, for he can be revealed only when his time comes. (1 John 2:18 explains to us that there will be MANY antichrists over the ages. But this is an interesting verse concerning an antichrist in particular. This verse may show us that there is one antichrist in particular that is being "held back". The scripture tells us that he can only be revealed when his time comes. Could this be the antichrist that the 'Book of Revelation' warns us about ahead of time? This is a possiblility. This verse almost hints that this particular antichrist existed during the time the 'Book of Thessalonians' was written. "He" was being held back by a force (God) at that time. There will be an "appointed time" when he will be revealed. Just as Satan has been allowed an endless lifespan, so may this antichrist.) For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way. Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will consume with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. This evil man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. He will use every kind of wicked deception to fool those who are on their way to destruction because they refuse to believe the truth that would save them. So God will send great deception upon them, and they will believe all these lies. Then they will be condemned for not believing the truth and for enjoying the evil they do. Rev 13:1 And now in my vision I saw a beast rising up out of the sea. It had seven heads and ten horns, with ten crowns on its horns. And written on each head were names that blasphemed God. This beast looked like a leopard, but it had bear's feet and a lion's mouth! And the dragon gave him his own power and throne and great authority. I saw that one of the heads of the beast seemed wounded beyond recovery-but the fatal wound was healed! All the world marveled at this miracle and followed the beast in awe. They worshiped the dragon for giving the beast such power, and they worshiped the beast. "Is there anyone as great as the beast?" they exclaimed. "Who is able to fight against him?" (They are so impressed with his occult power that they give their souls to him by taking the mark.) Then the beast was allowed to speak great blasphemies against God. And he was given authority to do what he wanted for forty-two months. And he spoke terrible words of blasphemy against God, slandering his name and all who live in heaven, who are his temple. And the beast was allowed to wage war against God's holy people and to overcome them. And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation. 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, which belongs to the Lamb who was killed before the world was made. Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand. The people who are destined for prison will be arrested and taken away. Those who are destined for death will be killed. But do not be dismayed, for here is your opportunity to have endurance and faith. Then I saw another beast come up out of the earth. He had two horns like those of a lamb, and he spoke with the voice of a dragon. (This is more along the lines of speculation. Everyone has their own interpretation. Could 'two horns of the lamb' refer to Christianity? Biblically, a lamb is a follower of the Lord. Jesus Christ is the slaughtered lamb and our good Shepherd. Could this beast be pretending to be a Christian, yet promoting a sinful lifestyle (like that of Satan, the dragon). He exercised all the authority of the first beast. And he required all the earth and those who belong to this world to worship the first beast, whose death-wound had been healed. He did astounding miracles, such as making fire flash down to earth from heaven while everyone was watching. 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 of the world to make a great statue of the first beast, who was fatally wounded and then came back to life. He was permitted to give life to this statue so that it could speak. Then the statue commanded that anyone refusing to worship it must die. (Idol worship is the ultimate 'Old Testament' no-no. All that worship the beast ignore this most basic principle of God's word. Surely this is Satan's way of mocking the Lord in an effort to anger him once again.) He required everyone-great and small, rich and poor, slave and free-to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. 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. Wisdom is needed to understand this. Let the one who has understanding solve the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is 666. |