Why does God let the Antichrist conquer the world?

[Daniel 11:36]

But do not miss His secret intervention to make the dead in Christ and those living at the time immortal just before ..... He will then bring His unprecedented wrath and judgment upon an unbelieving world for 2550 days

A few will be saved during the coming tribulation, however most will be lost and sent to their extinction .... then a few will enter and populate His millennial kingdom as mortals

If you are here at the time, turn to the Lord and He will save you .... and you may be martyred .... but have no fear for you will be raised at the end and will enter and populate His millennial kingdom as a mortal for 1000 years

Then He will take out the Devil, his cohorts, and followers, and eternity will begin .... and all will be perfect for eternity

 

 

 

[ENOCH2010]

So got questions says the post trib view isn't correct because the word church isn't used in the book of Rev. after chapter 4..... Wow that is the weakest argument I have ever heard, and mm is ok with spreading that as the Gospel...WOW

[kwikphilly]

Blessings Enoch

    The answer website"got.questions" says many things that oppose Scripture & also many other things that are interpreted very well,you just have to read very carefully what exactly they are propagating .....it is an answer Forum with many people who volunteer their time there much like Worthy,some are clergy(different denominations,etc...) & many laymen,you just never know who is giving their personal opinion.......MM uses this website quite often,I suppose she agrees with(all the people there?) I would hope she reads what is said very carefully before agreeing.............                                                  With love-in Christ,Kwik

[brakelite]

At the risk of incurring the wrath of everyone here, I will repeat what I have said many times previously, here and elsewhere.

God has given a great deal of information in the Bible that directly and indirectly describes the Antichrist. His nature and character...ambitions...means by which he establishes himself and maintains his authority...who promotes him to such an exalted position as world leader...his duration in two stages and the length of both...in fact, there is no-one referred to as much in scripture apart from Christ Himself. Even Moses maybe mentioned more often, but not in so much detail in descriptive form as is the "man of sin"...the "little horn"...the "Antichrist". Despite all the information available, Christendom is so divided, so confused, it is clear very very few truly understand what on earth they are talking about...and because so many versions of this story/entity exists currently, with more seemingly being invented every day, the obvious truth is that the vast majority are just plain wrong.

And to put it bluntly, if you are wrong about who he is, you are going to be wrong about his mark. If you are wrong about his mark, the you will likely receive it....even welcome it.

[Diaste]

On 2/1/2017 at 4:55 PM, HAZARD said:

The church, God's saints wont be here, they will be raptured by Christ before the tribulation.

There is no proof of this contention and scripture refutes this idea. Matt 24:15-31 and 2 Thess 2:1-4 say quite the opposite. There is this as well,1 Peter 4:17 " 17 For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?" Do you get that? Judgement begins with those of the house of God, according to one who walked with Christ. Heb 12:6 "My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” Further in Rev 3:19 "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent." One can build a case for anything based on selective evidence ignoring what doesn't fit the overall scheme, which is what Pretrib does. Please answer this paradox: If 'tribulation' is the wrath of God and believers are 'not appointed to wrath' how can believers be in 'tribulation'?

Again, the Antichrist will not rule the whole world or be a world wide dictator as many teach and believe, although his wars in the middle east will cause disruption in world wide trade, oil etc.

Scripture shows he will only reign over ten kingdoms that will yet be formed inside the Old Roman Empire territory (Dan. 7:23-24).

Dan 7:23-24, “He gave me this explanation: ‘The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings." This verse does not prove The Roman Empire, only ten kingdoms, or that the beast will not rule the whole earth. 

Only these ten kingdoms will give their power and kingdoms to him (Rev. 13:1; 17:12-17). Rev 13:1 is not evidence of 'the beast rules only ten kingdoms' so we can throw that out.  The idea of 'only' here is a private interpretation, and no prophecy is of any private interpretation(2 Peter 1:20-21), therefore this idea of 'only' here is false. Now, this does not prove that 'only' ten kingdoms give their power, this does not prove there are 10 kingdoms, this proves that these 10 kings, who have NO kingdom, willingly give their power and authority to the beast. You miss the real meaning of the passage in favor of your own bias. A look at the first verse in your above citation, Rev 17:12, 12 “The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom(As we can see from the real evidence, these 10 are not countries at all. These 10 are some kind of king with no kingdom.), but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast.(These 10 only get their moment of authority as kings from the beast and only from the beast do they receive a kingdom.) 13 They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast."  Since these 10 do not have a kingdom, and only get their authority from the beast, and therefore cannot be preexisting countries, the idea that the beast reigns over 'only 10 kingdoms' is untrue as it is based on misinterpretation.  This refutes the above position, "Scripture shows he will only reign over ten kingdoms that will yet be formed inside the Old Roman Empire territory" as the 10 kingdoms in question will not exist until they "receive authority as kings along with the beast". While these are 10 kings, in Rev 17, that arise from the ruins of the fourth beast kingdom, they are likely not the same as the ones in Daniel. In Daniel we only see that 10 kings arise and three are subdued by the little horn, and the other seven are not mentioned again. In Rev 17 we see all 10 give their power and authority to the beast, not the same sets of behaviors or ends and so likely no total correlation exists.

Certain countries WILL ESCAPE his rule (Dan. 11:40-44).

True. But two countries and one people group, are named and total three in number. There is nothing here to suggest that since three countries escape then suddenly a false doctrine can be created that contends most countries will not be under his rule. There are around 195 countries in existence. Your position is that 182 countries will not be under the rule of the beast. There is no biblical proof of this, to the contrary scripture explains the world will come under his rule through the influence of the false prophet. 

Certain countries will make war on him at the very time he is supposed to be ruling the whole world (Read Dan. 11:40-44). Not true at all. You hope this is the case but nothing in the scripture itself supports this idea. Dan 11:36-45 is a list of attributes and behaviors and no timeline exists. This passage has no order of events and so no conclusion can be drawn as to the order, from this passage, maybe there are other passages that prove your point here but this one does not. Even if it was true that he is supposed to be ruling the world at the time countries are making war on him it doesn't prove he is not ruling the world. Most, if not all, countries experience some form of insurrection, as they are ruling the very same country! Crazy, I know. If he was ruling the whole world this could not happen..So insurrection and rioting or protest could never happen under the rule of a king, tyrant, president or despot? Because he will rule and reign only over ten countries inside the Old Roman Empire territory, and because America never was or ever will be inside that territory, and because certain countries escape the antichrist, we can Scripturally conclude and be at ease that he will not come from, or rule America, or even be a world wide dictator. In order for the conclusion to be true no premise can be false. You present 4 premises: only 10, Roman Empire, America and escape. Only two are true; America was never in the Roman Empire and specific groups will escape. The other two are incorrect as the 10 are not kingdoms, Roman or otherwise, and there is no biblical evidence of the RRE. But please post all the BIBLICAL evidence for an RRE and I'll post the refutation.

Hundreds of millions of people will never take his mark either. Where is this in scripture? It only exists in your doctrine. We have seen that many nations will not be under his rule, so naturally people in these countries, America included,Another supposition. It could be true but not based on the arguments you presented. will not have to take his mark and they will therefore not be killed. The Bible teaches that many peoples of "all nations," You can't even see the truth of your own words. that are left after the reign of the Antichrist, people who will be alive in the Millennium and will go up yearly to worship God (Read Zech 14:16-21).Again you miss all the relevant scripture. Not all go up year after year. There are rebels alive in the millennium that refuse to follow this command, to wit: Zech 14; "16 And it shall come to pass, [that] every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. 17 And it shall be, [that] whoso will not come up of [all] the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. 18 And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that [have] no [rain]; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. 19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles." Zech 14:16 says that people in the millennium are made up of, among others, those from the nations that came against Jerusalem. These would be the armies, cohorts and allies of the beast, from the region surrounding Jerusalem, and all would have the mark. These people that are in the millennium, that are from the nations that came against Jerusalem, are from the nations that swear allegiance to the beast and who carry the mark. Again the total of evidence rebuts your claims. This again further limits the kingdoms of the Antichrist to only a part of the world and limits his ability to kill everyone who does not take the mark, even in his own empire. According to Revelation 14:9-11, no one who has taken the mark will go into the Millennium,.You don't know this. You assume it. Let me refute your contention. You assume a strict timeline as though when the word is spoken the event occurs then, or the prophecy is fulfilled. This cannot be known from the text. Certainly all those who take the mark will end up in eternal punishment but there is no specifics on 'when'. There is a judgement after the millennium and the sentence may not be carried out till such righteous and necessary judgment.And of course Zech 14:16 refutes your idea that no one who has the mark enters the millennium.  but will be sent to eternal Hell. That multitudes go into the Millennium proves they have not taken the mark of the beast and have not been killed.  If the Antichrist ruled the entire world as many people believe, and he killed everyone who did not take his mark, and the Lord Jesus sends to Hell everyone who has taken the antichrists mark, then there would be not one person left to enter the Millennium? And this would be contrary to Zech. 14:16-21; says that indeed the demographics of the millennial kingdom will include people with the mark.  Matt. 25:31-46;Clearly this is the great white throne judgment after the millennium, How does this prove your point? Isa. 2:1-4 This does not say that no one with the mark will enter the millennium. Here Isaiah is silent on the demographics. and many Scriptures.

 

[brakelite]

As we look to the future, prophecy informs us that we are nearing a time of great crisis of such magnitude that not since Noah has there been a time of such import and significance. And in fact in Revelation 14:9-11 is the most dire warning in all scripture, and that time is immediately before us. So I ask. Is this warning given in love? Yes. If such a dire warning is given, do you think God would also offer a sure identification of the Antichrist that we may not be deceived? Again, the answer is yes. And would not that same love also reveal not just who the beast is, but how we may avoid its mark? Remember, "He that spared not His own Son, but offered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?"

Let us get real here.

Why is it that many in the church then move away from that revelation regarding the Antichrist, and attach to him their own theories and opinions when no such things are necessary? God has not enshrouded His warnings in a mystery that cannot be understood. The church has become full of prognosticators and clairvoyants,  finding simple Biblical exegesis insufficient so people devise imaginative future enemies about to persecute the church, attack Israel, decimate all that they believe is good and sound, all the while ignoring and setting aside God's word that warns them that the enemy is not without the church, but within. In attempting to tell everyone that the enemy is still future and is coming from the horizon afar off, they do the devil's own work and deceive people into ignoring the real enemy who is standing beside them whose doctrines and dogmas they have all been partaking of. In this they are ignoring the very word of God that says "Come out of her my people". God says come out, they say he hasn't arrived yet. And not only so, but because they believe the coming enemy is an individual, how can they come out anyway from an individual? God's warning makes no sense to such a one. They fail to perceive that the Antichrist is not an individual, but a succession of individuals who preside over the one system. It is that system that is so very well described in scripture, and it is that system that God calls His people to leave. It is the system that God warns of, it is the system that is the enemy, and it is that system that so many are even now fully card-carrying-life members of but are totally unaware and oblivious of the danger!

In Revelation 13, that wonderful chapter that focuses so intently on the 'Beast' and its character and work, mentions 'worship' five times, and in the following chapter, 3 times. Satan lusts for and craves worship. Isaiah quotes Lucifer in

Isaiah 14:13,14. "I will ascend into heaven; I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High."!! Satan, aka Lucifer, has an "I" problem.

If Satan however strolled into the local church, of whatever denomination, introduced himself and said "worship me", is the congregation going to do that? Hardly. Does Satan know such a tactic would fail? Of course. So in order for him to receive the worship he so desperately craves, he has to make people believe they are worshiping the true God, when in actuality they are worshiping the false. Thus Satan has to use deception. He must introduce a system of worship that is so close to the original that it is almost impossible to tell them apart. He must introduce a counterfeit. He cannot do this by force, as people will be on to it immediately. In order to destroy the church, Satan tried with persecution through pagan Rome, but failing to lessen the growth of the church, he had to use more subtle methods. Introducing false doctrine he slowly but surely began to chip away at the foundations of truth until the people were believing a lie. Then they would be ready for the last great deception, and be led into false worship. God, Who sees the end from the beginning, warns us of this great counterfeit.

God has shown us who is Antichrist.

Paul wrote in

2 Thess. 2:3,4. "Let no man deceive you by any means, for that day (the second advent) shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped: so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God."

Here we see Antichrist promoting himself to a place of worship. What is the temple of God in the Christian era? It is the church. (1 Cor.3:16,17; 6:19; 2 Cor.6:16; Eph. 2:19-22). Therefore Antichrist is placing himself in a position of authority and as an object of worship within the church. He is not on the outside attacking the church, he is on the inside deceiving it. Paul repeats his former warning in

Acts 20:29,30. "I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them."

Paul also says in

2Thess. 2:7 "the mystery of iniquity doth already work." Thus the great apostasy he warned of had already begun in the days of the apostles, and this apostasy was to result in slowly and cunningly eroding away many important Bible truths from men's minds that would last for centuries.

The Antichrist who was to bring on the crisis of the mark of the beast at the end of time began forming and growing into power in those early days. John confirmed this saying in

John 4:3 "that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come, and even now is it in the world."

So Satan was raising up his counterfeit a long time ago,for it was through this counterfeit system of worship that Satan himself would be worshiped. Notice in...

Revelation 13:1 1 ¶ And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority."

Who is this dragon? Revelation 12:9 tells us

" And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."

Thus it is Satan who gives the beast its power, its seat (or throne) and authority. Bu this is not all. In reading Revelation 13:1,2 we are taken back to the 4th beast of Daniel, pagan Rome. The parallels between pagan Rome and the dragon, both in symbol and practice, is not a coincidence. And documented history reveals that it was pagan Rome, more specifically Emperor Justinian, that gave official approval to the popes in the 6th century to assume civil power in Rome. It was from this time that the Roman church began its venture as a church/state union, the typical and common characteristic of all pagan religions.   And continuing in

Revelation 13:3 "And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered (or marvel in admiration) after the beast.
4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?"

So there it is. By worshiping Antichrist, they by proxy are worshiping Satan. Antichrist is Satan's frontman, his alter-ego, his counterfeit. Through the worship of Antichrist Satan fulfils his lifelong dream to receive the worship of man. But there is more. He enlists help, and we read about this a little later in the same chapter...

11 ¶ And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

Notice that it is the people, (the 'they in verse 14) who under recommendation from the state power,  create this image, another church/state union, and it is the second beast, or nation, that gives the church/state union its power. And notice that this nation with the horns like a lamb speaks as a dragon...speaks like the devil...like the pagan emperor who granted the Roman church power in the 6th century, so also does this second nation give power and authority to this newly developed church/state union.

The Majority will Worship their Enemy.

Deception,worship,deception,worship. These are the issues of the last days. Remember, this is God's loving 'revelation' concerning true and false worship. It is the love of God which prompted Jesus to warn constantly of the core theme of the times leading up to His second advent.

Matt. 24:4 ¶ And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many....11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many....23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
25 Behold, I have told you before.
26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.

Deception is surely a major factor contributing to the confusion and apostasy of Babylon. Are not the abominations in the cup which she holds her deceptions and false doctrines? But of what purpose are these deceptions if they do not relate directly to how we relate to our Creator? Are they not designed to draw us away from a right relationship with God? Yes, assuredly. But more than that, and I cannot stress this enough, Satan seeks to draw us away from the Creator toward himself. Through deception, he has the whole world worshiping the Antichrist, and the whole world believes they are worshiping God. The counterfeit system of worship is so beguiling, so attractive, and presents itself in such a loving, caring, compassionate, Christian way, that the entire world is deceived into accepting her, obeying her dogmas, following her counsel, keeping her man-made commandments.

The Truth Liberates.

So back to our original question. Does God want us to be so deluded that we would submit ourselves to a system of worship directed through Antichrist to Satan? Of course not. That is why Jesus warned us repeatedly of false prophets, false Christs. That is why the inspired scriptures go into such great and minute detail in the books of Daniel and Revelation concerning Antichrist and his work. And it is from these details that we can gather sufficient information to come to an honest and correct conclusion as to the exact identity of the Antichrist. To the precise identity of this false worship system that even now has much of the world in its grasp. The apostle Paul said that if we have a love for truth, we would not be deceived (2 Thessalonians 2:8-12) , and Paul is referring directly to the Antichrist when he penned these words. Jesus said in John 17:17 that we are sanctified by the word of truth, and in John 8:32 that if we continue in His word the truth of His word will set us free. Free from sin, free from error, free from false doctrine, free from deception.

According to most modern evangelists, Antichrist is yet to come. The scriptures however are very clear. Antichrist is here now, and hard at work drawing the world after him as you read these words. And true to form, and in fulfillment of prophecy, much of the Christian world is either in denial, deluded, or at best confused, as to the true nature of the beast which is before them. They see it, they even wonder after it marveling at her power and splendor, many praise it, countless millions obey her commands in direct contradistinction to the commandments of God, but very few perceive the true nature of it.

God's exceedingly great and infinite love for you demands you understand this truth. In His word He has provided all the information needed to ensure that no-one need be deceived or lack understanding in matters relating to such an essential matter as worship. Worship is what is due our Creator. It is who we worship that defines our loyalties. And it is how we worship that defines who we worship. Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, "the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father is Spirit and in Truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is Spirit; and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth." John 4:22-24.

The last great delusion is set to present itself to the world, and even now is busily doing so. Antichrist is to perform his marvelous works in the sight of man. So closely will this system resemble the true, that it will be almost impossible to discern between truth and error except for the scriptures. No-one who hasn't trained themselves to search for and grasp the truths of the Bible will remain faithful to the true God when the coming crisis deepens. When demands come that they obey certain commandments, because they have failed to study and accept scripture, they will not discern that these commandments of men demand submission to counterfeit truth, and usurp the commandments of God. The fearful judgements that are proclaimed against those who worship the beast, the image, and receive the mark, as revealed in Revelation 14, should drive all men to an earnest study of the scriptures and the prophecies to learn what the mark is, who the beast is, and how they are to avoid them.

The Bible, and the Bible only, must be the standard for all doctrine and belief.

As a wise woman once said...The opinions of learned men, the deductions of science,the creeds or decisions of ecclesiastical councils, as numerous and discordant as are the churches which they represent, the voice of the majority ...not one or all of these should be regarded as evidence for or against any point of religious faith. Before accepting any doctrine or precept, we should demand a plain 'thus saith the Lord' in its support....with the many warnings against false teachers, why are the people so ready to commit the keeping of their souls to the clergy? There are today thousands of professors of religion who can give no other reason for the points of faith which they hold than that they were so instructed by their religious leaders...a lack of moral courage to step aside from the beaten track of the world, leads many to follow in the steps of learned men, and by their reluctance to investigate for themselves, they are becoming hopelessly fastened in the chains of error...the truth and the glory of God are inseparable; it is impossible for us, with the Bible within our reach, to honor God by erroneous opinions. It is the first and highest duty of every rational being to learn from the scriptures what is truth, and then to walk in the light, and encourage others to follow His example. Ignorance of God's word is sin, when every provision has been made that we may become wise. We should day by day study the Bible diligently, weighing every thought, and comparing scripture with scripture. With divine help, we are to form our opinions for ourselves, as we are to answer for ourselves before God.

Compare Daniel 7 and Revelation 13. Take note of all the parallels. There is no other power other than the RCC which meets all the criteria of being the Antichrist of scripture. Nor is there any other nation than the US who being democratic, has the power and worldly influence and authority to convince her people, and then the world, to create a Protestant church/state union as a direct image of the papacy, demanding obedience to papal dogmas, papal creeds, and specifically with regard to the laws or commandments of God, Torah, submission to the papal counterfeit of Sabbath, Sunday. Sunday, the RCC officially claims, is the "mark of her authority" in religious matters. Remember, in Revelation 14 there are only two groups of people in the last days. The sheep and the goats are divided on the basis of obedience to God's laws. Those who accept the mark of the beast, are set in direct contrast to "those who keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus." Revel. 14:12.
Study current events. Line them up with prophecy. And pray. Pray earnestly and diligently for confirmation and help from the Holy Spirit. God promises that the Holy Spirit will lead you into all truth. God wants you to know the truth. No more trusting in fictional novels and so-called 'Christian' movies. No more trusting in the clergy and the television evangelists who assume so much and present so little.

[Last Daze]

On 7/5/2017 at 6:40 AM, brakelite said:

As we look to the future, prophecy informs us that we are nearing a time of great crisis of such magnitude that not since Noah has there been a time of such import and significance. And in fact in Revelation 14:9-11 is the most dire warning in all scripture, and that time is immediately before us. So I ask. Is this warning given in love? Yes. If such a dire warning is given, do you think God would also offer a sure identification of the Antichrist that we may not be deceived? Again, the answer is yes. And would not that same love also reveal not just who the beast is, but how we may avoid its mark? Remember, "He that spared not His own Son, but offered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?"

Let us get real here.

Why is it that many in the church then move away from that revelation regarding the Antichrist, and attach to him their own theories and opinions when no such things are necessary? God has not enshrouded His warnings in a mystery that cannot be understood. The church has become full of prognosticators and clairvoyants,  finding simple Biblical exegesis insufficient so people devise imaginative future enemies about to persecute the church, attack Israel, decimate all that they believe is good and sound, all the while ignoring and setting aside God's word that warns them that the enemy is not without the church, but within. In attempting to tell everyone that the enemy is still future and is coming from the horizon afar off, they do the devil's own work and deceive people into ignoring the real enemy who is standing beside them whose doctrines and dogmas they have all been partaking of. In this they are ignoring the very word of God that says "Come out of her my people". God says come out, they say he hasn't arrived yet. And not only so, but because they believe the coming enemy is an individual, how can they come out anyway from an individual? God's warning makes no sense to such a one. They fail to perceive that the Antichrist is not an individual, but a succession of individuals who preside over the one system. It is that system that is so very well described in scripture, and it is that system that God calls His people to leave. It is the system that God warns of, it is the system that is the enemy, and it is that system that so many are even now fully card-carrying-life members of but are totally unaware and oblivious of the danger!

In Revelation 13, that wonderful chapter that focuses so intently on the 'Beast' and its character and work, mentions 'worship' five times, and in the following chapter, 3 times. Satan lusts for and craves worship. Isaiah quotes Lucifer in

Isaiah 14:13,14. "I will ascend into heaven; I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High."!! Satan, aka Lucifer, has an "I" problem.

If Satan however strolled into the local church, of whatever denomination, introduced himself and said "worship me", is the congregation going to do that? Hardly. Does Satan know such a tactic would fail? Of course. So in order for him to receive the worship he so desperately craves, he has to make people believe they are worshiping the true God, when in actuality they are worshiping the false. Thus Satan has to use deception. He must introduce a system of worship that is so close to the original that it is almost impossible to tell them apart. He must introduce a counterfeit. He cannot do this by force, as people will be on to it immediately. In order to destroy the church, Satan tried with persecution through pagan Rome, but failing to lessen the growth of the church, he had to use more subtle methods. Introducing false doctrine he slowly but surely began to chip away at the foundations of truth until the people were believing a lie. Then they would be ready for the last great deception, and be led into false worship. God, Who sees the end from the beginning, warns us of this great counterfeit.

God has shown us who is Antichrist.

Paul wrote in

2 Thess. 2:3,4. "Let no man deceive you by any means, for that day (the second advent) shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped: so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God."

Here we see Antichrist promoting himself to a place of worship. What is the temple of God in the Christian era? It is the church. (1 Cor.3:16,17; 6:19; 2 Cor.6:16; Eph. 2:19-22). Therefore Antichrist is placing himself in a position of authority and as an object of worship within the church. He is not on the outside attacking the church, he is on the inside deceiving it. Paul repeats his former warning in

Acts 20:29,30. "I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them."

Paul also says in

2Thess. 2:7 "the mystery of iniquity doth already work." Thus the great apostasy he warned of had already begun in the days of the apostles, and this apostasy was to result in slowly and cunningly eroding away many important Bible truths from men's minds that would last for centuries.

The Antichrist who was to bring on the crisis of the mark of the beast at the end of time began forming and growing into power in those early days. John confirmed this saying in

John 4:3 "that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come, and even now is it in the world."

So Satan was raising up his counterfeit a long time ago,for it was through this counterfeit system of worship that Satan himself would be worshiped. Notice in...

Revelation 13:1 1 ¶ And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority."

Who is this dragon? Revelation 12:9 tells us

" And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."

Thus it is Satan who gives the beast its power, its seat (or throne) and authority. Bu this is not all. In reading Revelation 13:1,2 we are taken back to the 4th beast of Daniel, pagan Rome. The parallels between pagan Rome and the dragon, both in symbol and practice, is not a coincidence. And documented history reveals that it was pagan Rome, more specifically Emperor Justinian, that gave official approval to the popes in the 6th century to assume civil power in Rome. It was from this time that the Roman church began its venture as a church/state union, the typical and common characteristic of all pagan religions.   And continuing in

Revelation 13:3 "And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered (or marvel in admiration) after the beast.
4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?"

So there it is. By worshiping Antichrist, they by proxy are worshiping Satan. Antichrist is Satan's frontman, his alter-ego, his counterfeit. Through the worship of Antichrist Satan fulfils his lifelong dream to receive the worship of man. But there is more. He enlists help, and we read about this a little later in the same chapter...

11 ¶ And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

Notice that it is the people, (the 'they in verse 14) who under recommendation from the state power,  create this image, another church/state union, and it is the second beast, or nation, that gives the church/state union its power. And notice that this nation with the horns like a lamb speaks as a dragon...speaks like the devil...like the pagan emperor who granted the Roman church power in the 6th century, so also does this second nation give power and authority to this newly developed church/state union.

The Majority will Worship their Enemy.

Deception,worship,deception,worship. These are the issues of the last days. Remember, this is God's loving 'revelation' concerning true and false worship. It is the love of God which prompted Jesus to warn constantly of the core theme of the times leading up to His second advent.

Matt. 24:4 ¶ And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many....11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many....23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
25 Behold, I have told you before.
26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.

Deception is surely a major factor contributing to the confusion and apostasy of Babylon. Are not the abominations in the cup which she holds her deceptions and false doctrines? But of what purpose are these deceptions if they do not relate directly to how we relate to our Creator? Are they not designed to draw us away from a right relationship with God? Yes, assuredly. But more than that, and I cannot stress this enough, Satan seeks to draw us away from the Creator toward himself. Through deception, he has the whole world worshiping the Antichrist, and the whole world believes they are worshiping God. The counterfeit system of worship is so beguiling, so attractive, and presents itself in such a loving, caring, compassionate, Christian way, that the entire world is deceived into accepting her, obeying her dogmas, following her counsel, keeping her man-made commandments.

The Truth Liberates.

So back to our original question. Does God want us to be so deluded that we would submit ourselves to a system of worship directed through Antichrist to Satan? Of course not. That is why Jesus warned us repeatedly of false prophets, false Christs. That is why the inspired scriptures go into such great and minute detail in the books of Daniel and Revelation concerning Antichrist and his work. And it is from these details that we can gather sufficient information to come to an honest and correct conclusion as to the exact identity of the Antichrist. To the precise identity of this false worship system that even now has much of the world in its grasp. The apostle Paul said that if we have a love for truth, we would not be deceived (2 Thessalonians 2:8-12) , and Paul is referring directly to the Antichrist when he penned these words. Jesus said in John 17:17 that we are sanctified by the word of truth, and in John 8:32 that if we continue in His word the truth of His word will set us free. Free from sin, free from error, free from false doctrine, free from deception.

According to most modern evangelists, Antichrist is yet to come. The scriptures however are very clear. Antichrist is here now, and hard at work drawing the world after him as you read these words. And true to form, and in fulfillment of prophecy, much of the Christian world is either in denial, deluded, or at best confused, as to the true nature of the beast which is before them. They see it, they even wonder after it marveling at her power and splendor, many praise it, countless millions obey her commands in direct contradistinction to the commandments of God, but very few perceive the true nature of it.

God's exceedingly great and infinite love for you demands you understand this truth. In His word He has provided all the information needed to ensure that no-one need be deceived or lack understanding in matters relating to such an essential matter as worship. Worship is what is due our Creator. It is who we worship that defines our loyalties. And it is how we worship that defines who we worship. Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, "the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father is Spirit and in Truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is Spirit; and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth." John 4:22-24.

The last great delusion is set to present itself to the world, and even now is busily doing so. Antichrist is to perform his marvelous works in the sight of man. So closely will this system resemble the true, that it will be almost impossible to discern between truth and error except for the scriptures. No-one who hasn't trained themselves to search for and grasp the truths of the Bible will remain faithful to the true God when the coming crisis deepens. When demands come that they obey certain commandments, because they have failed to study and accept scripture, they will not discern that these commandments of men demand submission to counterfeit truth, and usurp the commandments of God. The fearful judgements that are proclaimed against those who worship the beast, the image, and receive the mark, as revealed in Revelation 14, should drive all men to an earnest study of the scriptures and the prophecies to learn what the mark is, who the beast is, and how they are to avoid them.

The Bible, and the Bible only, must be the standard for all doctrine and belief.

As a wise woman once said...The opinions of learned men, the deductions of science,the creeds or decisions of ecclesiastical councils, as numerous and discordant as are the churches which they represent, the voice of the majority ...not one or all of these should be regarded as evidence for or against any point of religious faith. Before accepting any doctrine or precept, we should demand a plain 'thus saith the Lord' in its support....with the many warnings against false teachers, why are the people so ready to commit the keeping of their souls to the clergy? There are today thousands of professors of religion who can give no other reason for the points of faith which they hold than that they were so instructed by their religious leaders...a lack of moral courage to step aside from the beaten track of the world, leads many to follow in the steps of learned men, and by their reluctance to investigate for themselves, they are becoming hopelessly fastened in the chains of error...the truth and the glory of God are inseparable; it is impossible for us, with the Bible within our reach, to honor God by erroneous opinions. It is the first and highest duty of every rational being to learn from the scriptures what is truth, and then to walk in the light, and encourage others to follow His example. Ignorance of God's word is sin, when every provision has been made that we may become wise. We should day by day study the Bible diligently, weighing every thought, and comparing scripture with scripture. With divine help, we are to form our opinions for ourselves, as we are to answer for ourselves before God.

Compare Daniel 7 and Revelation 13. Take note of all the parallels. There is no other power other than the RCC which meets all the criteria of being the Antichrist of scripture. Nor is there any other nation than the US who being democratic, has the power and worldly influence and authority to convince her people, and then the world, to create a Protestant church/state union as a direct image of the papacy, demanding obedience to papal dogmas, papal creeds, and specifically with regard to the laws or commandments of God, Torah, submission to the papal counterfeit of Sabbath, Sunday. Sunday, the RCC officially claims, is the "mark of her authority" in religious matters. Remember, in Revelation 14 there are only two groups of people in the last days. The sheep and the goats are divided on the basis of obedience to God's laws. Those who accept the mark of the beast, are set in direct contrast to "those who keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus." Revel. 14:12.
Study current events. Line them up with prophecy. And pray. Pray earnestly and diligently for confirmation and help from the Holy Spirit. God promises that the Holy Spirit will lead you into all truth. God wants you to know the truth. No more trusting in fictional novels and so-called 'Christian' movies. No more trusting in the clergy and the television evangelists who assume so much and present so little.

A lot of good insight there.  I personally think the mystery of lawlessness includes, but also goes beyond, the RCC.  Good post.

[Last Daze]

On 12/19/2016 at 10:24 PM, spiderman1917 said:

God clearly wills that the Antichrist reigns, no?  Why does God will this?

I believe it is to bring the body of Christ to the unity of the faith, to bring us to maturity.  The seed of the gospel has been sown worldwide and the events of the last days will bring the crop to maturity.  It is a time of testing our faith.

• And He was saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows—how, he himself does not know.  The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head.  But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”  Mark 4:26-29
• Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like a son of man, having a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand.  And another angel came out of the temple, crying out with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe.”  Then He who sat on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped.  Revelation 14:14-16

 

[gdemoss]

Why does God allow Antichrist to conquer the world?

Because His strength is made perfect in weakness.

[brakelite]

43 minutes ago, Last Daze said:

A lot of good insight there.  I personally think the mystery of lawlessness includes, but also goes beyond, the RCC.  Good post.

Thankyou. I agree about the mystery of lawlessness. Mystery, Babylon the Great began at Babel, and has been developing ever since. During OT times Satans target through the developing pagan church/state enemy of Gods people was of course Israel. But more specifically the tribe of Judah, and even more , the family of David. Why? To destroy the root of Messiah of course, but failing that, the prime target in NT times, is today Gods church. Not Israel the nation in the Middle East. That is a red herring, Satan has established to disarm the people of God and make them blind and complacent regarding their true enemy. 

With the union of church and state in America, and a growing intimacy with Rome and spiritualism, she will attain the maturity Satan has been aiming for all that time. 

An amalgamation of secret societies, apostate Protestantism [the harlot daughters] and Rome will then unite with the kings of the earth to enforce her false doctrines and lead the world into false worship. Islam and other world religions will also join in the great deception, leaving but a small persecuted remnant who keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus. [Rev 14:12].