By Ezekiel Kimosop
INTRODUCTION
In our previous study of 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3, we noted that there will be two key prophetic events that shall precede the coming of Christ. These are, namely, the falling away or the great apostasy and the revelation of the Antichrist. Some Bible translations refer to the falling away as the great revolt, indicating that the apostasy is a spiritual rebellion against Christ and His true followers.
Our study today will focus on the biblical portrayal of the Antichrist, his attributes, ambition, deceptive works, his subsequent fall, and his divine destiny in the lake of fire. We shall also examine a number theological views on what restrains the coming or revelation of the Antichrist. We shall begin by exploring some of the key attributes of this great enemy of Christ and His Church.
THE ATTRIBUTES OF THE ANTICHRIST
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 says “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, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” (NKJV).
The above passage employs a number of adjectives to describe the Antichrist.
He is first described as the “man of sin”. Some Bible translations describe him as the "man of lawlessness". Make no mistake here. This terminology does not suggest that the Antichrist is an ordinary sinful mortal. He is the embodiment of all conceivable evil. It also identifies his relationship with Satan under whose authority and inspiration he would operate (Revelation 13:4). This man will be totally given to depravity, wickedness, and perversity. My view is that the Antichrist will be the Hitler type who have no regard for the sanctity of human life or the order of human civilization.
The second description of the Antichrist is that he is the “son of perdition”. Some translations such as the Young’s Literal Translation (YLT), New Living Translation (NLT) and the New Revised Standard (NRS) employ the phrase “son of destruction”. This description mirrors his acts of violence and his ultimate demise.
According to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE), the word “perdition” is used eighteen times in the Bible and in each case it denotes the final state of ruin and punishment. James Moffatt rightly refers to the antichrist as "the doomed one" [1]. Elsewhere in Scripture, this term is employed in relation to Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus and whose destiny was eternally sealed (Acts 1:20). Judas, like the Antichrist, would share a common divine destiny with Satan in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:7-15). Here is why....Jesus prays in John 17:12 saying, “While I was with them [disciples] in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.”
Judas Iscariot was not only lost in physical death when he committed suicide. He, together with the Antichrist and his wicked agents will suffer spiritual separation from God and languish in eternal punishment. He was never a true follower of Jesus from the beginning.
THE FATAL AMBITION OF THE ANTICHRIST
The third and final description of the character of the Antichrist is recorded in 2 Thessalonians 2:4 which projects him as one “who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God” This verse reveals that the ultimate objective of this man of lawlessness is to overthrow God and to be worshipped as God. This perhaps explains why he will gather a large army at the Valley of Megiddo (Revelation 16:16). He will wage battle against Israel in an attempt to usurp the authority of the Messiah and reign from Jerusalem.
Satan has always sought to subvert the divine authority that God has vested in Jesus Christ. He tried to get Jesus to worship him during His temptation recorded in Matthew 4:1-11, in exchange for the kingdoms of the world that were temporarily under his wicked rule. Jesus flatly rejected the offer, knowing that the only way to permanently humiliate Satan was through the cross of Calvary. The Antichrist is a counterfeit messiah, an abomination to God’s people.
The God of Israel alone deserves to sit in His temple where He is exalted in majesty and glory and is worthy of worship. Prophet Isaiah had a vision of God that fits this description. Notice the picture of the glorious majesty of God described in Isaiah 6:1 which says: “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the LORD sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.”
The evil ambition that will finally lead to the downfall of the Antichrist perfectly fits the description of Satan's fatal ambition that caused him to be thrown down from heaven. The Bible reveals Satan’s thoughts in Isaiah 14:13-15 which says “For you [Lucifer] have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.' 15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.”
Notice the destiny of Satan described in Isaiah 14:15. Satan will ultimately be brought down to Sheol or hell, the lowest depths of the earth which in Hebrew thought is where the burning will be most intense and there is no chance of escape from torment. Unfortunately, this fire will never be quenched. It will burn forever and ever and ever (Mark 9:44-48).
Satan will also be locked up in a bottomless pit during the millennial reign of Christ and His saints at Jerusalem (Rev 20:1-3). This demonstrates that the Antichrist exemplifies Satan incarnate. Unlike Christ who was lifted to heaven in victory, Satan was thrown down from heaven and will ultimately be cast down into his eternal destiny in the lake of fire.
WHAT RESTRAINS THE COMING OF THE ANTICHRIST?
Let us now return to our passage of 2 Thessalonians 2.
2 Thessalonians 2:5-7 says “Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 7 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.” Notice the editorial leaning of the NKJV translation by the use of the pronoun "He" to ascribe divinity to restraining force.
Paul jogs the minds of the Thessalonians by reminding them of the teachings he had given them when he last visited Thessalonica with some of his ministry associates (see Acts 17). This visit was fairly brief. It lasted only three Sabbaths, suggesting that they only spent about three weeks before hell broke loose! (Acts17:2-5). Protests and violence ensued after radical Jews mobilized mobs to resist Paul’s ministry, forcing Paul and his associates to flee to Berea and later to Athens (Acts 17:5-34).
This could perhaps explain why the Thessalonians could not recall much of what was taught at the time.
THE PERSECUTION OF THE CHURCH
Paul reveals in 2 Thessalonians 2:7 that the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, only awaiting the revelation of the Antichrist. Nothing perhaps best exemplifies this lawlessness than the severe persecution that the Thessalonian church was undergoing. This confirms that the foundation of the Antichrist system started right after Calvary! The Jerusalem church was dispersed by the sword of Satan (Acts 12). We can therefore conclude that the persecutions suffered by the Thessalonians and indeed other believers in all church ages are best attributed to the wrath of Satan.
These persecutions on the church will definitely intensify as Christ's coming approaches. Why is this so? In Revelation 12:12, we learn that John heard a loud voice from heaven saying "woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you having great wrath because he knows that he has a short time." This warning comes after the seventh trumpet of God but before the harvest and the pouring of God's wrath.
Since the great harvest takes place in Revelation 14, it is perhaps safe to assume that the church will be present during the events leading up to that period. It appears that the church will have been raptured or caught away by Revelation 15 because the saints are seen praising God in heaven (Revelations 15:2-4).
My view is that even though the church will undergo persecution, she will nonetheless escape the seven bowls of the wrath of God which shall be poured upon God's enemies (Revelations 16). The Scarlet Woman and Scarlet Beast mentioned in Revelation 17 most probably represent the apostate religion or idolatry embraced by the people of this evil world at that point in time.
The church is next mentioned in Revelation 19:7-10 during the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, right after the fall of the great Babylon in Revelation 18. The marriage celebration is preceded by a great rejoicing in heaven (Revelation 19:1-6). The beast and his armies are finally defeated (Revelation 19:17-21) and Satan is bound for 1000 years. The 1000 year reign of Christ on earth follows (Revelation 20:1-6). Satan is temporarily released after the millennial reign but is finally destroyed together with the beast and the false prophet (Revelation 20:7-10).
This is concluded by the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-14) where Satan and all the enemies of God are served with God's final wrath.
Let's now return to our passage of 2 Thessalonians 2.
FOUR VIEWS ON WHAT RESTRAINS THE ANTICHRIST
2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 speaks of a restraining force that stands in the way of the revelation of the Antichrist. This statement has been the subject of several theological debates and speculations touching on what is holding back the coming or unveiling of the Antichrist. We shall now critically examine four key theological views on this mystery.
1) THE HOLY SPIRIT
Some Bible scholars suggest that the presence of the Holy Spirit on earth could be the restraining factor. We have earlier hinted that the NKJV editors appear to lean towards the divine essence of the restraining force. Does Scripture convey any theological support for this view? This assertion is difficult to prove from Scripture because it appears that the church will still be on earth at the time that the man of lawlessness is revealed. It is therefore inconceivable that the Holy Spirit could abandon believers before the church is taken away! Why must the Holy Spirit be removed or withdrawn in the first place? Was the Holy Spirit absent during the persecutions suffered by believers in the New Testament church period?
2) THE CHURCH
The second view held by some scholars is that the presence of the church on earth is the reason that the Antichrist is yet to be revealed. They argue that the Antichrist can only be revealed the moment the church is taken away or gathered to Christ upon his coming described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
Again this view does not find any conclusive support from Scripture. There is no evidence in the Bible to suggest that the Antichrist will only be revealed after the rapture of the church has taken place. If anything, such a conclusion contradicts the same passage we are studying since it presupposes that the Antichrist will be revealed to the church! Besides, the church is consistently identified with the feminine noun in the Greek New Testament Scriptures.
We have already identified from the words of Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 that two key events must first take place BEFORE the coming of Christ, which is synonymous with the rapture. These events are, namely, the falling away of the false church and the revelation of the Antichrist whose description the Bible reveals to us. My view is that the church will witness the revelation of the Antichrist and thereafter will be caught away at a time appointed by God.
In fact the church will be persecuted by the Antichrist for a season of time.
3) THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL
The third theory suggests that the great commission of Matthew 28:19-20 must first be accomplished by the church before the son of perdition is revealed. While it is legitimate to argue that the church should accomplish it's divine mandate, we cannot conclude with certainty if the task of spreading the gospel is what restrains the coming of the man of sin. We are aware that the message of the gospel is now available in online, reaching billions of people through the Internet and through international satellite TV, radio broadcasts and social media platforms yet millions of Christians continue to suffer persecution in some hostile regions of the world.
In any case, we have already established from Scripture that the Antichrist will find the church still on earth and carrying on its mandate! It is difficult to determine with theological certainty the space of time between the revelation of the Antichrist and the rapture of the church. Scripture is silent on this. Some have suggested that the three and a half years mentioned in Daniel 7:25 could coincide with this period but again this remains pure speculation. This places the validity of the pre-wrath rapture theory into considerable doubt.
4) THE DIVINE CALENDAR OF GOD
So who or what is it that restrains the coming of the Antichrist?
Irvin Baxter, a leading American Bible teacher on end time prophecy, believes that the only thing holding back the revelation of the man of sin and his wicked system is God’s divine calendar. He argues that just as Jesus was born at a time appointed by God, the Antichrist will be revealed when God’s appointed time is fulfilled.
This implies that God alone knows the time when this man will be ushered into the global scene.
Some scholars who associate this restraining force to a human person rather than a wicked system insist that the Bible contemplates a specific person rather given the mention of the third person male pronoun "He" in 2 Thessalonians 2:7. Nevertheless, it is difficult to discount the view that Baxter's opinion holistically resonates with Scripture. Besides, it is impossible to theologically isolate the Antichrist from his wicked system. Both are inextricably intertwined in every conceivable essence.
CONCLUSION
Since God has already revealed to the church the identity of the Antichrist and the kind of system that he will establish on earth, we can affirm that whatever holds him cannot be a salvation issue. The tentacles of His evil system are already spreading across this fallen world. We simply need to be spiritually ready for the revelation of this enemy of God by keeping our garments clean so that we can withstand him and his wicked reign. It is also fair to suppose that given the scale of global wickedness and religious apostasy in our contemporary society, some features of the Antichrist system have already been laid down. The contemporary world is increasingly hostile to the authentic practice of the Christian faith. The public preaching of the gospel has been outlawed in some Western countries and the decline in religious life is evidenced by church halls that have been turned into museums and clubhouses.
In sections of the Muslim world, being found with a Bible could get one into jail or cost them their life. Communist China and other Buddhist countries have officially outlawed the practice and witness of the Christian faith. It may only be a matter of time before Western civilizations openly reject the gospel.
THE RISE AND FALL OF THE ANTICHRIST
2 Thessalonians 2:8-12 says “And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
In this final section of our passage, the Bible reveals more details on the working of the Antichrist.
First, 2 Thessalonians 2:8 addresses the divine destiny of the Antichrist whose fate has been sealed by God. This Scripture reveals that this man of lawlessness will ultimately be destroyed by Christ upon His second coming. This teaching agrees with other passages of Scripture that reveal that the Antichrist will be defeated and captured during the battle of Armageddon and will be destroyed by Christ in the final judgment (Revelation 16:16-21, 19:19-21).
Secondly, 2 Thessalonians 2:9 says that the coming of the man of lawlessness is according to the working of Satan. This statement is significant here because it agrees with the earlier description of the man which we witnessed in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4.
It may be needful to emphasize once again that the character of this man appears to be consistent with the very incarnation of Satan. His works closely resemble Satan’s works described elsewhere in Scripture. The above Scripture reveals that the Antichrist will perform powerful signs and lying wonders and deception among those who will perish. This indicates that the man and his evil system will be a superman of sorts and will have a great following among the wicked, including atheists and those who reject Christ. The Antichrist will cause them to falsely believe that he is the messiah, the liberator of humanity from the shackles of religious dominion.
Revelation 13:4 says “So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?" This scripture shows that the great masses of lost humanity will blindly follow this master of deception and his evil system, glorifying and exalting his false greatness. It also reveals that he is likely to command great military arsenal and unrivaled global political power.
The beast here is first revealed in Revelation 13:1-2 as a dominion that rises from among the sea. This indicates that the Antichrist will possess a powerful political and economic base and owes his meteoric rise to the dragon which is the other name for Satan.
THE ANTICHRIST IN DANIEL’S PROPHECY
Some Bible scholars have identified the above scene with the revival of the Roman Empire that will rise in the last days in accordance with the prophecy of Daniel 7:15-28. Daniel 7:25-27 reveals startling truths about the Antichrist and his reign.
First, the Angel of God revealed to Daniel that the Antichrist will persecute the saints of the Most High for a season under God’s permissive will for three and a half years. Some scholars identify these saints and those described in Matthew 24 with Palestine Jews rather than the global church but the validity of this argument is doubtful because the millennial reign of Christ includes the redeemed church that will reign with Christ at Jerusalem for 1000 years (Zechariah 14, Revelation 20:4-6).
This confirms that the church will probably be on earth for the first three and a half during the Antichrist's rise to global prominence. Those who insist that the church will be raptured before the tribulation period claim that the Antichrist will not be in a position to persecute the church. This claim appears to be inconsistent with the teachings of several passages of Scripture including Matthew 24. My view is that the passage of Daniel 7 materially contradicts the pre-tribulation rapture theory at the outset.
Secondly, Daniel 7:26-27 reveals that the Antichrist will change times and laws. This could suggest that the man will have unfettered authority to make or permit unusual laws. Which laws could these be? This may perhaps refer to some international religious, civil or moral laws which are enacted to permit unusual things or to outlaw certain practices that are consistent with the moral values held by religious groups. He could for instance promote LBGTQ values and outlaw Easter and Christmas celebrations under a UN or international charter or convention over which he wields a veto or immense influence. These "social revolutions" could be advanced under the pretext that existing moral laws offer "undue advantage" to certain religious groups! Is it any wonder that most Western countries have enacted liberal laws to increase human freedoms and expression but surprisingly continue to make laws that ultimately restrict religious freedoms!
Finally, Daniel reveals in Daniel 7:26-27 that the reign of the Antichrist system will come to an abrupt end when God shall destroy it and hand it over to the saints. This passage probably describes the futuristic millennial reign of Christ and His saints. This will only take place after the Antichrist system has been crushed and destroyed (Revelation 19-20).
THE GREAT DECEPTION OF THE ANTICHRIST
Now back to Revelation 13:4.
The people will be captivated by the beast and will worship Satan because he will be the source of power for this charismatic global leader. Devil worship is a growing reality in contemporary society which has mutated into many subtle names including secret societies and other global atheist movements with profound influence in powerful western societies. Some powerful global institutions and nations have today openly rejected and outlawed the teachings and practices of the Christian faith in public. Interestingly, occult societies and other subtle movements are freely allowed to carry on their wicked works in the name of freedom of worship. These are the undeniable features of the Antichrist system by any other name.
What this passage is teaching is that God will shield his true followers from buying into this great deception. How will this possibly happen? My view is that true followers of Christ will discern this man as a false leader using the spiritual truths that they have learnt from God’s word and by the conviction of the Holy Spirit who dwells in them. This will ignite the wrath of the Antichrist against the true church.
The Bible says in John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”
1 John 2:26-27 says “These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. 27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.”
Those who diligently walk with Christ will always discern ungodly people and their enticing false messages and evil ways and will keep away from them. 1 Thessalonians 5:22 exhorts us to “abstain from all appearance of evil.” This distinction will most likely stand out from the covenant believers during the time of the Antichrist.
THE FINAL DESTINY OF THE ANTICHRIST
Finally, 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 says God will send a strong delusion on those who had rejected Christ so that they will believe the lie of the Antichrist and that they may be condemned for taking pleasure in unrighteousness. Notice that the window of God’s mercy will have been closed at this point so that a clear demarcation is drawn between those who belong to Christ and those who had rejected Him and now follow the Antichrist and his agents. These evil people will face the Great Day of Judgment and will be consigned to the lake of fire together with Satan, who is elsewhere described as the great dragon, and the Antichrist.
This profound truth should serve as a stern warning to those who willfully resist God’s grace because the time will come when the window of God's grace will be permanently shut by God just in the same manner that God shut up the door of Noah's Ark in Genesis 7:16. These people will weep and gnash their teeth in pain but it will be too little too late. Isaiah 55:6 says “Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.”
SUMMARY & CONCLUSION
From our study the passage of 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12, we have learnt the following:
1) The coming of Christ and the rapture of the church will not take place until the great apostasy arises and the Antichrist is revealed (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3).
2) The ultimate objective of the Antichrist is to overthrow God and destroy the church (2 Thessalonians 2:4).
3) The Antichrist will be revealed when God’s time is fulfilled (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7)
4) The system of the Antichrist is already at work in this world, only awaiting the revelation of the Antichrist who is also described as the man of sin, the son of perdition, and the man of lawlessness (2 Thessalonians 2:7; 1 John 4:1-7).
5) The Antichrist will be defeated by Christ upon His second coming [2 Thessalonians 2:8, Daniel 7:26-27)
6) The Antichrist will deceive millions of people who reject Christ and they will blindly follow him (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10).
7) God will finally judge Satan, also known as the Dragon, and the Beast and the Antichrist and all their followers whose names shall not be found in the book of life. God will then cast them into the lake of fire where they will be tormented forever (Revelation 20:7-15).
Seven times in Revelation 2-3, Jesus concludes each address to the seven churches of Asia Minor by saying: "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." If you have spiritual ears, you will definitely discern the spiritual truths taught in the Bible and the prophetic timeliness we are living in.
In fact the church will be persecuted by the Antichrist for a season of time.
3) THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL
The third theory suggests that the great commission of Matthew 28:19-20 must first be accomplished by the church before the son of perdition is revealed. While it is legitimate to argue that the church should accomplish it's divine mandate, we cannot conclude with certainty if the task of spreading the gospel is what restrains the coming of the man of sin. We are aware that the message of the gospel is now available in online, reaching billions of people through the Internet and through international satellite TV, radio broadcasts and social media platforms yet millions of Christians continue to suffer persecution in some hostile regions of the world.
In any case, we have already established from Scripture that the Antichrist will find the church still on earth and carrying on its mandate! It is difficult to determine with theological certainty the space of time between the revelation of the Antichrist and the rapture of the church. Scripture is silent on this. Some have suggested that the three and a half years mentioned in Daniel 7:25 could coincide with this period but again this remains pure speculation. This places the validity of the pre-wrath rapture theory into considerable doubt.
4) THE DIVINE CALENDAR OF GOD
So who or what is it that restrains the coming of the Antichrist?
Irvin Baxter, a leading American Bible teacher on end time prophecy, believes that the only thing holding back the revelation of the man of sin and his wicked system is God’s divine calendar. He argues that just as Jesus was born at a time appointed by God, the Antichrist will be revealed when God’s appointed time is fulfilled.
This implies that God alone knows the time when this man will be ushered into the global scene.
Some scholars who associate this restraining force to a human person rather than a wicked system insist that the Bible contemplates a specific person rather given the mention of the third person male pronoun "He" in 2 Thessalonians 2:7. Nevertheless, it is difficult to discount the view that Baxter's opinion holistically resonates with Scripture. Besides, it is impossible to theologically isolate the Antichrist from his wicked system. Both are inextricably intertwined in every conceivable essence.
CONCLUSION
Since God has already revealed to the church the identity of the Antichrist and the kind of system that he will establish on earth, we can affirm that whatever holds him cannot be a salvation issue. The tentacles of His evil system are already spreading across this fallen world. We simply need to be spiritually ready for the revelation of this enemy of God by keeping our garments clean so that we can withstand him and his wicked reign. It is also fair to suppose that given the scale of global wickedness and religious apostasy in our contemporary society, some features of the Antichrist system have already been laid down. The contemporary world is increasingly hostile to the authentic practice of the Christian faith. The public preaching of the gospel has been outlawed in some Western countries and the decline in religious life is evidenced by church halls that have been turned into museums and clubhouses.
In sections of the Muslim world, being found with a Bible could get one into jail or cost them their life. Communist China and other Buddhist countries have officially outlawed the practice and witness of the Christian faith. It may only be a matter of time before Western civilizations openly reject the gospel.
THE RISE AND FALL OF THE ANTICHRIST
2 Thessalonians 2:8-12 says “And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
In this final section of our passage, the Bible reveals more details on the working of the Antichrist.
First, 2 Thessalonians 2:8 addresses the divine destiny of the Antichrist whose fate has been sealed by God. This Scripture reveals that this man of lawlessness will ultimately be destroyed by Christ upon His second coming. This teaching agrees with other passages of Scripture that reveal that the Antichrist will be defeated and captured during the battle of Armageddon and will be destroyed by Christ in the final judgment (Revelation 16:16-21, 19:19-21).
Secondly, 2 Thessalonians 2:9 says that the coming of the man of lawlessness is according to the working of Satan. This statement is significant here because it agrees with the earlier description of the man which we witnessed in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4.
It may be needful to emphasize once again that the character of this man appears to be consistent with the very incarnation of Satan. His works closely resemble Satan’s works described elsewhere in Scripture. The above Scripture reveals that the Antichrist will perform powerful signs and lying wonders and deception among those who will perish. This indicates that the man and his evil system will be a superman of sorts and will have a great following among the wicked, including atheists and those who reject Christ. The Antichrist will cause them to falsely believe that he is the messiah, the liberator of humanity from the shackles of religious dominion.
Revelation 13:4 says “So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?" This scripture shows that the great masses of lost humanity will blindly follow this master of deception and his evil system, glorifying and exalting his false greatness. It also reveals that he is likely to command great military arsenal and unrivaled global political power.
The beast here is first revealed in Revelation 13:1-2 as a dominion that rises from among the sea. This indicates that the Antichrist will possess a powerful political and economic base and owes his meteoric rise to the dragon which is the other name for Satan.
THE ANTICHRIST IN DANIEL’S PROPHECY
Some Bible scholars have identified the above scene with the revival of the Roman Empire that will rise in the last days in accordance with the prophecy of Daniel 7:15-28. Daniel 7:25-27 reveals startling truths about the Antichrist and his reign.
First, the Angel of God revealed to Daniel that the Antichrist will persecute the saints of the Most High for a season under God’s permissive will for three and a half years. Some scholars identify these saints and those described in Matthew 24 with Palestine Jews rather than the global church but the validity of this argument is doubtful because the millennial reign of Christ includes the redeemed church that will reign with Christ at Jerusalem for 1000 years (Zechariah 14, Revelation 20:4-6).
This confirms that the church will probably be on earth for the first three and a half during the Antichrist's rise to global prominence. Those who insist that the church will be raptured before the tribulation period claim that the Antichrist will not be in a position to persecute the church. This claim appears to be inconsistent with the teachings of several passages of Scripture including Matthew 24. My view is that the passage of Daniel 7 materially contradicts the pre-tribulation rapture theory at the outset.
Secondly, Daniel 7:26-27 reveals that the Antichrist will change times and laws. This could suggest that the man will have unfettered authority to make or permit unusual laws. Which laws could these be? This may perhaps refer to some international religious, civil or moral laws which are enacted to permit unusual things or to outlaw certain practices that are consistent with the moral values held by religious groups. He could for instance promote LBGTQ values and outlaw Easter and Christmas celebrations under a UN or international charter or convention over which he wields a veto or immense influence. These "social revolutions" could be advanced under the pretext that existing moral laws offer "undue advantage" to certain religious groups! Is it any wonder that most Western countries have enacted liberal laws to increase human freedoms and expression but surprisingly continue to make laws that ultimately restrict religious freedoms!
Finally, Daniel reveals in Daniel 7:26-27 that the reign of the Antichrist system will come to an abrupt end when God shall destroy it and hand it over to the saints. This passage probably describes the futuristic millennial reign of Christ and His saints. This will only take place after the Antichrist system has been crushed and destroyed (Revelation 19-20).
THE GREAT DECEPTION OF THE ANTICHRIST
Now back to Revelation 13:4.
The people will be captivated by the beast and will worship Satan because he will be the source of power for this charismatic global leader. Devil worship is a growing reality in contemporary society which has mutated into many subtle names including secret societies and other global atheist movements with profound influence in powerful western societies. Some powerful global institutions and nations have today openly rejected and outlawed the teachings and practices of the Christian faith in public. Interestingly, occult societies and other subtle movements are freely allowed to carry on their wicked works in the name of freedom of worship. These are the undeniable features of the Antichrist system by any other name.
What this passage is teaching is that God will shield his true followers from buying into this great deception. How will this possibly happen? My view is that true followers of Christ will discern this man as a false leader using the spiritual truths that they have learnt from God’s word and by the conviction of the Holy Spirit who dwells in them. This will ignite the wrath of the Antichrist against the true church.
The Bible says in John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”
1 John 2:26-27 says “These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. 27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.”
Those who diligently walk with Christ will always discern ungodly people and their enticing false messages and evil ways and will keep away from them. 1 Thessalonians 5:22 exhorts us to “abstain from all appearance of evil.” This distinction will most likely stand out from the covenant believers during the time of the Antichrist.
THE FINAL DESTINY OF THE ANTICHRIST
Finally, 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 says God will send a strong delusion on those who had rejected Christ so that they will believe the lie of the Antichrist and that they may be condemned for taking pleasure in unrighteousness. Notice that the window of God’s mercy will have been closed at this point so that a clear demarcation is drawn between those who belong to Christ and those who had rejected Him and now follow the Antichrist and his agents. These evil people will face the Great Day of Judgment and will be consigned to the lake of fire together with Satan, who is elsewhere described as the great dragon, and the Antichrist.
This profound truth should serve as a stern warning to those who willfully resist God’s grace because the time will come when the window of God's grace will be permanently shut by God just in the same manner that God shut up the door of Noah's Ark in Genesis 7:16. These people will weep and gnash their teeth in pain but it will be too little too late. Isaiah 55:6 says “Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.”
SUMMARY & CONCLUSION
From our study the passage of 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12, we have learnt the following:
1) The coming of Christ and the rapture of the church will not take place until the great apostasy arises and the Antichrist is revealed (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3).
2) The ultimate objective of the Antichrist is to overthrow God and destroy the church (2 Thessalonians 2:4).
3) The Antichrist will be revealed when God’s time is fulfilled (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7)
4) The system of the Antichrist is already at work in this world, only awaiting the revelation of the Antichrist who is also described as the man of sin, the son of perdition, and the man of lawlessness (2 Thessalonians 2:7; 1 John 4:1-7).
5) The Antichrist will be defeated by Christ upon His second coming [2 Thessalonians 2:8, Daniel 7:26-27)
6) The Antichrist will deceive millions of people who reject Christ and they will blindly follow him (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10).
7) God will finally judge Satan, also known as the Dragon, and the Beast and the Antichrist and all their followers whose names shall not be found in the book of life. God will then cast them into the lake of fire where they will be tormented forever (Revelation 20:7-15).
Seven times in Revelation 2-3, Jesus concludes each address to the seven churches of Asia Minor by saying: "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." If you have spiritual ears, you will definitely discern the spiritual truths taught in the Bible and the prophetic timeliness we are living in.
Shalom
© Ezekiel Kimosop 2019
REFERENCES
[1] James Moffatt, The Expositor's Dictionary of Texts, Hodder & Stoughton, New York, 1911.
[2] Irvin Baxter, The China War & the Third Temple, A Novel on the End Times, Destiny Image Publishers, 2005.
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