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The Antichrist as Benefactor and Deliverer

There is a time coming when God shall remove the true church; every born-again believer will be removed from the face of the earth in the twinkling of an eye. Needless to say, this will cause great chaos all over the world, especially in nations with an extensive Christian population such as the United States. Those left behind will want and need someone to bring order out of chaos and Satan will supply a deliverer described in the Bible as the Antichrist.

Initially, the Antichrist will appear as a charismatic problem solver who will restore order to the world and whose message of comfort will also strike a harmonious chord with those left behind.

After a period of three and one-half years, the Antichrist will be indwelt by Satan and declare himself to be worshiped as God. These events are described in the Book of Revelation and will be a time of severe judgment by God.

The End of the Tribulation

The Bible warns us were these times not cut short, no flesh would survive the judgments on the earth; God, however, limits those coming times to a total period of seven years after which the Lord Jesus Christ returns as King of kings and Lord of lords and brings that time of judgment to an end. All surviving unbelievers are judged and cast into the Lake of Fire; Satan is bound for 1,000 years and all believers, who survive the Tribulation, become the first mortal humans to populate the Millennial Kingdom.

 The Millennial Reign of the Lord Jesus Christ

 At the end of the Tribulation, the Antichrist and the False Prophet are thrown into the Lake of Fire for all eternity and the earth will be restored for the Millennial Kingdom over which the Lord Jesus Christ shall reign. For 1,000 years; the earth will enjoy a perfect environment and a perfect society. I have always found it rather fascinating that mankind’s history begins and ends with perfect environment which is then followed by disobedience or revolt.

Adam disobeys God’s command and is expelled from the Garden of Eden; at the end of the 1,000 years Satan will be released to lead all who have rejected salvation in Jesus Christ in rebellion against the Lord at which time fire will fall from heaven and destroy the armies of Satan. These events have been covered in greater detail in “What’s Going to Happen Next.” a series of essays that cover end-time events.

Perfect environment, ending with dramatic failure clearly demonstrates mankind’s problem is internal, not environmental.

While these events are disturbing, we can know they are all part of God’s will for mankind as God works out all things after the counsel of his own will. In Ephesians 1:11 we read:

“¹¹ In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,”

What Should Christians do Now?

A knowledge of what the Lord is planning for the end-times should be a rich source of comfort and blessing for every Christian. As we see the world beginning to shift to a conformity with Bible prophecy, we can know that God’s will is being done, even as we watch. For those who love our Lord and long for his return, this should be a time of rejoicing as we see the words of prophecy being fulfilled around us.

While the Lord does not reveal the exact timing of his return, he does admonish us to look for it, rejoice in the promise of it and exult in the certainty of it. Paul closes 1 Thessalonians with a series of exhortations; I’m particularly fond of the verses in chapter 5, verses 16-22 where it is written:

^“16 Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰ Do not despise prophecies. ²¹ Test all things; hold fast what is good. ²² Abstain from every form of evil.”

Wouldn’t you agree that’s much better than worrying?

Next time, “Racism, A Very Successful Satanic Deception!”

Painting, “Stars” Adele Bower©