THE ANTICHRIST & ARMAGEDDON
In Revelation 13, we have a description of the antichrist, who will be the head of the European Union. This charismatic political wonder will do these things. His full resume is given by the prophet Daniel in chapter 8.
The false messiah and chief son of Satan will:
1. Have supernatural demonic powers to know the unknown. The Bible says he will have “a fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences KJV or understands sinister schemes” (Daniel 8:23 NKJV). It will not be possible to keep anything a secret from him because of this satanic power.
2. “Cause craft (or deceit) to prosper” (verse 25 KJV). Hitler came to power in Germany because the economy of Germany was in a shambles. He rebuilt the economy of Germany, bring prosperity
and pride to a nation that had been crushed by the Peace Treaty of
The coming antichrist will come to power at a time of international crisis. He will cause craft and deceit to prosper. No man will be able to buy or sell anything without having the mark of the beast on his right hand or forehead (Revelation 13:17). This antichrist will control the world’s economy totally. The economy of the world will flourish. Then, like Hitler, he will drag the world into the Battle of Armageddon, a literal bloodbath the equal of which the world has never seen.
3. Make a 7-year peace treaty with Israel, which he will break at the end of 3-1/2 years. He “by peace shall destroy many” (Daniel 8:25). He will be shot in the head and miraculously recover, emulating the death and resurrection of Christ. At this point he will turn on the Jewish people. Daniel writes that he “shall destroy the mighty and the holy people” (verse 24).
The “holy people” are the Jews. They are the authors of the Word of God. They produced the patriarchs and the prophets. They are the source of knowledge about Christ and the 12 disciples. Without the Jewish contribution to Christianity there would be no Christianity.
When the antichrist begins to attack the Jewish people, they will flee to Petra in Jordan where they will be supernaturally protected by God Himself.
4. Be a prideful power monger. This false messiah “shall exalt himself in his heart” (Daniel 8:25). Revelation 13:5 confirms this by saying “He was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for 42 months,” or 3-1/2 years. This demonic world leader will create a one-world government, a one-world currency, and a one-world religion. One need only be a casual observer of current events to see that all three of these things are coming into reality.
5. Oppose Jesus Christ Himself. “He shall even rise against the Prince of princes” (Daniel 8:25). At the Battle of Armageddon, this chief son of Satan, this false messiah with enormous demonic power, will oppose Jesus Christ Himself. However, he will not be successful. He will be bound and cast into the bottomless pit by the Conqueror of Calvary.
WHEN DOES THIS HAPPEN?
In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 the apostle Paul describes the rapture, when the church is caught up to meet the Lord in the air. 3-1/2 years after this takes place, the antichrist, who will be the head of the European Union, is going to be given power “over every tribe, tongue, and nation. (Revelation 13:7).
How can one man have such worldwide power? With Russia and the Arab powers gone, everyone who could contest the antichrist’s right to world authority has been removed. As head of the European Union he represents the king of the West.
The following events should take place in the near future:
Israel and/or America must confront Iran regarding its nuclear weapons program. If
When Russia and its allies are destroyed on the hills of Israel by the hand of God, a power vacuum will exist. At this point, the king of the West, the antichrist, the head of the European Union, the false messiah to Israel, will emerge center stage and form a one-world government and a one-world religion. For a brief period, he will be a one-world dictator.
That leaves only the king of the East, which is China. China’s economy is booming. The sleeping giant is awake and has the most competitive capitalistic economy in the world.
The Bible warns of the rising importance of the king of the East. Revelation 16:12 says:
And the sixth angel poured out his bowl upon the great river, the Euphrates, and its water was dried up, that the way might be prepared for the kings from the east.
John described an incredible marching army of 200 million soldiers from the Orient, marching down the dried up riverbed of the Euphrates toward Israel. Why would China make this move? Just as Russia is, China is also thirsty for Arab oil.
Until America invaded Iraq, China purchased most of its oil here, but the American invasion has made China try other ways of getting the oil it needs to keep its economy going. China actually tried to buy one of America’s foremost oil companies. Had they been successful, such a purchase could have been a serious blow to our national security.
The 2 kings that remain on the earth at this stage in prophecy will be the king of the West (the antichrist) and the king of the East (China). These 2 kings and their armies will meet to battle for world supremacy on a battlefield in Israel called Armageddon.
THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON
John said, and I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon (Satan) and out of the mouth of the beast (the antichrist) and out of the mouth of the false prophet (the religious leader for the antichrist), 3 unclean spirits like frogs, for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for a war of the great day of God, the Almighty, and they gathered them together to the place that in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon. (Revelation 16:13-14, 16)
This passage says that the satanic trinity consisting of Satan, the antichrist and the false prophet are calling all the nations (not aligned with China) to war. The call is for every nation to send their armies to Israel to destroy China, the last great superpower on the earth.
WHERE IS ARMAGEDDON
Har-Magedon means “the mount of Megiddo”. One can stand at Megiddo and look across the Jezreel Valley as far as your eyes can see.
In 1799 Napoleon stood at Megiddo before the battle that thwarted his attempt to conquer the East and rebuild the Roman Empire. Contemplating the plain of Armageddon, he declared, “all the armies of the world could maneuver their forces on this plain.”
In the Old Testament, this valley is called “the Valley of Jehoshaphat”. Joel says “I will also gather all nations, and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat” (Joel 3:2). Joel then describes the Battle of Armageddon:
Proclaim this among the nations:
“Prepare for war. Wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near, let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears, let the weak say, “I am strong.” Assemble and come, all you nations, and gather all around. Cause Your mighty ones to go down there, O Lord.
Let the nations be wakened and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down, for the winepress is full, the vats overflow, for their wickedness is great.
(Joel 3:9-13)
In the book of Revelation John declared that blood will flow up to the bridle of a horse for a space of 1,600 furlongs, which is approximately 200 miles. (Revelation 14:20). It will be a sea of human blood.
From the northern part of Israel to the southern point is about 200 miles. The message, the battlefield will cover the nation of Israel.
It is beyond human comprehension to envision a sea of human blood drained from the veins of those who have followed Satan’s plan to try to exterminate the Jewish people and prevent Christ from returning to the earth.
As the battle between the king of the East and the king of the West begins, the unexpected happens.
Before these great armies can prepare their weapons for assault, there is an invasion such as Earth has never seen before. It is not an invasion from the north, south, east or west, but from Heaven itself.
John describes this invasion with these words:
Now I saw Heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He that sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies of Heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. (Revelation 19:11-16)
At this point the antichrist and the king of the East forget their hostility towards each other and “gather together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.” It will be Jesus Christ of Nazareth who sits upon the white horse.
In this battle, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords captures the antichrist and the false prophet and casts them alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.
“And the rest (hundreds of millions) were killed with the sword that proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.” (verse 21)
We now stand on the verge of the best and worst of times. It is the worst because man’s rebelling against God and His purpose for Israel makes it necessary for God to crush Israel’s enemies.
Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
(Psalm 121:4)
No comments:
Post a Comment