Islam: Not a Peaceful Religion; 1 John 2:18

The doctrine of the Antichrist

1. The Antichrist is a term that refers to the key human leader during the Tribulation who opposes the plan of God. He is the pawn of Satan and he attempts to destroy the Jews. We must remember that God chose Israel as His chosen people and He has never gone back on that promise. Even though we know that Israel as a nation is under divine discipline to this day we know that God still has a future plan for Israel. We have to remember that the idea of antichrist is 1 John is not one who opposes Christ or is against Christ but is one who offers himself as a substitute messiah. This is why half-way through the Tribulation he will set up a statue to himself in the holy of holies in the Tribulation temple.
2. Other titles. He is called the little horn in Daniel 7:8; the insolent king in Daniel 8:23; the prince who is to come, Daniel 9:26; the one who makes desolate, Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15; the man of lawlessness, the son of destruction, 2 Thessalonians 2:3; the lawless one, 2 Thessalonians 2:8; the beast, Revelation 13:1; the despicable person, Daniel 11:21; the strong willed king, Daniel 11:36; the worthless shepherd, Zechariah 11:16,17.
3. The Antichrist will be of Gentile origin. We know this for several reasons. He is pictured typologically by the Gentile Antiochus Epiphanes in Daniel 11 who foreshadowed what the Antichrist would do. Secondly, in the imagery of prophecy (Revelation 13:1; 17:15) he arises out of the sea, as opposed to the second beast who comes out of the land. The term “land” often refers to Israel as the promised land. Out of the sea refers to the fallen, turbulent Gentile nations. Third, he is the final emperor during the times of the Gentiles, Luke 21:24. Fourth, he will most likely be of a Roman or of Roman empire descent, Daniel 9:27. (This does not exclude the US because many ancestors came out of the what was part of the old Roman empire)
4. The Antichrist rises to power following the confederation of ten nations.
5. At the mid point of the Tribulation he sets u a statue in the holy of holies in the Tribulation temple. This is known as the abomination of desolation, Daniel 9:27. His attempt at self-deification will be seen, 2 Thessalonians 2:4; Daniel 11:36, 37.
6. In the Bible he is usually portrayed as a warrior. He pursues peace and he wages war. He operates on deceitful tactics and is picture in Revelation 6:1 as the first one to go forth on a white horse conquering and to conquer.
7. He is personally indwelt by Satan, Revelation 13:2. The first three and a half years of the Tribulation pictures his rise to power, where he reaches a global power. No one in the world can buy or sell or engage in the market place unless they bear the mark of the beast. He will persecute Christians and other opponents in a reign of terror that goes beyond any persecution, pogrom of holocaust ever experienced before in human history.
8. The Antichrist will exercise a global economic authority so that no one can engage in commercial activity unless they bear his mark. Acquisition of that mark will be a sign of loyalty to the Antichrist. Scripture says that no believer will get this mark and that no one with this mark will be saved. Revelation 13:16, 17; 20:4.
9. At the end of the seven years his world-wide coalition begins to fragment. An army from the east will invade in concert with one from the south. He then comes to protect interests in the Middle East and there is the convergence of these armies at Armageddon. This culminates in the campaign of Armageddon and ultimately his destruction. Jesus Christ returns and saves the earth from self-destruction, saves Israel from destruction, and that is the end of the Tribulation. At this point the Antichrist is sent to the lake of fire, along with the false prophet, Revelation 19:11-21.

In every generation Satan has to have his man ready. He does not know when the Rapture is going to be any more than we do.