Dr. Stephen Phinney
ANTICHRIST | THE GOAT IN ACTION
While some refuse to believe that such an Antichrist will arrive, the Bible contains warnings and prophecies depicting such a monster. Yet, his identity is not revealed, not once. The real Antichrist will mysteriously hide behind the skirt of lukewarm politics and religions until our Lord releases him to come out of the closet.
OVERVIEW
Chapter twelve in Revelation depicts the Antichrist as a dragon – known in Biblical history as Satan. Before he was thrown out of heaven, his name was Lucifer, the angel of light. However, he didn’t go out without a fight. The Bible calls his exit the result of a great war. Leaving us with the impression that he raged a war against God by using one-third of all the angels, now called demons. Since God is God, and He shares His power and glory with no one, Lucifer was removed from heaven “like a bolt of lightning, with his devoted demons. Since that time, God has called him Satan, the dragon snake.
THE INTRODUCTION
Remember when Adolf Hitler attempted to take over the world? The majority of the church began to believe that it was the Antichrist Revelation’s book was speaking of. Worse yet, Israel thought the Old Testament prophecies were coming to pass.
· A fierce king (Dan. 8:23
· The master of intrigue (Dan. 8:23)
· The prince who is to come (Dan. 9:26)
· The despicable man (Dan. 11:21)
· The worthless shepherd (Zech. 11:16-17)
· The one who brings destruction (2 Thess. 2:3)
· The lawless one (2 Thess. 2:3)
· The beast (Rev. 13:1)
As it turns out, he, Hitler, was a precursor to the real Antichrist, as with many other ruthless dictators through the ages.
If you type in “Antichrist” in search engines, millions of pictures, articles, books, and opinions will surface. The irony is that no one of them knows who this cleaver leader will be. God keeps his identity mysteriously hidden for a Godological reason.
So when will his identity be revealed? Moments after the Rapture. Fellow believers, the reality is unless you are one of the “left behind,” not even your best guess will be good enough. However, all those left behind will indeed see his face, know his name and experience the impact of his deception and wrath.
Here is what we do know about him:
1. He will be a charismatic leader (Dan. 7:7-8, 25)
2. He will be a cunning leader (Dan. 11:21)
3. He will be a ruthless & cruel leader (Dan. 7:23, 25)
Revelation’s Antichrist will make Hitler look like a backyard bully. The description in Daniel is horrifying. The actions he will take described in Revelation are beyond depraved. His soon coming consequences for insulting Jesus and His Bride are the worst – Hellfire and damnation. Will he repent? Not a chance.
THE GOAT | THE ANTICHRIST
The term Antichrist is not Satan himself. Rather, the Antichrist will be a human possessed by Satan’s spirit, thus, being called the “spirit of the Antichrist.” When we combine all of the descriptions of Satan throughout the Bible, we get a bird’s eye view of what he will be like and precisely what actions he will take.
He will be politically savvy and influential.
He will surface from a nation that propagates peace.
He will pretend to love Israel while carrying hate in his heart for her.
He will present himself as a Jew but will be from the pure bloodline of Ishmael, thus, hating the pure bloodline Jews.
He will be filled with blasphemy against God.
He will worship creators rather than the Creator.
He will have power over nature and human nature.
He will be filled with revenge – particularly toward Jesus.
He will empower ten kings or world leaders.
He will have a beautiful appearance while being intimidating.
He will fear no man, nation, or kingdom.
The masses will fall at his feet and worship him.
Those who refuse to worship him will be tortured.
He will be considered a savior to the world.
People who fear looking into the Scriptures to read about his image will be the same people most likely left behind to live out their lives under this Antichrist.
OUR PASSAGE
"In the latter period of their rule, when the transgressors have run their course, a king will arise, insolent and skilled in intrigue. His power will be mighty, but not by his own power, and he will destroy to an extraordinary degree and prosper and perform his will; he will destroy mighty men and the holy people. And through his shrewdness he will cause deceit to succeed by his influence; and he will magnify himself in his heart, and he will destroy many while they are at ease. He will even oppose the Prince of princes, but he will be broken without human agency. The vision of the evenings and mornings which has been told is true; but keep the vision secret, for it pertains to many days in the future. Then I, Daniel, was exhausted and sick for days. Then I got up again and carried on the king's business; but I was astounded at the vision, and there was none to explain it.” Daniel 8:23-27
INSOLENT & SKILLED IN INTRIGUE
Our passage reveals two superpowers, one during the reign of Greece and the other a projected prophesy of the final Antichrist. Both will be insolent – rude, and filled with arrogance. Both will be highly skilled in intrigue – fascinating, arousing curiosity, and have a “magnetic personality.”
It is noted this power player will be mighty in power. However, the passage reveals that it will not be through his own power but by the power of another being. That being is none other than the power of the spirit of Satan that fills the leader with demonic power & charm. With this power, he will destroy the masses while they are not paying attention. Through his position on earth, he will prosper exponentially while using his wealth to perform his will, including destroying mighty warriors and most of the Holy Jews of Israel.
SHREWD AND DECEITFUL
Shrewd is an interesting word. It means having or showing sharp powers of judgment, being astute, and wise. How is it that Satan can present this image? Scripture reveals in James that there are two kinds of wisdom: demonic, earthly, and natural, and wisdom that comes down from above, which is peaceful, loving, and compassionate. The Antichrist will be highly skilled in deceitful wisdom. So much so, the masses will be deceived by his ability to manage the earthly and natural elements of humanity and their planet, which will be the focus of those left behind after the Rapture.
Because of his skillful yet deceitful wisdom, his influence will grow to dominate the world. As a result, he will magnify himself in his heart, much like Nebuchadnezzar did earlier in Daniel’s story. His arrogance will lead him to expose all global leaders as weak compared to himself. Nobody will be able to break him or bring him down – that is, until He goes face to face with Jesus Christ.
While we know that the third temple is built during the first three and a half years of the Tribulation, the Antichrist’s final act of rebellion against God is setting himself up in Jerusalem as the Christ/Messiah figure for the Jews. In this action, he desecrates its Holiness. The Word calls it the “abomination of desolation.” From the throne room in the third temple, he will attempt to eradicate every Jew on earth. However, there will be 144,000 pure bloodline Jews that survive his genocidal slaughter.
Anyone who walks around with a fake smile holds hatred in their heart. That is why they use a fake smile – to cover up their bitterness, jealousy, betrayal, and revengeful hearts. Satan is no different. He is as fake as a friend kissing you on one cheek and stabbing you in the back with the other. Fact. All fake betraying “believers” go to Hell in the end.
DANIEL HAD TO KEEP THIS VISION TO HIMSELF
The archangel interpreting Daniel’s vision commanded him to keep the vision secret, for it pertains to many days in the future. While Daniel did exactly that, he became sick for many days after this expansive vision. After a short respite, he got up and went back to tending to the king’s business while contemplating the astounding vision daily. He knew that no human could handle hearing the details revealed to him in his vision.
Times haven’t changed that much. The masses in our present society consider modern-day prophets of God “crazy.” During Daniel’s time, it wasn’t that much different. In fact, people today are so wrapped up with the “feel good” scriptures that in-house persecution ensues when revealing the judgment and wrath stated by God. Meaning that self-proclaimed Christians begin shooting their own.
IN CONCLUSION
Can you imagine being told, in detail, the details of the end times in an age where the masses could not comprehend the final days of humanity? Today, we have the entire Bible to help us comprehend these details, yet most STILL don’t believe or understand. While the topic of the Antichrist is fascinating and compelling, not one person can understand Daniel’s vision completely. It remains a secret filled with intrigue. There are many things that God holds close to His bosom. The revelation given to Daniel is certainly one of them.
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President & Founder
Dr. Stephen Phinney
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