From
the moment Satan entered the Garden of Eden and deceived Adam and Eve, he had
to have a man to be his representative of his Antichrist. Apparently,
Cain
was ready to accept the role of the first false worshiper, and he actually made
an effort to worship the true God with a false expression of faith.
His
worship was rejected, he was judged and, like all false worshipers, he was
angry with his brother, Abel, whose worship was accepted. This accurate
Genesis
account establishes the pattern of the Antichrist character. These
characteristics have never changed, and the final Antichrist will reflect them
in
an ultimate display of consummate evil.
Several
characteristics are revealed in this biblical account. First, we must always
remember that every antichrist spirit is a religious spirit. Secular
activities
are certainly evident, but they are a means to an end, not the basic character.
Satan himself is first an extremely religious being, and he
accomplishes
his goals with religious activity. Through the centuries, his antichrists have
created a multitude of religious organizations and promoted
as
many religious philosophies. Often we hear our enemies talk about the many
religious wars and label all religion as an enemy because of those wars.
This
is the design of antichrists, to cast doubt and shadow over the truth of God.
If the world of believers is going to have any idea of Satan's final
antichrist,
it must understand his deeply religious character and expression.
Second,
antichrists always offer religious expressions that have departed from the
plain and literal truths of Scripture. Cain did not refuse to worship;
he
even appeared to worship in great enthusiasm, but he was visibly shaken when his
false worship was rejected. It is impossible to find a more perfect
picture
than this in describing the present development of the antichrist spirit. All
religions are being elevated to an equal footing, and anyone who
dares
claim exclusiveness receives a sound rebuke. In fact, the only religions
unacceptable in today's general mindset are fundamental Christianity and
fundamental
Judaism. The religious attitude being promoted on a worldwide basis is
tolerance and respect for all religions and absolute hatred for the
narrow
way. This religious tolerance will be one of the most striking of the final
antichrist's characteristics.
The
Scripture then records a statement that the Creator made to Cain that reveals
the mysterious spirit of the antichrist he would face the rest of his
life.
Of course, we know that the world has faced that spirit right up to the present
and will face it in its darkest form at the end. Look at these words
as
stated in the Masoretic Hebrew: "And why has fallen your face? Is there
not if do you well, exaltation, and if not you do well, at the door sin is
crouching
and
toward you its desire, but you should rule over it" (Genesis 4:6,7,
literal English from Hebrew). Sin is actually personified and revealed here as
the
antichrist that would be like a crouched animal constantly badgering every
human being. The only people who have defeated this spirit, and certainly
the
only people who will defeat it in the future darkness, are those who can
identify this spirit and resist it by the Word of God.
It's
amazing how this picture is in perfect accord with the words of the apostle
Paul to the Thessalonians: "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work:
only
he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall
that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit
of
his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming" (2
Thessalonians 2:7,8).
In
these two companion passages, we see the same characteristic of the
"mystery of iniquity" or "the antichrist" revealed in the
beginning at the fall of
man
in the garden and the explosion of that spirit at the end. We must learn from
the history of Scripture the true picture of this spirit of iniquity.
The
church is full of good people trying to identify the future antichrist, but
they cannot see his captivating spirit at their very doors. We must get
into
our minds the simple statement included in the last Scripture passage:
"The mystery of iniquity doth already work." How can we see the
future antichrist
if
we cannot recognize the present mystery of iniquity? Therefore, the third
characteristic of this person is that he operates as a mystery hidden from
the
eyes of everyone but the most discerning. (I must add that the only possible
means of discerning this mystery is the infallible Word of God.)
A
fourth clear characteristic of this "man of sin" is his viciousness.
We are not dealing with human anger or simple rebellion; we are dealing with a
spirit
of
anger-a furious anger that will not be satisfied until the true expression of
faith is wiped off the earth. Cain did not just hate his brother. He martyred
Abel
for his faith. This was the first act of the antichrist spirit to try to rid
the earth of true faith. It was the seed of the serpent in an all-out
effort
to destroy the seed of woman.
The
totality of the antichrist that we are presently witnessing in mystery form,
which I believe will soon develop in manifest form, will make an all-out
effort
to rid the earth of the biblical faith. Everything the final antichrist will
represent will be embodied in his hatred for the true God and his effort
to
set up a system of religions that enthrones him in the Father's place. The
present religious deception is the heartthrob of Satan's preparation for
his
one-world kingdom.
The
final characteristic of the Antichrist is the curse always visible in his
activities. When the Father spoke to Cain after he had slain Abel, His words
revealed
this absolute principle:
And
the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am
I my brother's keeper? And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of
thy
brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. And now art thou cursed from
the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood
from
thy hand; when thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee
her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth"
(Genesis
4:9-12).
Study
any aspect of history from the Garden of Eden until the present and you will
find prosperity and happiness in the wake of every true expression of
faith.
The opposite is always true of the mystery of iniquity. Where this antichrist
spirit has touched the earth, the result is wilderness and calamity.
I'm
not talking about false prosperity and stealing from others by means of words
of divination. I'm talking about health, happiness, prosperous labor
and
blessings that follow the labor of the righteous. The Bible is full of the
stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David and Solomon, along with countless
others
who received the blessings of God because they were discerning of the seed of
woman and rejected the offers of God's enemies. The opposite is true
of
Eli, Saul, Ahab, Jezebel and Judas. These people were deceived by the seed of
the serpent and the mystery of the antichrist. They inherited a wilderness
for
their labors. This fifth clear characteristic of an antichrist is his
destructive spirit and the clear judgment that is always present in his
activities.
The
book of Revelation gives the final picture of carnage on this earth as a result
of his last hurrah of evil.
This
background picture from the development of the mysteries of iniquity in Genesis
can now help us as we try to identify how the Antichrist will deceive
the
entire world and receive the worship of the whole earth. Satan, by means of
this Antichrist person, will actually become the "god" of this earth
and
turn
it into a wilderness. The world is about to see the grandest picture of this
deceiver that he is capable of producing. He will use paranormal powers
to
produce a religious kingdom full of worldly pomp and glory that will captivate
the multitudes.
Having
started this chapter in the book of Genesis, let's make the transition to the New
Testament by a tracing of the seed of the serpent versus the seed
of
woman. This struggle that the Father Himself prophesied has never ceased even
until the present. The Father stated, "And I will put enmity between thee
and
the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and
thou shalt bruise his heel" (Genesis 3:15).
The
Father has always had a seed in the earth, a remnant, if you please, of holy
saints who would not bow to the deceiver or depart from the truth in the
smallest
of details. These men and women have clung to the truth with no thought of
their own lives. Out of this remnant God preserved a seed from which
Jesus
Christ was born. It is breathtaking to study about Rahab, who was saved out of
Jericho to become a part of the seed of the Son of Man. With Rahab,
there
is Jesse, the father of David, and Ruth, the wife of Boaz. God preserved the
seed of woman and the Christ was born Son of man, Son of God.
Satan
has maintained his seed of the wicked and had his myriad antichrist persons
from the fall in the garden. Wicked men like Nimrod have yielded to his
design
and wrought destruction to each generation. The history of man during both
Testaments is filled with this "mystery of wickedness." These dark
figures
have
been the seed of the serpent, and his evil design has never failed to produce a
harvest of destruction. Since the nineteenth century we have witnessed
Darwin,
Marx, Stalin, Hitler and an endless list of other individuals who have
delighted in being the seed of the serpent. Every one of them has been
religious
and
vile beyond description.
Jesus
Christ was born of Mary, conceived by the Holy Ghost and without the sin nature
of Adam. Jesus was the ultimate seed of woman that the Father promised.
The
Son of God even now has a body, the blood-washed saints who are born of the
Holy Spirit by new birth. This seed is the final expression of the seed
of
woman. Satan hates this seed and, is producing his own final seed to
counterfeit the pure, blood-washed bride. The seed of the serpent will continue
to
bruise the seed of the woman even as we see religions of the masses lampoon the
straight and narrow way of truth. The seed of woman, the blood-washed,
will
witness the bruising of the head of the seed of the serpent. The bride of
Christ will triumph. God's Word has guaranteed the triumphant march of truth.
The
Scripture has painted an unreal picture of this final expression of antichrist.
While there have been many antichrists, this man is the ultimate and
final
deceiver and has been chosen by Satan from among the greatest. In my book A
Palace for the Antichrist, these words best describe this coming genius:
The
consummate evil. A man so vile that he is called a beast and has for a name
"blasphemy." He is seen on earth hurling blasphemies against God who
is
seated
on His heavenly throne and he is angrily hurling the same at the saints already
among the raptured. He receives his power (inherent ability), his
seat
(political religions), and his great authority (permission) from the dragon or
Satan. Everything that he is, Satan equips him to be. The Bible describes
only
one type of person who can withstand his design, blinding deception or
convincing leadership. John the Revelator said, "And all that dwell upon
the
earth
shall worship him, whose names are not in the book of life of the Lamb slain
from the foundation of the World" (Revelation 13:8).
This
man is not an ordinary man. The Scripture calls him a composite of several
beasts, each having represented a previous world empire. He will be terrible
beyond
description. Daniel had the following to say of him: "After this I saw in
the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and
strong
exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and
stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from
all
the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns" (Daniel 7:7).
John
the Revelator expanded on Daniel's vision and spoke of the beast: "And the
beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet
of
a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his
power, and his seat, and great authority. 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" (Revelation 13:2,3). He captivates the world. How does
he
do it?
The
first, most deceiving, characteristic of the final Antichrist will be his deep
commitment to the religious world. With his false prophet-whom I identify
as
a leader of the false anointing that is sweeping the world-he will prepare the
world for a religious consensus. He will be a champion of this new tolerant
religious
consensus, and the world will call it the greatest revival of human
history-even greater than the New Testament church of Acts. This revival
will
explode around the world because of paranormal miracles and great emotional
religious meetings. First, let's notice how Daniel breathtakingly described
this
deceiver 2,600 years ago:
And
the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and
magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvelous things against
the
God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that
that is determined shall be done. 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. But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:
and
a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with
precious stones, and pleasant things. Thus shall he do in the most
strong
holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory:
and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land
for
gain (Daniel 11:36-39).
Everything
about this picture of the Antichrist shows how totally religious he will be.
Yet Daniel describes this new god as clearly not the God of his
fathers.
The new god will be a "god of forces," a "strange god" whom
the Antichrist will "increase with glory," and then he will cause
that new god to
"rule
over many."
Even
Daniel seems to be intrigued by this new god. He is clearly not just one of the
pantheon of pagan gods, but a "strange god," an evil creation of a
new
god never before worshiped by man. The second characteristic is part of the
first and very subtle. I believe the picture would show that the future
deception
will be to worship a god so generic and common that he can be called by any
name you desire to call him. (The Alcoholics Anonymous program has
just
such a god already accepted by a good part of today's church.) Today's
religious leaders are falling over each other to bury their differences and
champion
a tolerance for each other's beliefs.
The
new theologies of our generation are so mushy that they can be supported by a
revelation, a vision, a personal prophecy (fortune-telling), a miracle
or
any source that is religious. Much of what is called preaching has been so
integrated with human philosophies that the Bible content is little more
than
a launching pad-and sometimes not even that. The perfect setting for a generic
god is flooding our world.
John
the Revelator shows us the development of this religious spirit to the point
that Satan himself hides behind the god concept being accepted today.
Of
course, Satan does not receive the worship of the world by exposing himself but
by hiding himself. This text in Revelation shows how Satan uses his
antichrist
and his anti-spirit to conceal his own identity, and the world worships the
devil and does not recognize it:
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. 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 make war with him? And there
was
given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was
given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth
in
blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that
dwell in heaven (Revelation 13:3-6).
This
has always been a great mystery to me that the world en masse would worship the
devil. I believe the truth is being opened so that men and women will
learn
that the only way not to be deceived in this last day is by total abandonment
to the Holy Scripture and careful commitment to the minute details
of
godly living. Plainly, the Antichrist will be extremely religious, and he will
certainly lead the world in departing from true biblical faith. These
were
the first two characteristics of Cain, who was the first representative of the
antichrist. The man of sin will be the final expression of false religion.
Let's
look at the third characteristic I established in the beginning of this
chapter. The future antichrist is the finished expression of the mystery of
iniquity.
Satan and his representative are identified throughout the Bible as a crouched
animal (see Genesis 4:7) or a "roaring lion ... seeking whom he
may
devour" (1 Peter 5:8). Individuals who look for the antichrist in some
person on the political scene do great damage to the church. His entire scheme
is
to conceal himself and manifest his evil in unsuspected places. There will be
absolutely no way anyone will identify the antichrist until the church
of
Jesus Christ has been raptured. He will operate as a "mystery" or as
the "mystery of iniquity" until the "Restrainer" is
removed. The apostle Paul makes
that
extremely clear:
And
now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the
mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let,
until
he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the
Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with
the
brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan
with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness
of
unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the
truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them
strong
delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who
believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness (2 Thessalonians
2:6-12).
The
last-day appearance of the antichrist will be seen only in mystery form until
the Holy Ghost in His church has been removed. When you grasp this, then
you
understand that there is no safety in trying to identify the Antichrist in
physical form. Our only hope is to hide in the truth of God's Word and quit
looking
for some bogus man to attack. He will be revealed after the rapture and during
the early part of the seven years of God's wrath. His work until
that
point is to deceive while he hides under his many cloaks of religious
deception. He loves it when we look for him in some human form instead of
immersing
ourselves
into the holiness of Holy Scripture. The apostle Paul was no doubt considering
this very truth when he spoke the following words to the believers
at
Ephesus:
Put
on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the
devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities,
against
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual
wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour
of
God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to
stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and
having
on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of
the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith
ye
shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked (Ephesians 6:11-16).
The Antichrist will not be flesh and blood until the bride of Jesus Christ
has
been removed to the presence of our Eternal Redeemer.
The
Antichrist will be the most vicious human being who has ever existed. Every
expression of evil, every evil characteristic, every scheme of death and
destruction
will be manifest in this dark demon of a man. He will be Satan incarnate in the
perfect opposite of the Son of God incarnate. Everything that
Jesus
Christ was in the exact image of His Father, the Antichrist will be in the
exact image of Satan, his father. Remember how vicious Cain became when
his
new religion was exposed in the Father's rejection and Abet's acceptance.
As
we have already discovered, before the antichrist is manifest in human form,
the bride of Jesus Christ will be caught up to the Father's presence. This
will
cause Satan and his antichrist to explode in anger against the bride of Jesus
Christ in heaven as well as against Christ Himself. Of course, the bride
will
be gone, but these dark beasts will blaspheme toward heaven:
And
he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his
tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to
make
war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all
kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth
shall
worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain
from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:6-8).
One
of the dark facts about the seven years of God's wrath will be the slaughter of
believers that will occur on the earth. Satan's antichrist will begin
to
kill the element in the church that missed the rapture. Notice these words I
just quoted: "And it was given to him to make war with the saints and to
overcome
them." These were evidently unconverted or lukewarm believers who missed
the rapture and now become the object of the wrath of the Antichrist.
Revelation
6 gives a picture also of these weary souls that the Antichrist beast will slay
as Cain slew Abel:
And
when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that
were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
And
they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, 0 Lord, holy and true, dost
thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And
white
robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they
should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also
and
their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled
(Revelation 6:9-11).
The
carnage created by the Antichrist from hell will eclipse his destruction of all
of human history. He will certainly live up to the prophetic picture
painted
in Holy Scripture. He will be the ultimate beast.
The
Antichrist will be recognized by the wake of destruction that follows him.
History is full of people that couldn't discern evil until they witnessed
the
wilderness. The Scripture informs the believer under certain circumstances to
turn a person over to the devil that they may learn not to blaspheme.
The
world is about to get its final lesson in Satan's destruction as it witnesses
his final Antichrist. Satan's anti-trinity will unleash a baptism of dark
spirits,
destructive wars, vile acts of carnage and even catastrophes in the realm of nature.
He will turn the world into a wilderness. John stated, "So
he
carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a
scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads
and
ten horns" (Revelation 17:3). This is a picture of the Antichrist and his
false bride and the wilderness they have created for themselves.
Notice
that even before the false bride, the "whore," of the Antichrist (the
scarlet-colored woman) is destroyed by the ten kings the Antichrist has
temporarily
enthroned,
she is dwelling in a wilderness. This beast and his false spirit, along with
the "whore" has made the earth almost uninhabitable. I believe
this
is why these ten ruling horns destroy the false bride: "And the ten horns
which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall
make
her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire"
(Revelation 17:16). They have witnessed the false religionists destroying
our
world and creating a worldwide crisis. Members of Satan's crowd always make
fools out of themselves.
The
Antichrist will be the consummate evil. Every vileness of his historic rampage
will be represented in his final form. His actions have been as a crouched
beast,
always attacking, but never truly visible. Our spiritual war has never been
with flesh, but with invisible spirits and dark demons. The seven years
of
the great tribulation will be different. The mystery of iniquity will take
human form and the world will see the darkest side of hell.