The and the End of Days 1 Lesson 16: Revelation Chapter 6:2 – part 2

The :

1. Revelation 6:2 (NKJV) 2 And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. 2. (v2) “I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.”

a. Recap of some points from lesson 15: i. Who is the rider? a. This is the Antichrist. b. Some have believed this to be Jesus. We looked at several biblical reasons to show this was not Jesus, these included: i. Jesus was the one opening the seal. ii. This is at the start of the tribulation but Christ to the earth is at the end of the tribulation.

ii. Different theories concerning the Antichrist were introduced. a. We will only be looking at the believe that the Antichrist is a person who rises to power as World Leader and will rule during the Tribulation. b. This person will: i. Accepted by the Jews as the . (refer to John 5:43) ii. He will lead the world into: 1. New world government. 2. One world religion. 3. One world monetary system. 4. Will be known as the “New World Order” (NWO). c. We looked at several different names that scripture assigns to him. Some of them include: i. Assyrian in Isaiah 10:5, 12 & 24. ii. Crooked Serpent – Leviathan in Isaiah 27:1. iii. Little Horn in Daniel 7:8-11 and 21-26. iv. Lawless one in 2 Thessalonians 2:8 v. in Revelation 11:7 & 13.

iii. Explored theories on the timing of the Antichrist. a. Tribulation will only be 3.5 years; therefore, the first seal opens 3.5 years before the second coming. b. Tribulation will be 7 years; therefore, the first seal opens 7 years before the second coming of Jesus.

3. Signs of the Antichrist coming. 2 Glory to Glory Ministries – Minot ND a. “Unlike the … the coming of the antichrist will not be without warning. Several signs will point to his appearance and rise to power. At least three events must occur before he appears on earth: i. [T]he “secret power of lawlessness” already at work in the world must greatly increase (2Th 2:7); ii. [T]he “rebellion” must come (2:3); iii. “[T]he one who now holds it back” must be “taken out of the way” (2:7).

b. The “secret power of lawlessness”–referring to the behind-the-scenes activity of evil powers that is evident throughout the world (see 2Th 2:7, note)–will increase until it reaches its climax. i. That point will be characterized by the complete ridicule, rejection and rebellion against any standards and commands established in the . Because of a ruling spirit of rebellion and lawlessness, most people will lose any sense of true love and compassion (Mt 24:10-12; Lk 18:8). ii. Yet there will always be those who choose to follow Christ and remain loyal to the Christian faith as revealed in the NT (Mt 24:13; 25:10; Lk 18:7; see Rev 2:7, note). iii. Through these faithful people, the true church will remain strong, using the sword of the Spirit (God’s Word) as the most effective weapon in the ongoing battle against the forces of evil (see Eph 6:11, note).

c. The “rebellion” (Gk apostasia), which literally means “departure,” “falling away” or “abandonment,” will occur. In the last days, many people who once followed Christ will abandon Biblical truth and reject true faith in Christ. i. Both Jesus and Paul paint a dark picture of the condition of much of the visible church (i.e., people in local congregations) as the present age comes to a close (cf. Mt 24:5, 10-13, 24; 1Ti 4:1; 2Ti 4:3-4). a. The corruption will be evident morally, spiritually and doctrinally (i.e., regarding foundational beliefs and teachings). b. Paul in particular stresses that the churches will be invaded by godless influences in the last days. ii. This “rebellion” within the church will have two dimensions. a. Theological apostasy i. (“apostasy” refers to spiritual rebellion and faithlessness) refers to people turning from and rejecting part or all of the true and original teachings of Christ and his apostles as recorded in the NT (1Ti 4:1; 2Ti 4:3). ii. False leaders and teachers will offer “salvation” and cheap grace without true devotion to Christ. iii. They will claim that people can be spiritually saved even though they reject Christ’s demand for repentance (i.e., turning from one’s own ways, surrendering to and following him), separation from evil and loyalty to God and his standards (2Pe 2:1-3, 12-19). iv. False hope that centers on human desires, activities and goals of self-interest will become popular (see 2Ti 4:3-4, note). The Revelation and the End of Days 3 b. Moral apostasy refers to the rejection or abandonment of one’s saving relationship with Christ and returning to a sinful, rebellious way of life. i. People who have abandoned true faith in Christ may still claim to believe the right things and to accept the Bible’s teaching, yet they reject God’s moral law and standards. ii. By doing so, they corrupt the truth and embrace deception (Isa 29:13; Mt 23:25-28; …). iii. Many churches will tolerate almost anything for the sake of attendance, money, success and honor (see 1Ti 4:1, note). iv. The true message of Christ with its call to suffer (Php 1:29), to radically renounce sin (Ro 8:13), to sacrifice for God’s kingdom and to deny one’s own selfish way will be more unpopular than ever (Mt 24:12; 2Ti 3:1-5; 4:3). iii. Both the history of the church and the predicted end-time rebellion within the church should challenge all followers of Christ not to be naïve a. (i.e., having a lack of experience, judgment or information) about the widespread corruption of Christ’s message of truth in the last days. b. At some point in time, it seems that rebellion against God and his Word will reach an astounding, almost unimaginable level. c. The “day of the Lord” will bring God’s wrath–his justified anger, judgment and punishment–on those who reject his truth (1Th 5:2-9). iv. The ultimate or complete triumph of God’s kingdom and purposes in the world does not depend on the gradual increase of the church’s “success”; a. God’s purposes will prevail because of his own final intervention, when he breaks into the order of world events with right and proper judgment (Rev 19–22; see 2Th 2:7-8; 1Ti 4:1, note; 2Pe 3:10-13; and the book of Jude).

d. A final and indisputable event must occur before the “man of lawlessness” can be revealed and the “day of the Lord” can begin (2Th 2:2-3; see 1Th 5:2…). i. That event involves the taking “out of the way” of someone (2:7) or something that currently “holds back,” or restrains, the secret power of lawlessness and the man of lawlessness (2:3-6). When the restraining influence is taken out of the way, can begin (2:6-7).” (Fire Bible: A Study Bible for Spirit-led Living, 2001)

4. Who or what is the restraining force?

a. ”The Hinderer of Lawlessness”: i. It is something already known (2Th_2:6). ii. It now hinders lawlessness (2Th_2:6-7). iii. It is strong enough to prevent the revelation of the Antichrist (2Th_2:6-8). iv. It will hinder lawlessness until it is removed from the earth (2Th_2:7-8). v. It is called "he" (2Th_2:7). vi. It will be removed from the earth before the second coming (2Th_2:7-8). 4 Glory to Glory Ministries – Minot ND vii. It will not be here when Christ comes to destroy Antichrist (2Th_2:7-8). viii. The Hinderer is One of Three Things: a. Governments (Rom_13:1-7; 1Pe_2:13) b. The Holy Spirit (Joh_16:7-15) c. The church (Mat_5:13; 1Co_2:15-16; Eph_6:12-18; 2Co_10:4-7) (Dake) (outline adapted)

b. Prof (Dr) WA Liebenberg identifies the restrainer as the Holy Spirit (Ruach - Spirit of YHWH): i. “In verse 7 of 2 Thes 2:6-8 says, "only until he who now restrains comes out of the midst (taken out of the way)". ii. The Greek word "Hoketechon" means the one who unhinderedly restrains. a. It cannot be the 'the Church' (in other words, the focus here is not on the Church… b. The Greek word for Assembly is "Ekklesia" and it is a feminine word. c. If the Assembly was the restrainer, then the Greek would have read "Ho Katechon" (the one that restrains). d. "Katecho" refers to the Ruach, the "Comforter" a masculine word here. e. The substantive noun is "Katecho" derived from "Kata" (back) and "Echo" (I hold). iii. Here we get the blessed fact that it is indeed the Ruach of YHWH that keeps satan's work of the Torah-lessness of the Antichrist back a. this is what "Katechon" present participle teaches us. b. It is an uninterrupted, continuous action day after day, year after year (read 1 Cor 10:13 -You will not be tempted beyond your abilities); c. but there is a period when it will eventually stop. iv. In 2 Thes 2:6-8 the restraining / protecting role of the Ruach is perceived to as being removed. a. The Ruach will not and cannot be totally removed during the Tribulation period because Rev 7:9-1 7 clearly states that a multitude will be saved, b. and John 3:5-8; Rom 8:9 and Eph 2:18 declare that no man can be saved unless he is ministered to by the Ruach of YHWH.” (Liebenberg, 2017) (outline adapted)

c. Jack Van Impe, in his book “Revelation Revealed” writes: i. “We need to pause here briefly because there is a great deal of confusion concerning the presence of the Holy Spirit during the Tribulation hour. This has resulted from a faulty understanding and interpretation of 2 Thessalonians 2:7: a. “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.” b. The term “letteth” is the Old English word for “hinders.” The picture being painted here is the rise of the Antichrist. The Revelation and the End of Days 5 c. Second Thessalonians 2:6 states: “Ye know what withholdeth that [the Antichrist] might be revealed in his time.” d. Then verse seven makes it clear that the Hinderer—the Holy Spirit— continues to hinder the Antichrist’s rise until He—the Holy Spirit—is taken out of the way. ii. Here is another reason millions believe in the pre-Tribulation Rapture. Why? a. The Hinderer lives in the hearts of His people: “If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his” (Romans 8:9). b. Also, 1 Corinthians 3:16: “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” c. Because of this truth, God’s Spirit cannot be taken unless those in whom He lives are taken. Hallelujah! d. One should note, however, that the Spirit’s removal only speaks of His restraining power. e. Let me prove this assertion: i. The Holy Spirit is God, the third member of the Trinity. ii. As God, He is omniscient (all-knowing), omnipotent (all-powerful), and omnipresent (everywhere at all times). iii. Therefore, the Holy Spirit cannot be removed from the earth because He, as God, is in all places constantly. iv. David states in Psalm 139:7–10: “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. ” v. Since the Holy Spirit is everywhere at all times, only His restraining influence over sin is removed during the Tribulation hour. f. Presently are “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world” (see Matthew 5:13–16). g. The evacuation of Christians, in whose hearts the Holy Spirit lives, is the way—the only way—His restraining influence on sin is removed, ridding the world of salt and light. h. Christians are God’s preservative forces as well as the dispellers of darkness. i. Imagine what happens when the Spirit’s restraining influence (the Church) is removed via the Rapture. j. Quite literally, all hell will break loose upon earth. Still, even during this time, His continuing personal presence on earth produces one of the greatest revivals in the history of mankind.” (Van Impe) (outline added)

d. The Fire Bible Commentary continues on this topic: i. “The one who now holds it back” may best be understood as God, as he is revealed through the Holy Spirit. 6 Glory to Glory Ministries – Minot ND a. He alone has the power to hold back evil, the man of lawlessness and Satan (2Th 2:9). b. The “restrainer” is referred to by both the masculine article (“the one who now holds it back,” 2:7) and by the neuter article (“what is holding him back,” 2:6). c. In the same way, the word for “Spirit” in the Greek can be referred to by a masculine or neuter pronoun (see Ge 6:3; Jn 16:8, note; Ro 8:13; see Gal 5:17 on the Spirit’s work of restraining sin). ii. At the beginning of the final seven years of tribulation... [T]he restraining influence of God’s Spirit will be lifted, or “taken out of the way.” a. This does not mean that the Holy Spirit is taken out of the world completely, but only that he will cease to exercise his restraining influence against lawlessness and the antichrist’s rise to power. b. All of God’s restraints against sin will be removed and the satanically inspired rebellion will begin. c. Certainly, the Holy Spirit will still remain on earth during the tribulation to expose people’s sin and convince them of their need for God because without the Spirit’s enablement and life-renewing power, no one could be saved (Jn 3:6; 16:7-8; Tit 3:5). d. The Spirit will enable those who show faith in God to turn from their own way and follow him; and the Spirit will empower those who choose to follow Christ during this time of widespread suffering and persecution (Rev 7:9, 14; 11:1-11; 14:6-7). iii. As God removes, or lifts, his restraining influence, the man of lawlessness then comes on the scene (2Th 2:3-4). a. God will send “a powerful delusion” (2:11) on all those who refused to accept and love the truth (see 2:11, note). b. As a result, they will be greatly deceived and will accept the claims of the man of lawlessness. c. As a result, human society will degenerate to a depth of corruption never before seen. iv. God’s sin-restraining presence and ministry are carried on largely through the church, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1Co 3:16; 6:19). a. For this reason, many interpreters believe that the removal of the Spirit’s sin-restraining influence will occur simultaneously with the rapture of the church. i. (The rapture is when Christ returns to take his faithful followers, both those who have already died and those who are still living, out of the world before he unleashes his end-time judgments on the earth; see 1Th 1:10; 4:17.) b. Following this event, the dreaded “day of the Lord” begins (see 1Th 5:2, first note), and the man of lawlessness will be revealed … v. Some scholars believe that the restrainer of 2Th 2:6 (neuter gender) refers to the Holy Spirit and his sin-restraining ministry, while in 2:7 the “one who now holds it back” (masculine gender) refers to Christ’s followers before the rapture. The Revelation and the End of Days 7 vi. They will be taken out of the way when they are caught up to meet Christ in the air to be with the Lord forever (1Th 4:17). 2 Thessalonians 2:11.” (Fire Bible: A Study Bible for Spirit-led Living, 2001) (outline adapted)

e. Finis Dake also writes: i. “The hinderer of lawlessness must be the one that will be taken out of the world before Antichrist can be revealed (2Th_2:6-8). a. Will governments be taken out of the world? No, because i. Antichrist reigns over many kingdoms (Dan_7:24; Dan_11:40-45), and ii. other kings reign over the rest of the earth all during the time the hinderer of lawlessness is removed (Rev_11:15; Rev_16:13-16). b. Will it be the Holy Spirit? No, for i. He will be here all through the tribulation and forever (Joh_14:16; Act_2:16-21; Rev_12:17 with Rev_19:10; Zech. 12:10-13:1). ii. Multitudes will be saved by the Holy Spirit during the tribulation, as now (Act_2:16-21; Act_12:5, Act_12:17; Act_15:2-4; Act_20:4-6). c. So it must be the church. i. The church will be raptured before Antichrist comes and this is the only one of the hinderers of lawlessness that will be removed from the earth (1Th_4:16). ii. … The only argument used to prove that the Holy Spirit is the hinderer of this passage is the pronoun he. a. It is believed that the church could not be referred to as he, because it is the bride of Christ. b. However, the church is called a man (Eph_2:15; Eph_4:13) and c. the body of Christ (2Co_12:12-13,27; Eph_1:22-23; Col_1:18, Col_1:24). d. Therefore, can be referred to by a masculine pronoun. iii. The church is the only one of the three hinderers of lawlessness that will be taken out of the world. a. We must, therefore, conclude that the he or the hinderer of lawlessness of 2Th_2:7 must refer to the church being taken out of the world ... b. And then shall that wicked be revealed who will be destroyed seven years later by Christ at His second coming (2Th_2:7-8). iv. … Rapture Before Antichrist a. The church will continue to hinder lawlessness until the rapture. And then the Antichrist will be revealed. b. This is conclusive proof that the rapture takes place before Daniel’s 70th week and the tribulation of Rev. 6:1-19:21. c. According to Dan_9:27, Antichrist will be here for 7 years, for he makes a 7-year covenant with Israel. d. If he is here for 7 years, which will be the last 7 years of this age, e. and if he who hinders lawlessness refers to the church and is taken out of the way before he comes, 8 Glory to Glory Ministries – Minot ND f. then the rapture will take place before the last 7 years of this age and before the Antichrist comes at the beginning of those 7 years. (Dake) (outline adapted)

5. The Antichrist’s Linage: a. There are many theological theories within modern day prophecy teachers. Among others, these include: i. European - Christian – will come out of the Holy Roman Empire and the . a. Irwin Baxter and Dave Robbins of EndTime Ministries. ii. Middle Eastern - Islamic – He will come out of a reborn Islamic Empire. a. Joel Richardson, Perry Stone, Walid Shoebat iii. Israeli - Jewish – He will come out of Syria and/or the tribe of Dan. a. Several early Church Fathers, Prof (Dr) WA Liebenberg iv. American – He will come out of the United States – Ney York City is Mystery Babylon. a. John Shorey, Jim Bakker b. For the purpose of this study, we will limit our study on two authors. Prof (Dr) WA Liebenberg who teaches the Antichrist is Jewish and Perry Stone who supports the Islamic Antichrist theory. c. In his book “Unleashing the Beast” Perry Stone writes: i. From chapter 3 concerning the topic of “The Antichrist – A Gentile, Not a Jew” a. “After much research and study, I believe the prophecies point out that the Antichrist will be a Gentile and not a Jew. I base this on several important prophecies and apocalyptic dreams and visions. i. First, in Daniel chapter 2, King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream of a metallic image that prophetically identifies the world empires from the time of Babylon, the empire symbolized by the image’s head of gold, down through the final kingdom, symbolized by the ten toes of the image. All of the empires represented by the image are Gentile—not one is Jewish. ii. In reality, each of the empires symbolized by the image has impacted or affected the Jewish people and Israel in some manner… The concept that the final prophetic empire will be Gentile, not Jewish, is also referred to by Christ in Luke 21:24: And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. In the context of this prophecy in Luke, Jesus was speaking of “the days of vengeance” (v. 22), a word used by Old Testament prophets to allude to the coming time of God’s wrath or Tribulation (Isa. 34:8; 35:4; 61:2; 63:4). iii. Other signs Christ also mentioned include cosmic signs, men’s hearts failing them, and His return (Luke 21:22–27). The point is that this prophecy alluding to the fall of Jerusalem to the Gentiles The Revelation and the End of Days 9 was not just fulfilled in A.D. 70 when the Romans destroyed the city. iv. It will occur once more in the future when the Gentile Antichrist will invade Jerusalem, divide the city (Zech. 14:2), and set up an image of himself at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem (Rev. 13:14–15). v. Revelation 11:1–2 also alludes to the Gentile control of Jerusalem. John states: Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, “Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty- two months.” vi. Most scholars believe the was written around A.D. 95 in the time of the emperor Domitian. The temple in Jerusalem had already been destroyed in the year A.D. 70. Twenty- five years later, John was told to “. . . measure the temple.” How could John measure the temple and the outer court, which we are told the Gentiles would “trample underfoot for forty-two months,” if the temple was already in ruins? vii. The most common answer is that there will be a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem during the Tribulation… It will be at this temple where the Gentile Antichrist will place his abominable image and be worshiped by masses of his followers, causing Jews to flee from Jerusalem into the wilderness (Rev. 12:6).” (Stone) (Outline added) ii. Perry Stone also wrote in chapter three on the topic of “The Antichrist – A Radical Muslim” a. “The Middle East is the heart of Islam, and Israel is the thorn in the side of Islamic leaders who desire to form an Islamic crescent. b. What role will Islam play in future apocalyptic events? In early 1992, I met a young woman from Iran who shared with me the detailed apocalyptic beliefs of Shi’ite Muslims, who make up the majority of Iran’s population. Few Americans, including myself, had ever heard these beliefs. When I compared her information with the prophecies of the Bible, I became convinced that the Antichrist will claim the Islamic religion as his religion and will proclaim himself—and be received as—Islam’s final awaited “messiah.” c. He will be a master of war, using weapons of mass destruction to hold entire nations hostage (Rev. 13:4). Those who do not convert to his religion will be beheaded, and others will be forced into starvation (Rev. 13:17; 20:4)... (Stone) (Outline added) iii. Finally, in chapter 4 of his book Perry Stone writes on the topic “Further Evidence of Islamic Control.” a. The body of the beast was a leopard, the imagery identifying the kingdom of Greece. b. After the death of Alexander the Great, his (Grecian) empire was divided among his four main generals (Dan. 11:4). 10 Glory to Glory Ministries – Minot ND c. Each of Alexander’s four generals received a portion of the massive landmass that had been conquered and controlled by the Greek Empire. d. The four generals and the areas they ruled from are: The General The Region The Present Area Ptolemy Egypt and northern Africa Egypt, Libya, and North Africa Seleucus Assyria and Babylon Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq Lysimachus Turkey Turkey and southern Russia Cassander Greece and Macedonia Greece, Bulgaria, and Romania

e. After seeing this four-part division of the Greek Empire, Daniel gives a clue as to the area from which the coming Antichrist would arise: f. And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land. —DANIEL 8:9, KJV g. The Antichrist arises from one of the following four divisions of the former Greek Empire: i. Egypt—home of the ancient Egyptian Empire ii. Turkey—home of the one-thousand-year Turkish Empire iii. Greece and Macedonia—home of the ancient Greek Empire iv. Syria and Iraq—home of the ancient Babylonian Empire h. We are informed that the Antichrist will invade northern Africa, seizing Egypt, Libya, and Ethiopia (Dan. 11:43). i. We read that, during a series of wars: “News from the east and the north shall trouble him” (v. 44). j. During this time in prophetic history, the northern king will be Turkey, one of the strongest Islamic nations in the Middle East. If Turkey comes against the Antichrist, then he obviously is not headquartered in Turkey. k. If he invades from the outside and takes over northern Africa, then neither is his headquarters centered there. l. That leaves the region of Greece or Syria-Babylon. m. The best choice among the four locations from a biblical and historical viewpoint is the Syria-Babylon territory. n. For centuries, scholars have observed numerous prophecies indicating the rise of a leader from the Assyrian territory. Biblical prophecy also links him to Babylon. (Stone) (outline added)

d. Prof (Dr) WA Liebenberg writes: “Four Foundational Facts why the Antichrist must be a Jew… i. Y’shua speaking to the Jews in Jerusalem as the Ten Tribes have been scattered already at this time: a. “you (Jews, House of Judah members) searched the Scriptures (the Torah and the Neviim (Prophets)), for in them you think you have eternal life (by only obeying the Torah) and these are they (the Scriptures) which testify of me (Y’shua). But you are not willing to The Revelation and the End of Days 11 come to me (the saddest words spoken by Y’shua) that you may have life. I do not receive honor from men. But I know you that you do not have the love of YHWH in you. I (Y’shua) have come in My Father’s name and you (the Jews) do not receive me; if another (the Antichrist) comes in his own name, him (the Antichrist, a person) you will receive ” (John 5:39-43). b. Y’shua says, they WILL accept the Antichrist. Can Y’shua tell a lie? c. The Prophet Zechariah said the same thing: i. “And Elohim said to me, “Next take for yourself the implements of a foolish shepherd. For indeed, I will raise up a shepherd (the Antichrist) , in the land (from His people the Jews), who will not care for those who are cut off (the Jews), nor seek the young, nor heal those that are broken, nor feed those that still stand (will not care for children, the sick or the needy). But he (the Antichrist) will eat the flesh of the fat and tear their hooves in pieces. Woe to the worthless shepherd (the Antichrist), who leaves the flock! (who rejects Israel!) ” (Zech 11: 15-17). d. You see, again it speaks about a person that is not a Good Shepherd as Y’shua, but a worthless shepherd –this is what Y’shua said above. ii. He (the Antichrist) will destroy His land and people: a. “Because you have destroyed your land and slain your people ” (Isa 14:20). iii. He will not consider Israel’s God: a. “ He (the Antichrist) shall regard neither the God of his Fathers ” (referring to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) ; he will eventually declare himself God”. (Dan 11:37). iv. There are six reasons for major confusion amongst the Jews and why they will accept the Antichrist as their Messiah. There are six critical things that the Bible says Y’shua will do when He returns at the Second Advent and starts His Millennial Reign on earth. Satan who knows the Bible (prophecies), and knows exactly what Y’shua will do, will inspire the Antichrist to counterfeit Y’shua on all these actions to deceive the world as a fake messiah. The Antichrist will only be interested in world power, and will possibly not even know that he is counterfeiting Y’shua. a. The Antichrist will engineer a peace-pact between Israel (Judaism) and the Arab world (Islam) because of a war that started between Abraham’s sons, Isaac and Ishmael about 4,000 years ago (Gen 21). The offspring of Abraham still despise each other, and the intensity is growing and will continue to grow. YHWH said in Ezek 37:26 he will make a peace covenant; the Antichrist will counterfeit Y’shua’s real peace that He will bring during the Olam Haba. Let’s look at some facts: i. In the past, when an aspiring leader sought to depose a prevailing one, he had to take over by brute force. (Coup d’etat.) ii. Such behaviour is no longer tolerated, many modern-day leaders tried it and it failed. 12 Glory to Glory Ministries – Minot ND iii. The days are over when one nation can conquer, occupy, and annex territory as their own. iv. The new power structure comes in “peaceably” and with “flatteries”. v. No politician will be elected today to an office if he does not present himself as a person of peace. vi. We often mistake the idea that the Antichrist and his system will be established by force. vii. The Bible tells us clearly that the Antichrist “shall work deceitfully” (Dan 11:23). viii. The peace pact will be “a covenant with death” (Isa 28:14-15). b. The Antichrist will allow the Jews to rebuild their Temple on Mount Moriah: i. The Temple mount is the most sacred place for the Jew and the second most sacred place (after Mecca) for the Arab. They will destroy each other for this mountain. ii. For the Jew, it was on this mountain that Abraham attempted to offer Isaac. It was also the exact place where the First and Second Temple were built. Without the on the Temple mount, the Jews know that they are not complete, as this is the place for them where YHWH dwells in their midst. Now, take special note: Israel is the centre of the world, Jerusalem is the centre of Israel, the Temple is the centre of Jerusalem, the “Holies” is the centre of the Temple, the “Holy of Holies” is the centre of the “Holies”, the Ark of the Covenant is in the centre of the “Holy of Holies”, and the rock that the Ark must stand on is the Foundation Stone of the World –the place (as they say) where YHWH made the covenant with Abraham. THE MOST SACRED PLACE FOR THE JEW! (By the time you read this, all the Temple vessels, the building material for the Third temple, the priestly garments, the training of priests in animal sacrifice, a possible red heifer (Num 19:2) that must be sacrificed before it is three years old for the purification of the priests before they can go onto the Temple Mount, the training of the Levi priests, etc. will all be in place and ready for the Third Temple. It is only a matter of time –I am speaking of the very near future!) iii. For the Arab, it was on this mountain that Mohammed purportedly ascended to heaven. According to their belief, “Eesa or Isa” (Arabic for ‘Jesus’) a Jew from the Tribe of Judah must return for them according to their belief. According to Islamic tradition, Isa’s (Jesus') descent will be in the midst of wars fought by the (lit. "the rightly guided one"), known in Islamic as the redeemer of Islam. This “Jesus” will descend at the point of a white arcade, east of Damascus (what Daniel also prophesied from where the Biblical Antichrist will come ), dressed in yellow robes and also return to Mount Moriah to restore the Islam faith. This is the area The Revelation and the End of Days 13 where Islam’s Dome of the Rock is standing. Muslims believe that Isa (‘Jesus’) will return at a time close to the end of the world . iv. Note that the TaNaCh mention the Antichrist’s name also as the Assyrian , Isa 10:5, 12, 24 (as mentioned further above). Damascus is the capitol of Assyria, Syria of today. v. The Qur'an states: "And when the son of Mary is quoted as an example, behold! the folk laugh out, And say: Are our gods better, or is he? They raise not the objection save for argument. Nay! but they are a contentious folk. He is nothing but a slave on whom We bestowed favour, and We made him a pattern for the Children of Israel. And had We willed We could have set among you angels to be viceroys in the earth. And lo! verily there is knowledge of the Hour. So doubt ye not concerning it, but follow Me. This is the right path. And let not Satan turn you aside. Lo! he is an open enemy for you. When Jesus came with clear proofs (of Allah's Sovereignty), he said: I have come unto you with wisdom, and to make plain some of that concerning which ye differ. So keep your duty to Allah, and obey me. Lo! Allah, He is my Lord and your Lord. So worship Him. This is a right path. But the factions among them differed. Then woe unto those who do wrong from the doom of a painful day. Await they aught save the Hour, that it shall come upon them suddenly, when they know not? Friends on that day will be foes one to another, save those who kept their duty (to Allah)." Qur’an sura 43 (az-Zukhruf), ayah 57-67. vi. So this “one” will be accepted by the five main religions of the world as The Messiah, but he will be the biggest deceiver from satan –the Antichrist! He will be the ‘Christ’ for the Christian, ‘Isa, Jesus’ the Jew for the Muslims; 'Moshiach’ for the blinded Jews who are still awaiting their Messiah; ‘Krishna’ for the Hindus and the ‘Dalai Lama’ for the Buddist –one person fulfilling all the prophecies of the five main religions of the world ! And he will allow the Temple to be rebuilt and for that the Jews will accept him as Messiah. The Messiah said in Zech 6:12 that He the “Branch” will build the millennial Temple; the Antichrist will counterfeit Y’shua by allowing the Third Temple to be rebuilt. c. The Antichrist will tell the Jews that the “new mark” in the forehead and the right hand from him (Rev: 13:18) is the same as the “ancient one” (teffilin / phylacteries)YHWH instructed the Jews to put on (read Deut 6:4-9, 11:13-21 and Exod 13:1-11.) The Jewish world is in the process of being prepared and conditioned to accept the ‘new mark’ according to their latest educational material distributed globally which states: “The Messiah will come to give the world new 'mitzvot' (commandments) such as teffilin Midrash Tehellim 21” by Rabbi Yisroel Ehrman “Tefillin: Making the Connection” page 41.) d. In Haggai 2:7-9, it says that the nations will come with their wealth and then Y’shua will fill the Millennial Temple with glory. The 14 Glory to Glory Ministries – Minot ND Antichrist will counterfeit Him by trying to conquer the world and to obtain all the wealth, allow the Temple to be rebuilt and then he will declare himself God in the rebuilt Temple. When Y’shua returns at the Second Advent, He will put His feet on the Mount of Olives (Zech 14:4). The Antichrist will counterfeit Y’shua and build his palace on the Mount of Olives (Dan 11:45). For the Jew to accept the Antichrist as their Messiah, he must fulfill a number of the 65 Prophecies in the TaNaCh. The view of Judaism is narrow-mindedly focused on the prophecies and writings; and therefore, the Rabbis and the Orthodox Jews will not accept him unless he fulfills these conditions. (See 65 prophecies on the Internet.) Special note! As said above, what few people know is the fact that both the Jews and the Arabs are awaiting their Messiah. Both of them have the same forefather Abraham (who was a Jew); therefore, both will accept the Antichrist –the false messiah because of his Jewish origin. The Jew will not accept any other person that is not Jewish as the Messiah ; in fact, he must come out of the Tribe of Judah (Gen 49:10; Isa 9:6-7). The Jews are presently looking at the Tribe of Judah amongst the Rabbis for their Messiah. Now to bring the Jewish and Arab world’s together will be a miracle by itself –combine that with Jerusalem being declared an international city and permission for the Jews to rebuild their Temple. They will accept the Antichrist without a doubt. This is what YHWH meant in 1 Thes 5:3: “when they say Peace and Safety, then sudden destruction will come upon them as labour pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape”. (Liebenberg, 2017) (Outline adapted)

v. Thomas Horn and Chris Putnam writes about the theory of the Islamic Antichrist. They state: a. “We take a detailed look at Muslim beliefs and eschatology... In addition to the Qur’an and countless Hadiths, we consulted works by the top scholars in the field… Islamic literature. Regarding the collision course Islam’s apocalyptic scenario has plotted with Christian premillennial belief… After consulting the original source documents and opinions of scholars, we examined the popular Islamic Antichrist debate as reflected in recent books by author Joel Richardson and countering Christian apologist, Chris White. After much study and reflection, we conclude that is an incoherent, plagiarized mess. Most likely, there is no actual Mahdi, nor will there ever be, he is merely a literary topos.” i. Note: topos refers to a rhetorical theme b. They further write: “Chris White is a Christian apologist who takes issue with the idea that the real Antichrist is Muslim. He critiques the Islamic Antichrist theory by comparing Islam to other “corrective” cults. .” (Horn & Putnam) (outline added) The Revelation and the End of Days 15 i. The first way that Islamic eschatology developed is by hadith writers looking at what the Bible said about the end times and changing certain details to make Islam appear to be victorious in the end times. This, of course, required them to make the heroes all Muslim and the bad guys Jews and Christians. There is nothing about this process that should make us think their version of the end times, where they differ from the Bible, is going to come to pass any more than we should expect the Mormon or Jehovah’s Witness’s versions of the end times to come to pass.” (White, 2015)

6. Kingdom, influence, reign of the Antichrist: a. When we get to Revelation chapter 13, we will look at more details concerning the Antichrist.

16 Glory to Glory Ministries – Minot ND Works Referenced:

Dake, F. (n.d.). Dake's Study Notes. (e-Sword Format). Fire Bible: A Study Bible for Spirit-led Living. (2001). Peabody, MA, USA: Hendrickson Publishers Marketing, LLC. Liebenberg, W. (2017). The Revelation of Yeshua HaMashiach: FULL Book Hebraic Perspective Verse by Verse (END-TIME STUDIES SERIES 2). (Kindle Edition). (P. b. MSc., Ed.) South Africia. Stone, P. (n.d.). Unleashing the Beast: The Coming Fanatical Dictator and His Ten-Nation Coalition. (Kindle Edition). Frontline. Van Impe, j. (n.d.). Revelation Revealed.