The Rise and Power of the Antichrist

All right, we're in verse 3 of Revelation chapter 13, and tonight we're talking about his acclaim.

Revelation 13 · chapter mention

It says, I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain.

Now, who are we talking about here?

Remember, I said his acclaim. That's where we're picking up.

You remember who we're talking about in Revelation 13?

Antichrist, okay. I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain,

and his fatal wound was healed, and the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast.

A startling event, I think, that will help Antichrist solidify his hold on the world, y'all.

John saw, as it says in this verse here, one of his heads as if it had been

slain and his fatal wound was healed, right?

And the interpretation really of that phrase, you can probably guess it's been much debated, okay?

Some commentators actually argue that the head whose fatal wound was healed

was a kingdom that will have been destroyed and restored.

They actually see the death and resurrection miracle as the revival of the Roman

Empire. That's some commentators view it that way.

Antichrist, they believe, will unite the countries occupying the territory of

the ancient Roman Empire into a new empire.

And that revival of power will

so amaze the rest of the nations that they'll also submit to his rule.

And I just personally think, you know, there may be a few difficulties with that view.

But the most obvious problem that I see is that while verse 3 does speak of

one of the heads being slain, other passages specify that the beast himself is slain.

That's in chapter 13, verse 12 here and verse 14, as well as Revelation chapter

Revelation 17 · chapter mention

17 that we haven't got to yet, verses 8 and 11.

And again, we look back at English some of the times we're looking at this because

the personal pronoun in that phrase, his fatal wound,

it also indicates that one of the kings here is in view.

One of the kings is in view, not the empire as a whole.

And it doesn't seem likely that merely reviving the Roman empire would cause

the worldwide astonishment and the wonder that's mentioned in this verse.

And then I think finally thinking about all that, the phrase as if.

Slain you know it ends with as if had been slain it's

used in chapter 5 verse 6 of the lord jesus christ

implying that it's also used it's used

of a a person in this passage it's talking about

a person and so granting that it is a person who dies and is restored to life

the question still remains as to the identity of that person and the view that

it will be the resurrected judas Iscariot. Some people think that, too.

It has little to commend it, I'll just tell you. That's some view that people

hold, but I don't see anything really to support that.

But it's faced that the idea, where they get it from, is based on the fact that

Judas, talked about in John 17,

and Antichrist, that they talk about in 2 Thessalonians, are both called son

of perdition for destruction, or destruction, I should say, right?

Son of perdition, it means destruction, right?

And that Jesus called Judas, actually, he called him in scripture in John chapter 6, a devil.

John 6 · chapter mention

But there would be little point, again, at least the way I see it, in a resurrected Judas.

I don't see the point there. How would anyone recognize him to start with,

since nobody would have known what he looked like, you know, at that day, right?

But a more popular view links the death and the resurrection in this passage with Emperor Nero.

And it was widely believed at the end of the first century that Nero,

who had committed suicide in AD 68-ish, would rise from the dead.

But it's doubtful that many Christians, especially the divinely inspired Apostle

John here in Revelation, believed in the Nero resurrection myth, right?

But some people hold to that. But the beast will suffer, if you see here,

a violent death at the hands of another.

In chapter 13 here, verse 14, we see that. We saw that last week.

But while Nero, as I told you earlier, he took his life, right?

He committed suicide. But the head whose fatal wound will be healed can only

be the future Antichrist.

I really feel that just by looking at Scripture and seeing what God's Word says.

Whether his death is real or fake, not 100% sure, but it's not totally clear

in Scripture because it says as if he had been slain, right?

It may be that Antichrist is really killed, okay? Could be.

And God, for his own purposes, allows him to be resurrected.

We don't know for sure, but more likely it could be Antichrist's alleged death

and resurrection is going to be a counterfeit of Christ's death and resurrection.

That might be a more solid viewpoint there.

But it's staged maybe as one of the lying wonders that's perpetrated by this false prophet.

And so Antichrist's resurrection, regardless, will also be phony.

You know, we think about that.

That's the line of thinking here, since he never really died, so to speak.

Or perhaps Antichrist will explain his extraordinary powers by claiming to be

reincarnated or whatever, or being a reincarnation of Jesus even.

We just don't know for sure. But these are things that scholars talk about in a look at these verses.

And certainly in a world where New Age, you think about it, all the New Age

pantheism and Eastern mysticism are extremely popular, more people would be

inclined to believe in a reincarnation rather than a resurrection.

So whatever actually happens, here's what I want us to get tonight.

The people of the world will believe that antichrist already popular because

what of his great powers, no one can, can challenge him, right?

Has also transcended death, whether he really has or not.

Don't know for sure if it'll be a real, you know, resurrection or not or fake,

but, They're going to believe it regardless.

And since the tribulation will be a time where the world's going to experience

death, and we've already seen this on a scale, y'all, that's unprecedented,

right, in human history.

Antichrist's seeming invulnerability to death is going to win him greater and

more widespread acclaim. That's his acclaim, right?

And they'll be amazed. It says here, the whole earth will be amazed and follow after the beast.

Wow. In verse 14, also 2 Thessalonians 2, verses 8-12 talk about this.

2 Thessalonians 2:8–12

But not only he'll have his acclaim, but also his adoration.

Look at verse 4. It says, Again.

Who's the dragon?

He gave his authority to the beast, right? Who is the, all right?

And they worshiped the beast saying, who is like the beast and who is able to wage war with him?

So the world's fascination with Antichrist will quickly become worship.

It's gonna turn to worship.

He'll encourage and demand the worship by exalting himself,

as scripture talks about, above every so-called God or object of worship so

that he takes his seat, it says in scripture, and the temple of God displaying himself as being God.

That's in 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 4.

2 Thessalonians 2:4

And not content, though, with a claim, guess what?

Antichrist is going to seek adoration. He'll require reverence.

Not content with just being held and heralded, he'll demand to be worshiped.

And those who, look at 2 Thessalonians 2,

10, it says those who did not receive the love of the truth

so as to be saved will be

deceived into worshiping him those ones

that did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved will be the ones

that are deceived into worshiping him so that deception is going to be fostered

by the antichrist associate who is who you know who is the antichrist associate that we read about.

Remember the false prophet i know

y'all are keeping track right the false prophet who makes the earth it says

in verse 12 and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast antichrist

whose fatal wound was healed not only will the deceived unbelievers worship

antichrist But there will also,

wittingly or unwittingly, worship who, ultimately?

The, what? Satan. Satan, the dragon, right?

Because, why? Because he gave his authority to the beast or to Antichrist.

And by worshiping Antichrist, unbelievers will actually be worshiping Satan,

the real power behind him. You see, some people will fully understand here that

most will probably be deceived, though, obviously.

Like those of whom Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 10, verse 20, he said this.

1 Corinthians 10:20

He said, the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God.

Thinking that they were worshiping the God to whom they sacrificed,

the pagans were in reality worshiping the demon, impersonating that God.

So it'll be for many people who are going to think that they're worshiping a

supernaturally powerful leader.

But in reality, they'll be worshiping again who? Satan.

They'll be worshiping Satan. And so as the people of the world will worship

Antichrist, they'll cry out in awe.

Listen to this. Who is like the beast and who is able to wage war with him?

So by blasphemy, referring to Antichrist and, you know, this superlative language

here that's actually reserved for God, right?

They're giving all this glory to Antichrist. antichrist deluded worshipers are

going to attribute deity to him talks about that in second thessalonians 2 verse

2 Thessalonians 2:4

4 as well the you know the implied answer here to both,

rhetorical questions i guess you would say is no one right no one uh is going to be able to stand,

against him right no one is going to be able to stand against him and um as

we look at this you You know, in the political, military, and religious realms,

Antichrist is going to reign supreme, and he's going to be unchallenged by earth and hell.

Unchallenged. So you know what that leads him to, right?

His arrogance. His arrogance. Look at verses 5 and 6 of Revelation 13 again.

Verses 5 and 6, it says, There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words

and blasphemies, and authority to act for 42 months was given to him,

and he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle,

that is, those who dwell in heaven.

So like his master, you guessed it, Satan, like his master Satan,

the Antichrist will be an arrogant blasphemer.

Blasphemy will not be incidental, but it's central to who he is, to his operations.

The phrase there, there was given to him.

That just simply refers to God's sovereign control of events.

God will allow Antichrist to blaspheme, to give full expression to that satanic

wickedness, if you will, that will cover the earth at that time.

It's going to cover the whole earth. And he'll exhibit a total disregard for

the true God by continually speaking, you guessed it, arrogant words and blasphemies against God.

And so Antichrist blasphemy will not be subtle. It's not going to be like hidden.

It's going to be open in front of the whole world, right? It's going to be outrageous.

It's going to be monstrous, even to the point that y'all saw that,

didn't you? I read this earlier.

He takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God,

it says in 2 Thessalonians 2.4.

And so that's reminiscent, isn't it, of Satan's original desire when he fell

from heaven and holiness?

He said in his heart, what? I will make myself like the most high.

That's in Isaiah 14, 14. So Daniel, again, we go back to Daniel.

Daniel predicted that Antichrist will be characterized by proud,

arrogant, blasphemous words.

Daniel chapter 7, verse 8 actually says that he will have a mouth that is uttering great boasts.

Daniel 7:8

In fact, verse 11 mentions the sound of the boastful words which the horn was speaking.

Daniel further notes that Antichrist will speak out against the Most High and

will speak monstrous things against the God of gods.

That's in Daniel 7 and Daniel 11.

So Antichrist's arrogance that he has will surpass that of anyone else in human

history. So you think of the most arrogant person you've ever met that won't

hold a candle to Antichrist, right?

And he'll be Satan's mouthpiece, if you will. He'll voice his master's frustrated

rage against God Almighty.

He'll also be the supreme blasphemer in a fallen world with blasphemous people as well, right?

And so hardened, think about it, so hardened will sinners' hearts be at that

time that God's judgment here will elicit, not repentance.

Remember, we saw all this in the past that people didn't repent, did they?

They just kept doing more and more sin and more blasphemy.

In fact, in chapter 16, we're going to see this a little bit down the road.

Verse 9, John actually is going to record a vision in which he says this.

He said, men were scorched with fierce heat, and they blasphemed the name of

God, which was the power over these plagues, and they did not repent so as to give him glory.

Y'all, you know, there are going to be people, Brother Ronnie.

It doesn't matter that we share the gospel with them.

It doesn't matter even in the tribulation that they're given another opportunity

to respond to the gospel.

They are determined they're going to shake their fist in the face of God and

say, no, I don't want any part of it.

And they'll blaspheme God. It doesn't matter what you do.

Again, we think back to these stories. I think of Lazarus and the rich man,

right? Even though one rise from the dead, they wouldn't believe, right?

In fact, not only Lazarus, but the king of kings rose. He didn't die again,

did he? He rose and he's still alive today.

And yet people still don't believe, even though the resurrection is one of the

most verified events in human history.

So Antichrist blasphemies against God is going to include blasphemy of his name

and his tabernacle and those, it says, who dwell in heaven.

God's name, think about it for a minute. God's name represents all that he is.

And it's the summation, if you will, of his attributes. Remember,

we did a little study on the attributes of God for about 16 weeks.

And it's so comprehensively evil, though, that Antichrist blasphemy will be

that it will even include God's tabernacle.

Heaven. And all those who dwell there with him.

And so Antichrist will utter blasphemous words aimed directly,

y'all, and specifically at God's person, his abode, and his people,

both the redeemed saints and the holy angels.

I mean, you talk about, well, it's like he holds nothing back.

But this is something I want us to get tonight. Neither Antichrist's blasphemies

nor his reign of terror will last indefinitely, will it?

Amen, right? I mean, God is on his throne. God will grant Antichrist authority

to act for only how many months?

Forty-two. Which is how many years?

You got it, three and a half. The last three and a half years of those 1260

days of the tribulation, the 70th week of Daniel's prophecy found in Daniel 9, verse 24,

Daniel 9:24

Antichrist and Satan will be allowed to operate, but only within the time limit

that's set for them by the true ruler of the universe.

But for a few years, they will dominate the world.

They will. and no one will be able to stand against them. Well,

let's talk just a moment about his activity.

His activity. Look at verse seven. It was also given to him to make war with who?

The saints and to overcome them. And authority over every tribe and people and

tongue and nation was given to him.

You see, Antichrist will not be all talk.

He'll also be capable of decisive deadly action.

And once again, y'all, the text here, it notes that as we read it,

that Antichrist can only do what he's given permission by who to do? Almighty God, right?

And so that stresses that God never relinquishes his absolute control of events

because you remember God is sovereign.

He's in control of it all because they'll refuse to worship him.

Antichrist will make war with the saints, it says, and overcome them.

Believers in the true God will bear the brunt of that murderous fury that he

has he'll perceive them as a threat and.

To his authority right and every tribe and people and

tongue and nation it says in scripture which again was

temporarily given to him by god's

sovereignty and so the result would be this worldwide slaughter that's going

to take place of god's people numerous passages we see that in uh revelation

6 9 through 11 chapter 7 9 through 16 chapter 11 7 we've seen some of this already.

We'll see it in chapter 17.

Daniel 7 talks about it.

But Daniel long before predicted that this widespread martyrdom,

right, of God's people, he talked about it.

He wrote that, listen to this, he wrote this about Antichrist.

He said he will wear down the saints of the highest one, and they'll be given into his hand for a time,

times, and half a time, which is three and a half years the last half of tribulation

and so that persecution y'all will begin in earnest at the midpoint like i said

it's the tribulation when antichrist again breaks his covenant with who.

Israel and he sets up the abomination of desolation that antichrist will successfully

make war with the saints that are here at that time and he will overcome them

it doesn't mean that he'll have the power to destroy their faith.

He'll overcome them or overpower them physically, but not spiritually.

You see, genuine saving faith cannot be destroyed, can it?

Because if you remember, some of you think in the scripture, right?

Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present,

nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created

thing will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

That's Romans 8, 38 and 39. Nor will the Lord Jesus Christ, who is infinitely

more powerful than Antichrist or Satan, permit any true child of God.

Permit any of them to suffer the loss of eternal life.

As promised to us, Revelation 3, 5, Job 13, 15, John 10, 27 through 29.

But Antichrist will slaughter. I want y'all to get that. He will slaughter God's

people on an unprecedented scale as he expresses his world dominance.

So I don't know about y'all. Brother James, I want to be in the rapture.

I don't want to be there then. I'm thankful God gives people another opportunity

to repent in the tribulation, but I would not want anyone to be there.

Right to i would rather say hey you know i hope you know the lord today you

know before the rapture of the church that way you know you're you're raptured right.

But God, it just amazes me that his patience, his love, his reaching out to

humanity continues and continues well throughout this whole ordeal.

And anyone who truly would repent is going to repent, right?

But the problem is most people, like I said, that are here are going to be like,

they wouldn't repent no matter what.

You know i've heard it said people that you know uh

even you know people in hell and we would

think you know man in hell fire and being tortured and all that but yet it's

like they shake their fist at god and it's like so you know i don't want anything

to do with him i don't want him to be the master of my life i don't want to

bow the knee to christ but i will tell you this antichrist will have at Myers.

Look at this here in verse eight through 10 of chapter 13. It says,

all who dwell on the earth will worship him.

Everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in

the book of life of the lamb who has been slain.

If anyone has an ear, let him hear. If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes.

If anyone kills with a sword, with a sword he must

be killed here is the perseverance and

the faith of the saints i think

i noted this previously in the discussion on verse 4 but

all who dwell on the earth will worship the antichrist john here shifts from

that past tense to future tenses that that phrase all who dwell on the earth

it's used throughout revelation to describe who unbelievers unbelievers and

uh there's various passages, 12, 14.

All those, chapter 6, 8, 11, 17, just to name a few, that does not include,

anyone who will be alive at that, everyone, I should say, that will be alive

at that time, because the saints, there'll be saints that are here,

people who have repented, put their faith in Christ.

But here, the limiting factor is specifically stated.

It's everyone, it makes it clear, right?

Look at it again. Everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation

of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.

That should send chills down your spine.

You talked about the sovereignty of God, but if their name's not found written

in the Lamb's book of life, written before the foundation of the world,

they will worship Antichrist.

Unbelievers, those whose names are not recorded in the book of life,

will perish because, church, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.

They did not repent. They did not receive it. They did not want any part of it.

Scripture also teaches, y'all, that the faithless will be judged because they

did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.

You know, we've talked about from Romans 1 a lot, people suppressing the truth, right?

They know it, but they suppress it. And it talks here, while the eternally elect

are saved through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone, The non-elect are lost

because they refuse to believe the gospel.

Y'all got to hear that. Why are they lost? They love their sin.

They refuse to believe the gospel. That's why.

And unbelief, y'all, and rejection always indicate those persons whose names

were not written in the book of life.

Seven times, y'all know this, seven times in the New Testament,

believers are identified as those whose names are written in the book of life.

It's found in Revelation 3, 5.

Revelation 17, 8 is referring to this.

Revelation 20, 12. But the book of life belonging to the Lamb,

who is who? The Lord Jesus Christ, right?

Is the registry, if you will, in which God inscribed the names of those who are saved.

Those that according to his word that he chose from the foundation of the world

or eternity past. That's really a synonym for that, eternity past.

And so, but unlike unbelievers, the elect will not be deceived by Antichrist.

It says that plainly in Revelation.

In fact, it did tell us, though, that it's going to be so severe,

right, that even the elect would be deceived if it weren't for God intervening,

right? But they won't be deceived.

And Antichrist will not be able to destroy believer-saving faith, right?

Because Jesus Christ promised again, he who overcomes will thus be clothed in

white garments, and I will not erase his name from the book of life,

and I will confess his name before my father and before his angels.

Believers have been in the keeping power of God, he would, since before creation,

and they'll be there. Get this, this will make you shout.

They'll be there. you'll be there after the destruction of this order and the

establishment of the new heaven and the new earth.

Believers are doubly secure, okay?

Because the book of life belongs to who?

And ultimately, the lamb who has been slain.

Not only the decree of election, but also the atoning work of Christ seals that

redemption of those who are saved, of the elect, as Scripture calls those who

put their faith in Christ.

Believers were not redeemed, it says in Scripture, with perishable things like

silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Jesus.

As of a lamb unblemished and spotless, it says, the blood of Christ.

So the Father is not going to undo the work.

He's not going to undo the work of Christ in redemption by allowing any of us to be lost, right?

Jesus Christ, it says, to all those who obey him, the source of eternal salvation.

You get that, right? Eternal salvation.

Man, it wouldn't be eternal if we could lose it, would it?

And you know what helps realize this? Is that we really understand we can't

earn it, like so many people think.

Because if you can earn it, you can lose it. But if you can't earn it,

and it's like the Bible says, by grace alone, through faith alone,

and Christ alone, it's secure because the Father is the one who has secured it, right?

And so he's not gonna allow us to be let go of.

In fact, Jesus Christ, again, and this is not within the power of Antichrist

to do, he can't do that, or all the forces of hell to alter that glorious reality of salvation.

The very saints here that Antichrist massacres right here, it talks about during

the persecution of God's people are later seen triumphant and victorious where?

In heaven, right? In heaven. Listen to this.

I just got to read this to you all. It says, and I saw something like a sea

of glass mixed with fire and those who had been victorious over the beast and

his image and the number of his name standing on the sea of glass,

holding harps of God, and they sang the song of Moses,

the bondservant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying.

Great and marvelous are your works, O Lord God, the Almighty.

Righteous and true are your ways, King of the nations.

Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy.

For all the nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.

That's in Revelation chapter 15, verses 2 through 4.

Revelation 15:2–4

So Antichrist may take their lives, Eastwood, but he cannot destroy their faith, is the point here.

And this astounding vision of the beast from the sea, it concludes with a call

for spiritual understanding.

The warning, if anyone has an ear, what? Let him hear.

It's used, you know how many times in the New Testament? Anybody got a guess?

16 times to emphasize a particularly important truth.

And all its previous uses in Revelation chapters 2 and 3 is followed by the

Revelation 2 · chapter mention

phrase, what the Spirit says to the churches.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

But the omission of that phrase here, again, suggests that the church is not

in view in this passage because they're aware.

They've already been raptured, right? They've been raptured before the start

of the tribulation, as we read in chapter 3, verse 10.

So here the phrase introduces a proverb, if you will, that concludes the passage. Listen to it again.

If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes.

If anyone kills with a sword, with a sword he must be killed.

Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints.

And that proverb there contains important

practical truth doesn't it for those

believers alive at this time of antichrist persecution what

are they to do right they are to depend on god's providence and not take matters

into their own hand how many of you like to take matters into your own hand

anybody it's like you see something and it's like especially if you think you

see an injustice right injustice whatever you know it's like i want to deal with it, right?

I want to take this. But those believers destined by God's sovereign plan for captivity.

Imprisonment, in other words, they're to accept that incarceration as God's

will, is what he's saying here.

They're not to resist or fight against Antichrist.

And amazingly here, the passage upholds this divine institution,

though, as you probably thought about capital punishment, even by Antichrist evil government.

What does he warn? If anyone kills with a sword, with a sword, he must be killed.

You see, God's people must not retaliate against their persecutors.

There's no place now, right? No place now, and there'll be no place then for

militant, aggressive, violent believers terrorizing their persecutors.

1 Peter 4 verse 19 says those also who suffer according to the will of god wrote

1 Peter 4:19

peter shall entrust their souls to a faithful creator in doing what is right,

Y'all, I had to live this out one time that I remember.

I know it's probably been others, but there was one time that's just solidified in my mind.

And y'all may can relate. I had something severely unjust that happened to me.

I was like very angry. I was beside myself, right?

And I had to do some walking, Brother Ronnie, and praying.

But, you know, I looked at this verse and I saw, you know what?

Vengeance is mine in that same passage. I'll repay, says the Lord.

And it's like the Holy Spirit, you know, spoke to me that, look,

you're supposed to entrust your soul to me, to the faithful creator in doing what's right.

And if there is vengeance to be taken, it's mine to take.

I can do a whole lot better job than you can.

Because God's vengeance, if I was a person on the other side,

y'all, I would rather have my vengeance than God's vengeance.

Because he, honestly, he can do what I can't do.

So here, we're just taught again, we're reminded here in this proverb that instead

of reacting violently, believers must exemplify the perseverance and the faith of the saints.

They got to be like the Lord Jesus Christ, who, if you remember,

while being reviled, did not revile in return.

While suffering, he uttered no threats, but kept, listen to this,

it's familiar language, he kept entrusting himself to him who judges righteously.

Boy, y'all, this is easier said than done. But I promise, if you have not experienced

that yet, you remember this verse.

Because I promise you, our God is faithful.

He will take care of it.

Not always in this life, he will deal with it.

And when believers follow Christ's example, Peter noted, those who revile their

good behavior in Christ, if you remember, will be put to shame.

1 Peter 3.16, those who are reviled for the name of Jesus Christ, Guess what?

They're blessed, he said, because the spirit of glory and of God rest on them. First Peter 4, 14.

Wow. The message of this passage is clear. Let the monstrous beast from the abyss do his worst.

Let Satan and his demon host have their hour.

God controls the future and believers belong to him, right?

And all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through him who loved us.

And we'll triumph on that glorious day, y'all, when the kingdom of the world

becomes the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ and he will reign forever

and ever. Revelation 11, 15.