The Counterfeit

 

Welcome to week 2 of our series, “On the Edge of Eternity.”

Last week we began by understanding that Jesus is coming soon.

Scripture never teaches believers to look for the Antichrist, the Mark of the Beast or any other prophetic end-time occurrence.

Scripture simply teaches us to look for Jesus.

Today let’s continue our journey in eschatology, the study of the end times.

The Counterfeit

Our focus in this series is NOT to get everyone to agree exactly on “what happens when.”

Our focus, rather, is to remind us as the New Testament Church that… “MARANATHA!” 

(Greek word meaning… “Rejoice!  Jesus Is Coming!)

Revelation 22:7 NLT “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed are those who obey the words of prophecy written in this book.”

We believe the Scriptures teach that after the Rapture of the Church the world will then see the rise of the Antichrist.

1 John 2:18 NLT 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.

Perhaps you’re unfamiliar with the meaning of this term Antichrist.

As we examine Scripture we come to understand that antichrist means “against”, or “instead of” Christ.

The Antichrist is a Counterfeit Christ, a puppet of the devil to lead people away from Jesus, the true Christ.

Satan will create his version of the Trinity, as a counterfeit to the Godhead. (God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. — Satan, The Antichrist, the False Prophet).

A fearful doom awaits this unholy trinity! (Rev. 19:20)

Anytime there is talk about the Antichrist, natural questions arise: Who is he? Where does he come from? When will he come to power? What will make everyone turn to him?

Let’s answer these questions. But before we answer these questions, I need to remind you again:

Scripture never teaches believers to look for the Antichrist, the Mark of the Beast or any other prophetic end-time occurrence.

Scripture simply teaches us to look for Jesus.

“So Pastor, if Scripture teaches us to look for Jesus and not the Antichrist and signs of the end times, Why spend time talking about these things?” 

So you won’t be deceived and believe everything people teach. I want you to know what Scripture says regarding these things and I want you to focus on Jesus and not so much what’s happening around us.

1. Rise of the Antichrist: Who is He?

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 NLT Now, dear brothers and sisters, let us clarify some things about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered to meet him. 2 Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Don’t believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us. 3 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.

4 He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God.

5 Don’t you remember that I told you about all this when I was with you? 6 And you know what is holding him back, for he can be revealed only when his time comes. 7 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. 8 Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming.

9 This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. 10 He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. 11 So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. 12 Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth.

A. World dictator that will arise to power after the Rapture of the Church.

Revelation 13:1 NLT Then 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. 

Revelation 13:7 NLT 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. 8 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. 

B. Not presently known who this man is, he is certainly alive somewhere in the world today (due to the signs of the time pointing to the nearness of the Rapture of the Church).

C. His identity will be known for certain when the world sees the man who makes a covenant with Israel for 7 years.

Daniel 9:27 NLT The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him.”

Matthew 24:15-25 NLT “The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about—the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place.” (Reader, pay attention!) 16 “Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. 17 A person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. 18 A person out in the field must not return even to get a coat. 19 How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days. 20 And pray that your flight will not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again. 22 In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God’s chosen ones.

23 “Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones. 25 See, I have warned you about this ahead of time.

2. Where does he come from?

Revelation 13:1 NLT Then 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.

A. This question is fully answered in Daniel (Daniel 2 & 7).

B. 10 Horns = 10 nations of power which will unite to form the core of the world government the Antichrist will rule.

This is believed to perhaps be an alliance similar to the European Common Market.

Seven Heads = 7 world leaders from among the 10 nations who will willingly give the Antichrist their allegiance … 3 of the 10 leaders will not and the Antichrist will overthrow them.

C. The Antichrist will geographically come from Greece, Turkey, Syria, or Egypt (Daniel 7-8).

Many Bible Scholars believe there is biblical support that supports the AntiChrist will come from Syria. God in His sovereignty didn’t give exact details, just enough for us to know what is coming.

3. When will he come to power?

Once again just want to remind you, 

Scripture never teaches believers to look for the Antichrist, the Mark of the Beast or any other prophetic end-time occurrence.

Scripture simply teaches us to look for Jesus.

Revelation 6:1-2 NLT As I watched, the Lamb broke the first of the seven seals on the scroll. Then I heard one of the four living beings say with a voice like thunder, “Come!” 2 I looked up and saw a white horse standing there. Its rider carried a bow, and a crown was placed on his head. He rode out to win many battles and gain the victory.

This rider on the white horse is none other than the Antichrist.

This is the beginning of the Tribulation on the earth.

A. According to Daniel 7:24 the Antichrist cannot be revealed until after the 10-nation confederacy has completed a group like the European Common Market. 

Daniel 7:24-25 NLT Its ten horns are ten kings who will rule that empire. Then another king will arise, different from the other ten, who will subdue three of them. 25 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 placed under his control for a time, times, and half a time.

B. After the Rapture of the Church.

2 Thessalonians 2:6-8 NLT And you know what is holding him back, for he can be revealed only when his time comes. 7 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. 8 Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming.

v. 7 — “until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way.”

What is it that is hindering this lawlessness?

In other words, what is the force that keeps the antichrist from rising to power? 3 thoughts:

Governments — This does not line up with scripture because the Antichrist will rule over many kingdoms and their governments during his reign. 

The Holy Spirit — Again, this does not line up with Scripture because we know that the Holy Spirit will still be drawing people to Jesus throughout the Tribulation.

Many will be saved by the Holy Spirit during the Tribulation.

The Church - It must be the Church that is holding back the power of lawlessness. Once the Church is removed, the world will see the rise of the Antichrist.

C. The Antichrist will come to power at the beginning of the Tribulation becoming the ruling leader over one of the ten kingdoms (countries). He will rule over all 10 kingdoms the last 3 ½ years of the Tribulation. (Daniel 7:25, Daniel 12:7)

Revelation 13:5 NLT 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.

 

D. It is just in these 3 ½ years that he will exalt himself above all gods to be worshipped by all. (Revelation 13:4-18, Daniel 11:36-45)

Daniel 8:25 NLT He will be a master of deception and will become arrogant; he will destroy many without warning. He will even take on the Prince of princes in battle, but he will be broken, though not by human power.

2 Thessalonians 2:4 NLT He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God.

4. What will make everyone turn to his leadership?

2 major things:

1. The anarchy and world confusion after the Rapture of the Church.

2. The miraculous “raising from the dead.”

— Worldwide Anarchy after the Rapture sets the stage for a world dictator.

The Rapture of the Church precedes the 7-year Tribulation period.

The Rapture is not the event that marks the start of the Tribulation, but is the catalyst that sends the world spinning out of control setting the stage for the fulfillment of the prophecies.

The event that marks the beginning of the 7-year Tribulation

is the 7-year covenant with Israel.

Daniel 9:27 NLT The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him.”

After the Rapture of the Church, there will be a very short time before the Rise of the Antichrist and the beginning of the Tribulation.

The interim between the Rapture and the Tribulation will be a very chaotic time for planet earth. 

Millions of born-again believers will have suddenly disappeared.

The disappearance of millions will have a huge impact on governments, militaries, economies, and social structures world-wide.

As the world is suddenly reeling from the impact of the Rapture of the Church the stage will be set for a world leader to rise to absolute power.

A. “Dictator” — A person who seizes authority over a nation as the result of an emergency… Tyranny is the end result of chaos in a society.

B. Example: Adolf Hitler … the 1930’s was a perfect set-up in Germany for a dictator to arise. (Economic depression and desperate times for Germany)

C. The antichrist will have all the power, intelligence, and personality to set himself up as a world dictator … especially on the stage of confusion caused by the Rapture of the Church and the increasing lawlessness as a result of the worldwide chaos.

— The miraculous “raising from the dead.”

A. The antichrist will receive a fatal head wound, of which he will be miraculously healed.

Revelation 13:3 NLT 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. 

B. Compare the tragic death of John F. Kennedy, Egypt’s Anwar Sadat, or Princess Diana.

Imagine what would have happened if any one of these, after being declared dead, had come back to life!

C. A satanic counterfeit of the Resurrection.

D. According to Revelation 13:4-5, the antichrist’s power will become tremendous for the closing 3 ½ years of the Tribulation.

Revelation 13:4-5 NLT They worshiped the dragon for giving the beast such power, and they also worshiped the beast. “Who is as great as the beast?” they exclaimed. “Who is able to fight against him?” 5 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.

E. According to Revelation 13:14, the False Prophet will then cause an image to be made of the Antichrist. People will be forced to worship the image.

Revelation 13:14 NLT 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. 

F. The Mark of the Beast

During the reign of the Antichrist, people on earth will be required to take the mark of the beast.

Revelation 13:16-17 NLT 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. 

By the middle of the Tribulation the Antichrist will require everyone on the planet to receive a mark on the right hand or forehead.

Without this mark, there is no means to do business, the mark will be required to buy, sell, or trade everything.

Receiving the mark is pledging allegiance to the beast, the Antichrist. 

No one will take the mark unknowingly, all who receive the mark will understand they are pledging allegiance to the Antichrist.

The demand by the Antichrist that everyone take this mark on their right hand or forehead is an attempt to gain economic control and become dictator of the whole world.

No, the COVID Vaccine is not the mark.

Please understand, things are falling into place in preparation for the things to come after the Rapture of the Church.

The world will give allegiance to the Antichrist and the false prophet, the world will even declare Satan as deity.

This worldwide apostasy will place the entire world under the divine judgment that Jesus will bring at His Second Coming.

With the Rapture of the Church and the Rise of the Antichrist, the stage is now set for the fulfillment of prophecy known as the 7-year Tribulation period.  a.k.a. — The Great Tribulation

On earth the 7 years of Great Tribulation is a time of God’s wrath being poured out on earth.

The saints are all giving account of their lives on earth at the Judgment Seat of Christ and enjoying the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

Scripture never teaches believers to look for the Antichrist, the Mark of the Beast or any other prophetic end-time occurrence.

Scripture simply teaches us to look for Jesus.

Our focus in this series is NOT to get everyone to agree exactly on “what happens when.”

Our focus, rather, is to remind us as the New Testament Church that… “MARANATHA!”

(Greek word meaning… “Rejoice!  Jesus Is Coming!)