The Anti-Christ
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Rev. Jim Bogle, given April 3, 2005
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The Anti-Christ is going to be a man of great wisdom, compassion, understanding, and political finesse. The Anti-Christ will appear to be a man not only able to give the answers for the woes of his own nation, but for those of the nations of the world as well. And so the Anti-Christ will be the man the world will look to to bring about world peace and world stability.
We see his rise to power in Revelation 13.
The book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ to the church, as it is revealed through John, is a warning to the unbelievers of what awaits them if they fail to respond to the outstretched arms of the Lord Jesus Christ. Why is it important for Christians to study the Book of Revelation? Ninety-five percent of what occurs in the book has nothing to do with the church. Ninety-five percent of the Book deals with the woes of this world after the church has already been taken to heaven. So why is it important for the church to study the Book?
It is important because God says in the very first Chapter, verse 3:
Revelation 1:3
Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
The Revelation is being given to the church as a “blessing” that the church might fully understand the things that Christ says will shortly come to pass.
And that blessing comes how?
By
By Hearing (taking it in to the heart).
Eight times in this book Christ will say, “He that hath an ear, let him hear.” And so the blessing comes first by hearing, and then by keeping the faith, holding fast to those things that Christ has taught. Why? “For the time is at hand.”
John has already told us once that we are living in the last times.
1 John 2:18
Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
God leaves nothing in secret when it comes to reaching out to lost souls bound in the spiritual darkness of this world.
SO JOHN TELLS US TO READ, HEED, AND KEEP LOOKING UP!
The Church, even though it will not go through the great tribulation period…
Romans 1:18
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
1 Thessalonians 1:9, 10
1: For they themselves shew of us…how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;
2: And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
1 Thessalonians 5:8
For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
…still needs to be prepared to give answers for its faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and to give warning to those now walking in darkness.
1 Peter 3:15
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
The Revelation of Jesus Christ to his church regarding the future and final events to be played out on this earth is shocking and horrendous, to say the least.
Nahum 1:6
Who can stand before his indignation [God’s just anger]? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him.
Revelation 6:15, 16
15: And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
16: And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
The wrath of the Lamb is an interesting phrase! The WRATH of the LAMB! It’s not the wrath of the Lion, or the tiger, or the bear. It’s the wrath of the Lamb.
Can you imagine people running to hide in fear of a Lamb? The disposition of the lamb is meek, humble, lowly. In other words, these people, who are running for their lives, are running in fear of one who is otherwise, humble, meek, and lowly.
They’re running from Jesus! They’re running from Him today in unbelief, and they’ll be running from him in the future in full belief, but it will be too late for them. They'll cry to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.”
Hear these words of the Lamb…
Matthew 11:28–30
28: Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29: Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30: For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
The One who will bring about perfect peace and stability in the world will be the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. And when He comes to set foot upon this earth, he will be coming in judgment! And the wicked and unbelieving will be running for the hills, looking for the rocks to fall on them and hide them from the wrath of the Lamb.
But before Christ’s coming, there will come a Counterfeit Christ...the Anti-Christ.
The world will be in almost complete turmoil. Throughout the world there will be political, social, and economic unrest. The people will be looking for that one dynamic leader who can bring about world peace…and the Devil will step forward.
Revelation 13:1
1: And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
John says he is standing on the “sand of the sea.” He doesn’t say the beach; he says the sand of the sea. John is seeing the world in turmoil.
Paul tells Timothy that in the last days perilous times shall come! (2 Timothy 3:1) There will be such an increase in world violence, conflict, terrorism, and wars that the nations of the world will be completely at a loss as to how to bring about world peace! My friend, we are there today!
Before his election, Bill Clinton criticized
Republican President George Bush, Sr. for spending too much time engulfed in
foreign affairs.
Why? Because the world is in a terrible state of unrest today!
Christ forewarned us:
Matthew 24:6, 7
6: And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7: For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:
My friend, we are there today!
AND SO JOHN IS SEEING A WORLD IN TURMOIL (a sea of people groping for answers, looking for someone to help relieve their misery and woes)! AND JESUS TELLS US THAT DURING THIS TIME:
There will be an increase in natural catastrophes such as famines, earthquakes, and diseases!
Matthew 24:7, 8
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
My friend we are there today!
In
Two major earthquakes in
The Red Cross is falling all over itself trying to meet the desperate needs of so many throughout the world left homeless, fatherless, or motherless because of natural disasters.
AND IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE!
Nahum 2:10
She is empty, and void, and waste: and the heart melteth, and the knees smite together, and much pain is in all loins, and the faces of them all gather blackness.
This is the picture of people starving to death, and Jesus said it’s going to be an especially difficult and terrible time for moms with little infants.
Matthew 24:19
And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
AND PEOPLE WILL BE CRYING OUT FOR SOMEONE TO GUIDE THEM; SOMEONE TO HELP THEM; SOMEONE TO GIVE THEM ANSWERS TO THEIR ENORMOUS PROBLEMS.
But here is the saddest thing of all: THEY DON’T WANT JESUS! THE WORLD IS NOT INTERESTED IN HAVING CHRIST GIVE THEM ANSWERS, BECAUSE THEY DON’T WANT THE ANSWER HIS WORD OFFERS: REPENTENCE!
Acts 3:19
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
Christ wants people to turn to Him for salvation, for comfort, and for blessing. But they will not repent…
REPENTENCE FOR WHAT?
Deuteronomy 22:22
If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die,
Adultery is a sin worthy of death! AND THE WORLD LAUGHS AND MAKES JOKES, and even applauds and takes pleasure in those that commit such sins.
Leviticus 20:13
If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
Homosexuality is a sin worthy of death! AND THE WORLD LAUGHS AND MAKES JOKES and even applauds and takes pleasure in those that commit such sins.
1 Corinthians 6:18
Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
1 Corinthians 7:2
Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
God says sex outside of marriage is WRONG! AND THE WORLD LAUGHS AND MAKES JOKES and even applauds and takes pleasure in those that commit such sins.
Ezekiel 16:20–21
20: God says, Is this of thy whoredoms a small matter,
21: That thou hast slain my children,
THE WORLD SLAYS GOD’S CHILDREN WHOLESALE TODAY! NO LAUGHING HERE, NO JOKES, BUT WORST OF ALL, NO WEEPING, NO AGONIZING, AND NO PITY OVER THE EVIL CASTING AWAY WHOLESALE OF GOD’S LITTLE CHILDREN.
WHAT ARE YOU BRINGING INTO YOUR HOUSE THESE DAYS?
Deuteronomy 7:26
Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.
The filthy magazines, the questionable movies, the demonic music, ALL OF THESE ARE MATERIALS DESIGNED TO APPLAUD THE FLESH AND WORSHIP THE DEVIL.
AND SO THE WORLD IS NOT INTERESTED IN WHAT CHRIST HAS TO SAY. THEY WANT SOMEBODY ELSE WHO UNDERSTANDS THEIR NEEDS; SOMEBODY WHO IS INTERESTED IN BUILDING A WONDERFUL COMMUNITY, WITHOUT BIGOTS, HATEMONGERS, AND HOMOPHOBICS.
To the World, Jesus is a hateful bigot, a confused prophet, and a self-righteous fanatic because his writings speak against their “new age,” “new thought,” and their “new way,” of rebellion against Him.
We should love, and not hate.
We should reach out and not judge.
(It’s interesting that every time a Christian stands up for the Lord Jesus Christ, he or she is accused of attacking AND JUDGING the world).
AND YET, IN TRUTH, EVERY TIME A CHRISTIAN STANDS UP FOR THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, HE or SHE IS EMULATING THEIR MASTER.
John 15:18
If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
John 15:25
But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.
AND JOHN SAYS, OUT OF THIS
Today the world is ripe for the Anti-Christ. The people of the world want peace, but they don’t want Christ; which means that the Church is ripe for the rapture.
Which one are you ready for this morning…the Anti-Christ or the RAPTURE?
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