Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction: Who will explain away the millions of people that disappeared off the face of the earth?

Someone is going to have to supply a reasonable explanation.

I believe that person will be Dr.

Fauci (No, I’m only joking).

But it will be someone like Dr, Fauci that the world will believe.

The Bible tells us that the Antichrist will have a mouth that speaks great things.

The Antichrist will have a good explanation as to what happened to all the people who vanished.

What happens after the Rapture here on earth?

According to Martin R. De Haan II, “the next event the Bible tells about is the rise of a false Christ to world prominence.

He is called Antichrist.” Jesus called him the “Psedokhistos” (the False Christ) in Matthew 24:24; Mark 13:22.

On the Got Questions website, one reads the following about the Antichrist - “The rise of the Antichrist.

After the church is taken out of the way (2 Thessalonians 2:7-8), a satanically empowered man will gain worldwide control with promises of peace (Revelation 13:1; Daniel 9:27).

He will be aided by another man, called the false prophet, who heads up a religious system that requires worship of the Antichrist (Revelation 19:20).

(What is the End Times Timeline).

Jesus predicted that another would come in his name and that the Jews would receive him (See John 5:43).

Who will be the one who comes in his name?

I believe that it will be the Antichrist.

What does the word “Antichrist” mean?The prefix “anti” may be used either in the sense of “instead of” or “against.”

It can also mean, the false messiah.

The Antichrist will be someone who seeks to take the place of or will stand against THE CHRIST.

Something else that is interesting is that the word “Antichrist” occurs only in the epistles of John.

It is used 5 times in four verses:

· John 2:18 - Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.

· John 2:22 - Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ?

He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.

· 1 John 4:3 - and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God.

And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.

· 2 John 7 - For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh.

This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

In this chapter I want us to look at what the Bible teaches us about the Antichrist, and then we will conclude by looking at the destruction of the Antichrist.

Let’s jump into our study.

I. What the Bible teaches about the Antichrist.

As we begin, I want to say that I am very in debt to Dr. Dwight Pentecost for much of my understanding of the Antichrist.

So, then, what does the Bible teach us about the individual who will appear in the end times as the head of the Gentile powers in their ten-kingdom federation (Possibly the revived Roman Empire).

His person and activity are presented in Ezekiel 28:1-10; Daniel 7:7-8, 20-26; 8:23-9:26-27; 11:36-45; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10; Revelation 13:1-10; 17:8-14.

As we look at those scripture passages (and many others) they will reveal the following facts concerning the activities of the Antichrist.

I am going to be sharing a lot of information, and I hope that you are not lost in the details.

Try to follow along to the best of your ability.

Use the outlines and notes provided in your bulletin.

1.

The Antichrist will appear on the scene in the latter times” of Israel’s history.

· Daniel 8:23 - “And in the latter time of their kingdom, When the transgressors have reached their fullness, A king shall arise, Having fierce features, Who understands sinister schemes.

2. The Antichrist will not appear until the Day of the Lord has begun (after the Rapture).

· 2 Thessalonians 2:2 - not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.

3. The Antichrist’s manifestation is being hindered by the Restrainer.

· 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 - And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time.

For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.

Question: Who is the Restrainer?

Bible teachers have different ideas, but most believe that the restrainer is either the church or the Holy Spirit.

Once the church and the Holy Spirit are removed it’s open season for the Antichrist.

4. The Antichrist's appearance will be preceded by a departure.

· 2 Thessalonians 2:3 – Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,

Question: What is meant by the word “falling away”?

The Greek word used here can be translated as “departure.”

This may be interpreted either as a departure from the faith or a departure of the saints to be with the Lord (See 2 Thessalonians 2:1).

5.

The Antichrist is a gentile since he arises from the sea.

· Revelation 13:1 – Then I stood on the sand of the sea.

And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name.

Most evangelical Bible teachers agree that the “sea” depicts the Gentile nations (Revelation 17:15), he must be of Gentile origin.

Some in Church history believed that he would be a Jew and that perhaps he would arise from the tribe of Dan.

6.

The Antichrist rises from the (Revived) Roman empire since he is a ruler of the people who destroyed Jerusalem.

· Daniel 9:26 - “And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.

The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined.

It was the Romans who destroyed Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

7. The Antichrist is the head of the last form of Gentile world domination, for he is like a leopard, a bear, and a lion.

The Book of Daniel teaches us that these were the nations of Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece.

The leopard speaks of speed, the feet of the bear of power, and the mouth of the lion speaks of aggression.

· Revelation 13:1 - Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion.

The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.

See Daniel 7:74; Revelation 17:9-11).

As such he is a political leader.

The seven heads and ten horns (Revelation 13:1; 17:12) are federated under his authority.

Bible teachers believe that this is the rise of the revised Roman Empire.

Note: Daniel called him a “dreadful beast.”

8.

The Antichrist’s influence is worldwide, for he rules over all nations.

· Revelation 13:8 - All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

The Antichrist’s influence comes through the alliance that he makes with other nations (Daniel 8:24; Revelation 17:12).

Can this happen?

Yes, why even in the news this past week the WHO (World Health Organization) was meeting to discuss the implementation of a Worldwide Treaty that would give them sole authority as to how nations would handle future pandemics.

Worldwide power one day will be easy to obtain.

9.

The Antichrist will eliminate three rulers in his rise to power.

· Daniel 7:8 – I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots.

And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.

· Daniel 7:24 - 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.

10.

The Antichrist’s rise will come through his peace program.

· Daniel 8:25 - “Through his cunning He shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule; And he shall exalt himself in his heart.

He shall destroy many in their prosperity.

He shall even rise against the Prince of princes; But he shall be broken without human means.

11.

The Antichrist personally is marked by his intelligence and persuasiveness.

· Daniel 7:8 - I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots.

And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.

· Daniel 7:20 - and the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows.

· Daniel 8:23 - “And in the latter time of their kingdom, When the transgressors have reached their fullness, A king shall arise, Having fierce features, Who understands sinister schemes.

He will be subtle and crafty (Ezekiel 28:6) so that his position over the nations is by their consent (Revelation 17: 13).

12.

The Antichrist rules over the nations in his federation with absolute authority.

· Daniel 11:36 - “Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done.

The Antichrist is depicted as doing his own will.

This authority is manifested through the change in laws and customs (Daniel 7:25).

Consider this in the light of certain world dictators today.

They claim they have ultimate authority.