The Antichrist: What Difference Does it Make?

The Antichrist: What Difference Does it Make?

End times matters are coming to the fore again and I believe it is what Christ would want at this time as we remember His suffering, death and resurrection this week.

Daniel prophesied concerning the end times, beginning with the graphic interpretation of the dream Nebuchadnezzar had, which he couldn't remember until Daniel and his friends narrated it to him with the interpretation.

The dream pointed to the kingdoms that would rule the world till God's kingdom would be established. These kingdoms have come and gone and we are witnessing the toes of the image that depicts the schedule of events in our days. Daniel chapter 2.

When John, the Baptist came preaching, his message was simple and clear, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand", he preached as the forerunner for Christ.

When Jesus Christ came, the message didn't change, "Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand"

Of course, people thought it was all about restoring the kingdom back to Israel. But it is more than that, it is about God ruling over the nations removing all rules and all authority. 

1Corinthians 15:24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

The central teaching of Christ is about this new Kingdom coming, which had started in the spirit realms from where with time, it will manifest fully.

One question people kept asking Him was about the signs of the end of the age before the advent of the full manifestation of the kingdom of God. And He gave answers as appropriate which we can read from the gospels, and were written to churches by the apostles in the epistles.

One prominent figure of the end of time is the person called the Antichrist, he has other appellations like the abomination of desolation, the man of sin, the beast and so on.

Another prominent part of the end times is the first resurrection or the rapture of the saints, the catching up, just like Jesus was taken up with a glorious body after His resurrection.

Another event in the narrative are the tribulations, the persecutions and the sufferings from satanic systems and from natural disasters for the believer and for the entire world. 

We also have the coming of Christ, the millennia reign of Christ and the Armageddon war that will totally paralyse Satan and his angels, the world and the universe as we know it, casting them into the lake of fire.

And finally, the emergence of the new heaven and the new earth. 

The complexity of the interplay and the sequence of these events are not so easy to understand and so we must simplify it as much as possible to be able to find our place in the whole process having the kingdom of God as focus.

First of all we must understand that certain behavioral patterns won't permit entrance into the kingdom of God. Sin and unrighteousness won't take a person from here to the next level. Nothing abominable will be there. 

But man has no capacity to attain such level of righteousness without the help of God through His love. It was this grace that brought the gifts of righteousness, redemption and the new creation we received in Christ through the new birth, which opens the door of the kingdom of God to mankind.

With the new creation that's in Christ, our conformity to Christ's image becomes possible as He leads many sons into glory. He can now work in the believer what is well pleasing in His sight by the power of the Spirit that indwells us. 

Here is the defeat of Satan and his system and that becomes the target of his pressure and warfare against mankind and particularly the believers in Christ. 

Satan is called the Tempter, he uses schemes, lies, pressures of sufferings and of comfort to lure both the world and even believers away from Christ. He knows he has been judged already and condemned eternally, his time is short and would deceive as many as possible through the broad way. 

His temptation does not leave anyone out. He even wanted Jesus Christ to bow to him and so join his team by offering Him all the Kingdoms of the world and their glories. 

His offers are always around the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life, outside his wickedness and terror. 

The temptations from Satan is real and not hidden. And people, both believers and non believers in Christ, fall daily, choosing the temporal pleasures of sin and of the world rather than Christ. 

Faith in Christ is the key that offers all that God has provided to save us. The future of mankind in the coming kingdom is tied to faith in Christ, and that then becomes the object of satanic warfare. He wins whenever people lose that faith in Christ and loses when people keep their faith in Christ. 

Money, power and the glories of the world are always the major tools of Satan's lures and temptations. He knows money will draw worship from man just as God draws worship from man. The power money has is always awe rendering to mankind and so becomes a major tool in Satan's hands to draw men away from following God. 

This has been on since mankind created money to answer all things. They have been trading their souls for money since and trusting in it over trusting in God who gave life which money didn't give. 

Now, when the Antichrist comes, he's going to leverage on the monetary and financial systems of the world to force people away from Christ and from their eternal salvation and people are so scared, and are only happy that rapture would probably have happened before his full manifestation. 

Meanwhile, Jesus said we would see the abomination of desolation sitting in the Holy place. And apostle Paul, said the day would not come until there be a falling away first and the man of sin revealed. 

Mark 13:14 But WHEN YE SHALL SEE THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:

2Thessalonians 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 

4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Though the rapture will cut the the days short for the elects sake according to Mark 13, before the full manifestation of the Antichrist in his full powers, the church will still be here to see him exalt himself above all that is called God. 

And even now, the spirit of the Antichrist is here already and antichrists are already here according to Scriptures. 

1John 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

1John 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time

Meanwhile, the answer to them is in 1John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Rapture will cut short their effects on the believer and usher the world into the full manifestation of their evils. But the rapture won't help those who chose to be lured away even now. According to apostle Paul, there shall be a falling away. This falling away is nothing but people falling for the temptations and the force of the tempter to abandon Christ for the lusts that are in the world. To those falling away and abandoning and denying Christ on the altar of saving their own lives by being 'wise' and 'reasonable', rapture won't be a safety net.

Seeing that denying Christ both now or at the full manifestation of the Antichrist carries the same damnation, believers should rather strengthen their convictions in the salvation that is in Christ and be ready to suffer, and if need be, to lay down their lives for their faith to secure their eternal salvation and not to fall away. Many are already selling their birthrights in Christ for a morsel of meal from Satan, yet thinking it would be different when the Antichrist comes. If you can't refuse to be lured away now, what would happen to you if the Antichrist offers you his mark as a pass for running your business and patronising others?

To those who take their salvation seriously, to those who understand the price of discipleship, the Antichrist means nothing because there's nothing he will offer that they had not already overcome by the Holy Spirit who lives within them even now as they are ready to lay down their lives for their salvation in Christ Jesus.

Jesus said he who would save his life will lose it, but he who would lose his life for His sake will find it. Mark 8:35...have you ever lost anything for Christ and for His gospel? 

Fundamental discipleship teaches us to be ready to forsake all that we have for Christ, to be ready to forsake every social attachment for Christ, and to carry our cross ready to die for the cause of Christ in self denial... Luke 14:26, 27&33

To many who have so being discipled and disciplined, the rage of the Antichrist makes no difference, they face his spirit daily and they overcome in their strides having their focus on the final goal, overcoming him by the blood of the Lamb shed for them on calvary and by the words of their testimonies not loving their lives even into the death.

11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Revelation 12

If we would protect and strengthen our faith and conviction in Christ, we won't fall or be afraid of either the spirit of the Antichrist or to the Antichrist himself.

Maranatha!

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