Antichrist is Coming, Part 1

Photo by icon ade, vecteezy.com

By Marv Rosenthal

First of a 2-part series.

The Great Tribulation
No story, however wicked or perverse – imagined or real – can compare with the End Times scene the Apostle John presents to his readers in Revelation Chapter 13. The subject of the chapter is the Great Tribulation, which is also the topic in a number of earlier chapters.

Chapter 6 refers to martyrs of the Great Tribulation (Revelation 6:9-11). Chapter 11 refers to the two witnesses of the Great Tribulation (Revelation 11:3-12). Chapter 12 refers to the persecution of the Jewish people in Jerusalem during the Great Tribulation (Revelation 12:13-16).

However, none of these chapters provides an extensive explanation regarding what the Great Tribulation will be like, nor do they refer to the demonic forces behind the coming horrific days. This task is left to Chapter 13 and is expanded upon in Chapter 17.

In short, the Great Tribulation is Satan’s final attempt to defeat Christ and rule the world. Satan will lose the war and be totally defeated, but he will leave great devastation in his wake.

John’s purpose in writing of these things is not to frighten his readers, who he calls “my little children” (1 John 2:1, 12, 13, 18, 28; 3:7, 18; 4:4). Rather, his purpose is twofold: first, to inform God’s children concerning the events of the Last Days leading up to Christ’s return; and second, to keep the generation living at that time from being caught off-guard, or unprepared, for the unprecedented challenge and danger they will be forced to confront in Christ’s name.

John’s warning is a classic illustration of the truth that “to be forewarned is to be forearmed.” To ignore or diminish the critical scene John is presenting because it is too frightening and unpleasant to contemplate, as some do; or because, in the thinking of others, they will be raptured before these events occur, is – in the former instance – folly and – in the latter instance –  the result of a sincere but unsustainable theological position.

About the Antichrist
Revelation 13 reveals the final stage of the satanic strategy begun at the dawn of history to delude humanity into blaspheming God and His Son and, instead, direct humanity toward the worship of the Antichrist.

The word “antichrist” is a transliteration of the Greek word antichristos. The prefix “anti” means “against”; it also means “in place of.” While there are a number of references to the Antichrist in the New Testament, the word “antichrist” itself appears only 4 times, and in each instance it comes from the inspired pen of the Apostle John (1 John 2:18, 22; 4:3; 2 John 1:7).

John writes of the Antichrist (singular) who is to come at the end of the age and of “antichrists” (plural) which were present in his day.

“Antichrists” were those who rejected the teaching that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, who came in the flesh. In so doing, they also rejected the Father who sent Him. In its place they championed belief in pseudo, or false, christs.

The Apostle Paul unites the concepts of the End Times Antichrist being both “against” and “in place of” the true Christ as he described “the man of sin” (the Antichrist) this way:

Who opposes [meaning “to be against”] and exalts himself above [meaning “to be in place of”] every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God (2 Thessalonians 2:4).

The Antichrist wants Christ’s crown, scepter, throne, and subjects.

In speaking of the End Times Antichrist, John describes a time when Jerusalem and the Jews will be at the center of Antichrist’s persecution and when born-again Christians will be called upon to be courageous and faithful to their Lord – to a degree never before experienced – as all the powers of Hell are marshaled against them (Revelation 12:17; 14:12).

The Church will be exempted by rapture from the wrath of God, which will be directed against ungodly humanity during the Day of the Lord.

The Church, however, will not be exempted from the persecution of Satan and the Antichrist – which occurs earlier during the Great Tribulation – when God’s name and character will be under assault and universally blasphemed.

Remaining Faithful
One would hope that during such an hour believers would have a burning desire to climb onto the rooftops and shout of God’s glory out of unbridled love for their Savior, while at the same time understanding that such action could result in their martyrdom.

The Jews, in contrast, are warned by the Lord in His Olivet Discourse to flee Jerusalem when the abomination of desolation triggers the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:16). The reason for the warning given to the Jews to flee is based on the fact that the armies of the world are going to converge on Jerusalem, and there will be a terrible bloodbath (Luke 21:20).

The believing Church, scattered as she is throughout the world, has been given no such command to flee. The Lord encouraged His beloved Church to remain faithful during the Great Tribulation with these promises:

• To the church of Ephesus He promised: “To the one who overcomes, I will grant to eat from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God” (Revelation 2:7).
• To the church of Smyrna He promised: “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).
• To the church of Pergamos He promised: “To the one who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna” (Revelation 2:17).
• To the church of Thyatira He promised: “Nevertheless what you have, hold firmly until I come. The one who overcomes, and the one who keeps My deeds until the end [of the age], I will give him authority over the nations” (Revelation 2:25-26).
• To the church at Sardis He promised: “The one who overcomes will be clothed the same way, in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels” (Revelation 3:5).
• To the church of Philadelphia He promised: “Because you have kept My word of perseverance [“perseverance” is faithfulness to the Lord in the midst of terrible adversity during the Great Tribulation], I also will keep you from [by rapture] the hour of the testing [the trumpet and bowl judgments which occur during the Day of the Lord], that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who live on the earth.” (Revelation 3:10).
• To the church of Laodicea He promised: “The one who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame [Jesus overcame by being faithful unto death] and sat [at His ascension] with My Father on His throne” (Revelation 3:21).

Overcoming
The Book of Revelation is futuristic. It is the apocalypse (unveiling) of Christ in power and glory at the end of the age (Revelation 1:1). The dangers and promises spoken to the 7 churches will have their ultimate fulfillment during the Great Tribulation.

The urgent, repeated call to the Church during the Great Tribulation is to be an overcomer, but what does this mean? It should not surprise us that the same John who wrote Revelation gave us the authoritative definition of an overcomer in his first epistle:

For whoever has been born of God overcomes the world [this cosmos or ordered system, headed by Satan]; and this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 John 5:4-5).

According to John, to be an overcomer one must, first, be “born of God.” Second, to be born of God one must exhibit “faith.” And third, the object of that faith is belief that Jesus is the Son of God in flesh; and in a broader sense, that in His life and death He accomplished those things the Bible attributes to Him.

Among those things are His virgin birth, sinless life, substitutionary death, bodily resurrection, visible ascension, priestly enthronement at the right hand of His father, and triumphant second coming.

In the events described in Revelation 13, the dragon (Satan), the beast out of the sea (the Antichrist), and the beast out of the land (the false prophet) will demand humanity worship the Antichrist and blaspheme God and His Son. A major theme of the Great Tribulation will be the blaspheming of God by Satan, his demon minions, and the great mass of people who will choose to follow him.

The Antichrist and false prophet will seek to authenticate their false message through highly impressive, satanically-empowered miracles and wonders. These will not be cheap magicians’ tricks. Therefore, great discernment will be required to determine who and what is of God and who and what is not of God.

Today there is a famine in the land, not of bread, but of hearing the Word of the Lord (Amos 8:11). As believers living in this sinful world, we are not ready to confront the unique challenges of the Last Days. And the Last Days could soon confront us. Faithfully resisting the demands of Satan, the Antichrist, and the false prophet during the Great Tribulation will result in the martyrdom of many believers (Revelation 13:6-7).

In that environment, the great mass of humanity (which will include multitudes who identify themselves as Christians but who know nothing whatsoever of the grace of God and therefore have never been “born of God”) will quickly capitulate and follow Satan and the Antichrist. They will not be overcomers.

The shocking and tragic reality is that at the end of the age hundreds of millions of men and women will, of their own volition, choose Satan over God and the Antichrist over the true Christ. It will be the ultimate manifestation of the truth that humanity loves darkness more than light because their deeds are evil (John 3:19).

In marked contrast, all true believers living during the Great Tribulation will be given grace to remain faithful because they are “born of God.” They will, without exception or caveat, be the overcomers. This is the divine promise (1 John 5:5). True believers will never capitulate to the Antichrist and take his mark.

But God does not promise that being an overcomer will be easy. In the words of an old hymn we rarely sing anymore, “Some thru the waters, some thru the flood, some thru the fire, but all thru the blood.”

What joy, what privilege, what honor it will be for the bride to be given the opportunity to remain faithful to the Bridegroom while all the poisonous darts of Hell and the collective wickedness of unregenerate humanity will be arrayed against our Savior.

At His first coming, as Calvary approached, all forsook Him – even His apostles. God forbid that in connection with His second coming, as Satan is launching his final attack and as the world is blaspheming His name, the bride should turn, run, and vainly try to hide.

As I reflect upon these things, I am deeply saddened that many of us, however well-intended, have bought into a system of theology which teaches the Church will be removed by rapture before the Antichrist and the Great Tribulation are upon us.

We sing “Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, with the cross of Jesus, going on before!” At the same time, many are counting on – though it will not come to pass – evacuating the area and deserting our Lord before the greatest and final battle of the ages.

As I look out at America’s Bible-believing Church today (I hesitate to use the word “evangelical” as it has become far too inclusive), I cannot help but wonder – are we Christian soldiers or are we really Christian cowards? Are we made of paper-mâché or are we made of forged steel?

If the former, perhaps this is the reason why the Church in America, with some notable exceptions is, in my view, irrelevant, cold, and anemic at this hour of history. God’s Word is a two-edged sword, and I speak to myself and of my own sinfulness, shortcomings, and shallowness before I speak to others.

The apostle Paul wrote, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). For Paul, the purpose for living was all about Christ and to die was all about winning. Oh that Paul’s passionate and unbending commitment to Christ would become our commitment to Christ.

These are difficult words to write, but I will keep writing them. I realize some will be theologically offended by what I say, and others will be offended by my directness. Directness is required by the lateness of the hour.

And perhaps, just perhaps, a few of God’s sons and daughters will be helped along their pilgrim journey. With great joy, I write for them.

Up Next: Part 2: The Beast Out of the Sea

Marv Rosenthal, founder and President of Zion’s Hope, was an acclaimed international Bible teacher for almost 6 decades.