Happy New Year 2016

Proverbs 14:26

Proverbs 3:5

Proverbs 2:21

James 1:17

 

 

Thanks be to God

Luke 2:12

Luke 2:11

Matthew 1:20-21

Luke 1:46-49

Luke 1:30-31

Isaiah 9:6

Antichrist will possess miraculous powers, given to him by satan, who is a counterfeiter, and will use signs and wonders to deceive the world about his true nature.

     He will appear as a son of God attempting to deceive the world, especially Israel about his identity.

         His temporary success is described as, 'the earth shall be delivered into his hands.'

For as lawlessness increases, they shall hate one another and shall persecute and betray and then the world deceiver shall appear as a son of God and shall work signs and wonders and then the earth shall be delivered into his hands and he shall commit crimes such as have never been seen since the world began.

If the Rapture can occur without warning at any moment then it is logical that it will occur before the prophetic events of the Tribulation.

    Be ye watchful for your life! Let not your lamps be extinguished nor your loins ungirded, but be ye ready! For ye know not the hour in which your Lord cometh....

The statement that, "he will kill with the sword" reveals the writer's familiarity with the book of Revelation.

     Some teachers deny that the symbol of the fig tree in Matthew 24 represents Israel.
It is significant that this comment was written just a century after Christ, clearly tells that the fig tree is the "house of Israel".

This Apocalypse of Peter tells that the early Christians understood that a series of false christs would be followed by a final antichrist, but "this deceiver is not the Christ."

     His words "this is the deceiver who must come into the world" suggests that he is quoting John's prophecy  from memory, "For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist" 2 John 7.

There is a commentary on the Mount of Olives Discourse recorded in Matthew 24 and Luke 21 called the Apocalypse of Peter. It gives a valuable insight into the views of the early Church about prophecy and the antichrist.

    Quote, "And when they shall see the wickedness of their deeds (even the false Christ's), they shall turn away after them and deny him to whom our fathers gave praise, the first Christ whom they crucified and thereby sinned exceedingly. But this deceiver is not the Christ. And when they reject him, he will kill with the sword and there shall be many martyrs. Then shall the boughs of the fig tree, the house of Israel, sprout and there shall be many martyrs by his hand: they shall be killed and become martyrs."

Many of the predictions in the Bible have already been fulfilled precisely to the day as told by the prophets of God.

      Logic tells us that the prophecies yet to be fulfilled will just a accurate.

Each of the major prophets received visions of the coming antichrist, the Battle of Armageddon and the victory of Jesus's return.

    Even Paul prophesied about the antichrist and his final destruction in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12.

        The Book of Revelation describes the antichrist in great detail in chapters 4 to 19.

Jesus also reminded His disciples that Daniel declared that the antichrist, the 'prince who will come,' will defile the 'holy place' in the rebuilt Temple.

    This was discussed in the first church. These prophecies gave the believers a clear understanding of the future crisis involving the antichrist and his rule of terror in the last days.

The coming of the antichrist was of great interest to the first church.

     Jesus warned His disciples about the coming antichrist's "abomination of desolation." His words were "Therefore when you see the abomination of desolations spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place, then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains." Matthew 24:15-16.

The Talmund suggests that God will allow the antichrist, an evil tyrant, to rule over Israel for a time to bring the Jews to repentance and return to God so the Messiah can come.

For hundreds of years the ancient scholars debated about the timing of the Messiah's coming. They also discussed the need for Israel to repent before God would send Him.

      Some believed God wouldn't send Him until all of Israel repented in one generation. Others thought God would finally send Him whether or not all of Israel repented at one time.

Most rabbis believe that the Messiah will be a normal human, born of a mother and father, who will live a righteous life.

    The rabbis often connect the Messiah with King David and Moses, based on their interpretations of the Old Testament. They are looking for a man with a divine mission like Moses rather than God incarnating a body as Jesus did 2 thousand years ago.

The Talmud contains many prophetic ideas about the future Messiah and his leading; but they will prepare some in Israel to accept the false messiah, the antichrist before they finally see him face-to-face.

Not all the rabbis saw the signs of the birthpangs of the Messiah negatively.

    Some of the signs are positive, like: a rising of prosperity in places, growth in Torah study, scientific advances, increase in information and knowledge.

These ancient teachers called these terrible events the "birthpangs of the Messiah."

     Even though they longed for the deliverance of the chosen people of Israel; this fear led some Jewish rabbis to say, "Let the Messiah come, but let Him come at a time when I will not see Him."

All through the Talmud teachers interpreted the Bible's prophecies about the last days and the time of the coming of the Messiah.

    It lists the prophetic signs that will point to His coming:
an increase in oppression,
rampant inflation,
pride,
irresponsible government,
wars,
widespread poverty,
despising of wisdom,
lack of respect for elders,
the breakup of families, and
hatred of Christianity.

Thanksgiving 2015

The Talmund is a group of writings written by rabbis during the exile from Jerusalem.

     The rabbis mixed Jewish beliefs and interpretations of the Law.

         The Jews believed that Moses gave these instructions verbally through a series of some receivers who faithfully preserved them.

During the leadership of one rabbi this oral tradition was finally recorded in writing known as the Talmud.

In the New Testament, Jesus describes the prophetic events just before He returns as "the beginning of sorrows."

     The old Jewish teachers called this time of trouble "the time before the Messiah."

It is possible that God will use Elijah as one of the two witnesses to miraculously determine the proper identities  of the 144,000 Jewish witnesses during the Tribulation Period.

Ezekiel, one of the prophets, tells us that God will divide the Promised Land between the twelve tribes of Israel in the Millennium [1000 year rule of Jesus Christ], in Ezekiel 47 and 48.

     We wonder how the Jews will learn their proper identity. The only Jew who can definitely determine their origin are those named Levi or Cohen, they belong to the Levites or Kohanim, the 'Sons of Aaron.'

The Book of Revelations tells us that God will choose twelve thousand Jews from each of the twelve tribes of Israel as His special 144,000 witnesses.

The ancient teachers believed that in the age of the Messiah, a priest will stand up "with the Urim and Thummim."

     They hope this will happen when Elijah comes back with the breastplate of the High Priest.

         The Urim and Thummim was lost in the destruction of Solomon's Temple by the Babylonians. It was a device connected to the Breastplate of the High Priest and supernaturally revealed the will of God for Israel.

When the Jews returned from their captivity in Babylon, Nehemiah determined their families lineage by witnesses.

    Without the records that were lost when the Temple was burned, they couldn't determine who truly belonged to the priesthood.

The old teachers believe that the prophecies of rebuilding of the Temple and the division of the land in Ezekiel 40 thru 48 cannot be fulfilled unless someone identifies every Jew's proper lineage.

     They interpreted Malachi's prophecy that Elijah "will sit as a refiner and purifier to indicate that Elijah will return from heaven to supernaturally determine the identities and linage of all the Jews worldwide.

         They also believe he will identify who is qualified to be priests or proper Levites in the resumed Temple worship

Jewish mentors expected Elijah the Prophet to appear as a forerunner of the Messiah as told in Malachi 4:5-6, Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:
And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

The Jews expecting that the Messiah will rebuild the Temple might explain why many of them will accept the antichrist as their Messiah.

    If the false Messiah actually helps Israel to rebuild the third Temple, many Jews would accept it as proof that he is their true Messiah.

When Jesus sets up His Kingdom, He will build the fourth Temple north of Jerusalem described on Zechariah 6:12 and Ezekiel chapters 40 to 48.

     The Millennial Temple is predicted to have walls over a mile long. This huge size would not fit in Jerusalem, let alone on the Temple Mount.

           Ezekiel indicates that it will be located in the section of land known as the prince's portion, Ezekiel 45:7, about 25 miles north of Jerusalem in a new Millennial city.

After the defilement of the Temple by the antichrist, Jesus, the Messiah, will defeat him in the Battle of Armageddon during the Great Day of the Lord.

    Then the Messiah will cleanse and sanctify the Third Temple.

Other sources believe that the Temple will be built by the Jewish people or by God just before Jesus returns.

    The prophecies teach that the Jewish people, inspired by God, will rebuild the Third Temple in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount.

Most of the Jewish commentators interpret the prophecies to teach that the Messiah would build the Third Temple Himself.

     Zechariah 6:12 declares, "Thus says the Lord of hosts, saying: 'Behold, the Man whose name is the Branch! From His place He shall branch out and He shall build the temple of the Lord.'"

Some old rabbis believed that Zechariah and Ezekiel predicted that the Messiah would restore the Temple in the last days.

   After predicting the miraculous return of the exiles to the Promise Land, Ezekiel prophesied: Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore,Ezekiel 37:26.

Later when the antichrist defiles the rebuilt Temple, Israel will recognize him as an evil imposter.

     Many Jews will form part of the 'remnant' during the Tribulation Period who will flee into the wilderness to escape him.

It was claimed that anyone who did not believe in the Messiah or long for His coming actually denied the Torah, the law of Moses.

     This was great inspiration that gave them hope for thousands of years. But this expectation will cause Israel to accept the antichrist's and false prophet's claims.

The belief in the Messiah and the ultimate redemption of Israel is one of the most basic beliefs of their religion.

     The Jewish people comforted themselves all the centuries of exile by remembering the prophecies of a coming Messiah who will return the captives to their homeland and reestablish the throne of David.

Today, after the return of those exiled to the Promised Land, we are in the most exciting and dangerous time in history.

      The fulfillment of the dreams of the  Jews is close at hand. The prophecies of a coming Messiah has comforted them and Christians that God will take back the earth from the curse of sin and suffering.

Through centuries of exile, the Jews want their Messiah to come and redeem the earth from the curse of sin and suffering.

      Those who wrote about their hopes and fears for this awesome times calls it the "birthpangs of the Messiah." The years before Jesus appears will be like the "birthpangs" of a woman.

There are numerous prophecies specifying God will send His Messiah to redeem mankind and establish His kingdom of righteousness at the end of this age.

     The Bible warns that a false messiah will rise up in the last days to push the world into a horrible crisis.

          All through history hundreds of prophecies have been fulfilled and especially in this century. God declared that these fulfilled prophecies would prove that He was working in the world's future, Isaiah 48:3.

This coming battle between Jesus and the antichrist will come to its conclusion after 3 1/2 years of "hell on earth" known as the Great Tribulation.

One of the prophecies about the man of sin was written by a prophet named Daniel.

     He warned: "He shall regard neither the God of his fathers nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall magnify himself about them all", Daniel 11:37.

         This vision has puzzled many people but it would seem to prove that the antichrist will be a Jew since it states that he won't have regard for "the God of his Fathers." That quote is only used in the Bible concerning Jews. It also points out that he will have no regard or desire of women."

             If he was pagan, God would not point out his rejection of his fathers.

John warned that the 'spirit of antichrist' had already entered the world in his day.

     The widespread denial and ridicule of Jesus' return is another sign that the spirit of antichrist is being manifest right now.

The antichrist spirit that denies that Jesus came in the flesh two thousand years ago is the same spirit of unbelief that denies that He will literally come again in the flesh.

      There are many both in and out side the Church who deny the doctrine of the literal return of Jesus Christ. Some want to 'spiritualize' the prophecies or interpret them a just stories or fables.

           They often ridicule those who believe that there are still prophecies to be fulfilled as literally as those fulfilled in the past.

John also told us that "every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard was coming and is now already in the world", 1 John 4:3.

     This confirms the other scriptures that tell us that the Spirit of God reveals the truth to us as it did to Peter.

           If someone refuses to accept that Jesus came in the flesh, he is rejecting the Word of God.

John, the apostle, describes the nature of the spirit of antichrist: "Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son," 1 John 2:22.

      The Bible states that anyone who denies that Jesus is the Messiah is denying the Father and the Son and has adopted the spirit of antichrist.

The antichrist is a liar because his father is satan, the "father of lies", John 8:44.

      His life from beginning to end will be marked by deceit and lies. Yet people will accept his lies because they love darkness rather than light.

The false prophet will most likely present himself as the prophet Elijah and will try to counterfeit his miracle of "bringing fire down from heaven."

     It's obvious that the false prophet must be a Jew to imitate Elijah.

Since prophecy tells us that the antichrist will present himself to Israel as the Messiah, many scholars conclude that he must be Jewish.

       No religious Jew would dream of accepting a Gentile as the Messiah of Israel. Jesus warned them of the false messiah being in the last days.

Jesus warned, "if another comes in his own name, him you will receive."

      The false messiah and his false prophet will establish the worst period of persecution in the history of the world, known as the "time of Jacob's trouble" or as also known as the Great Tribulation."

The tragic rejection of Jesus and His Gospel by both the Jews and the Gentiles led right to the Cross.

     This delayed the promise of the kingdom for Israel, which followed 2,000 years of exile.

          Jesus warned them that although they rejected Him who came in the name of His Father, that they, the Jews, would one day accept, for a while, the false claims of the antichrist as their Messiah.

Hundreds of specific prophecies point to Jesus of Nazareth as the promised Messiah of the Jews.

            He fulfilled the prophecies to the letter, spoke with authority, performed numerous miracles including raising people from the dead. Yet, despite this evidence, many in Israel and other nations reject His claims as the Messiah/King.

"Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: his number is 666", Revelation 13:18.

      This verse indicates that the Mark of the Beast, which will be used as a control to enforce people to worship the man of sin and will be connected with the name of the antichrist.

beast rising out of sea

In Revelation 13:1, the antichrist is called the first "beast" and is seen rising "out of the sea" representing the world of politics and possibly, the Mediterranean Sea.

     The "beast is a symbol of the antichrist in some passages and in other verses the symbol of the "beast" stands for the ten-nation kingdom with its leader.

John's vision, Revelation 6:2 reveals that the antichrist will present himself as a great peacemaker. He will deceive many people with a false peace.

      The first horseman on the white horse is a symbol of the antichrist coming in false peace. He holds a bow with no arrow representing disarmament and peace.

           He "went out conquering and to conquer" just as the prophets warned. He will make deceitful peace treaties and agreements to disarm his enemies

The False Prophet 'makes fire come down from heaven', Revelation 13:13, trying to fulfill the works of the prophet Elijah as the one coming before the Messiah/Jesus.

The antichrist will portray fulfilling the Old Testament prophecies of the Jewish expectations of the coming Messiah.

     Jesus Himself warned that many will come in His name saying that they are the Christ.

The name 'antichrist' is most commonly used to describe the last great enemy God and man.

      It suggests  his opposition to Jesus and his wicked attempt to counterfeit Him.

           The Bible indicates that he will imitate the true Messiah to deceive people about his true identity.

Children, it’s the end of time. You’ve heard that an antichrist is coming. Certainly, many antichrists are already here. That’s how we know it’s the end of time, 1 John 2:18.

     Who is a liar? Who else but the person who rejects Jesus as the Messiah? The person who rejects the Father and the Son is an antichrist, 1 John 2:22

"For that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition," 2 Thessalonians 2:3.

      He is called the 'son of perdition' because the antichrist, as the seed of satan, is destined to destroy and then he will be destroyed by God.

            Because he is total lawlessness, he will be sent to perdition in hell for his sinful rebellion, just as Judas Iscariot, the other 'son of perdition.

 

The antichrist as 'The Man of Sin'.

    In 2 Thessalonians 2:3, Paul promises us that the Great Day of the Lord will not come until the 'falling away comes first'.

         Other prophecies also warn about the religious falling away of the last days.

              The antichrist will only be revealed at the right time after God removes His restraining power.

In Revelation John reveals that 'the beast was captured and with him the false prophet.

    These two were cast into the lake of fire burning with brimstone', Revelation 19:20

Both Isaiah and Paul describe the antichrist as the 'wicked' because he will give himself entirely to satan's evil plan to destroy God's people and laws.

      Despite satan's initial success, the prophets say that Jesus Christ will 'destroy with the brightness of His coming.'

Paul calls the antichrist by this name. "And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of His mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming", 2 Thessalonians 2:8.

In Isaiah's prophecy we see a comparison to Revelation 12 where the 'woman' [Israel] flees for 3 1/2 years to a place of safety in the wilderness of Moab [Jordan] to escape the antichrist after he defiles the rebuilt temple.

The prophet Isaiah [16:4] describes the antichrist as 'the spoiler' and 'the extortioner' because he will try to destroy all who resist his claims to be "god" while using extortion to gain great riches.

Revelation 13:3 says that someone will kill the antichrist with a "wound to death." John also said that the wound will be made with a sword, Revelation 13:14.

       It also declares, "his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast", Revelation 13:3.

In contrast to Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who gives His life for His sheep, the antichrist is called the 'idol shepherd.'

      His purpose as an evil shepherd, will be to use and destroy the sheep for his own benefit.

           He may be called the idol shepherd because the False Prophet will set up an idol or statue of the antichrist in the rebuilt Temple to be worshipped by the people, Revelation 13:14-15.

The prophets identify the antichrist as a Jew who will rule the Roman Empire. We are also told of his future connection with the Middle East and the rebuilt capital of Babylon.

       Possibly the prophet Isaiah identified him as 'the Assyrian' because the world dictator will be the enemy of Israel just as Assyria was in the past.

In complete opposite to Jesus who came to do His Father's will, the antichrist will do his own will.

     Hus coming as a 'prince' will be a true child of this age, assertive, self-promoting and self-willed.

         He will exalt his own sinful desires against all those who oppose him until he is defeated by Jesus.

Daniel tells that the antichrist will be a "prince" [Daniel 9:26] who will lead the revived Roman Empire.

      Since "the prince that shall come" will come out of the Roman people, scholars conclude that the antichrist will arise and take over the ten nations of the revived Roman Empire.

"when the transgressors have reached their fulness" informs us that the fulfillment of prophecy will not occur until the people's sinful rebellion  reaches the breaking point.

              There is a final point where the Lord draws the line and He will not allow people to go any farther without receiving God's judgment.

                          Genesis 6:3, My Spirit shall not strive with man forever." Our final appointment with destiny is coming quickly.

The antichrist will be a king (or prince) with "fierce features", in Daniel 23.

     This prophecy tells that he will have a striking appearance and will have great personal power.

In Daniel 7:8, he calls the antichrist "a little horn" in contrast to the ten horns that represent ten nations coming out of the region of the ancient Roman Empire.

      Though given supernatural power by satan, he will be a man. He will be a great and powerful speaker, impressing people with his brilliant speech.

The prophet Ezekiel, in chapter 28 verse 2, called the antichrist the 'Prince of Tyre' in his prophecy saying that though he will be possessed by satan 'yet you are a man and not a god.'

      He will oppose and exalt himself to be worshipped as God exactly as satan had tried to rebel and be worshipped by the fallen angels as god.

Isaiah 14:4, Isaiah called the antichrist by the name "king of Babylon", because he will make the rebuilt city of Babylon one of his capitals during his short reign.

      Both Isaiah and Revelation show that the city of Babylon will be rebuilt and finally destroyed by fire from heaven from God during the 'Great Day of the Lord.'

           The Iraqi government under Saddam Hussein spent hundreds of millions of dollars rebuilding the city. It will be burned when the antichrist is destroyed by Jesus' return.

The first prophecy in the Bible was made by God to satan (the serpent) in front of Adam and Eve.

        He prophesied about the antichrist as satan's seed because he would try to do the will of his father, Satan, the father of all lies.

             It describes the everlasting hatred between Christ and satan's seed.

The antichrist is called 'satan's seed.'

     Genesis 3:15, And I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise His heel.

Old Testament prophets told of the conflict between God's Chosen People and satan's world dictator.

     From Genesis to Malachi they described this enemy of God in a variety of names and titles that indicate his rise, his rule and his defeat by the coming Messiah.

In Revelation 13:12 the prophet John tells us that the False Prophet, "causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed."

Jesus, though He is truly God, came to "do the will of His Father."

     The antichrist will be a man totally possessed by satan, "his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power." Daniel 8:24 
His purpose will be to serve his father satan.

        Just as the Holy Spirit leads men to worship the Father through Jesus Christ, the False Prophet will force men to worship satan through the antichrist.

The Old and New Testament both continually show God manifested in the form of three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

      The Bible also reveals satan, the great enemy of God, in the great tribulation at the end of the age as Satan, Antichrist and the False Prophet.

The antichrist will try to counterfeit the bible prophecies about the coming Messiah in trying to deceive Israel and the nations about his true identity; but, he will fail.

     Jesus and the antichrist are completely opposite in everything they do.

The antichrist is known as the son of perdition because his reign will be marked by the destruction of his enemies.

      Jesus being the Son of God, came to do the Father's will. 

Jesus was known as the man of sorrows and He bore the weight of our sins on the Cross; the antichrist, the man of sin, has a rebellious character.

Jesus represents the truth of God, the antichrist will deceive the people through his lies.

     Every thing Jesus does shows His holiness, but the man of sin will despise God's laws.

These opposing biblical names show the different natures of Jesus Christ and the Antichrist.

     Every characteristic and title of Jesus Christ is given from His holy nature.

          The Antichrist's character and titles are given from his origin as the seed of , the "father of lies."

The differences between Jesus and the antichrist are:

Jesus is the Truth
antichrist is lies

Jesus the Holy One
antichrist the lawless one

Jesus the Man of Sorrows
antichrist is man of sin

Jesus the Son of God
antichrist son of perdition

Jesus the Mystery of Godliness
antichrist the mystery of iniquity.

Behind every battle and war on earth, there is a spiritual battle against "the rulers of the darkness of the age." 

     This "ruler" is satan.

          In the last great battle he will do battle with Jesus Christ as a satanically possessed man known as the "Antichrist".

From the minute of satan fell at the beginning of time, a continual spiritual warfare has affected every life on this planet.

      Even though we are often unaware of this battle, the Bible tells us "we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual wickedness in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:12

As we come to the events of the Great Tribulation the Bible warns that satan will soon offer the world his counterfeit messiah, the antichrist.

     The greatest battle in history will end with his defeat by Jesus Christ's return.

John says that Jesus was the "true Light which gives light to every man who comes into the world" John 1:9.

      And John explaining the conflict with satan, said "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world and men loved darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil" John 3:19.

The Old Testament provided for a kinsman-redeemer to repurchase a relative's property that had been forfeited to a lender.

      As a kinsman-redeemer, Jesus will return in the last days to redeem the earth from its curse and bondage under the control of satan.

In a way, Adam's rebellion was like mortgaging the "dominion" of the earth that God had given him to satan.

     The transfer of dominion allowed satan to become the prince of this world and the king of an evil kingdom.

         Since then all mankind has been living in enemy territory waiting for the return of our Messiah/King.

Man joined in satan's rebellion against God when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden.

      God had given them the stewardship of the earth.

When Jesus rose from the grave, He triumphed over satan and He defeated death.

      Jesus resurrected a great company of Old Testament saints to prove His victory over death and sin, Matthew 27:52-53.

The Bible tells us that at the very moment Jesus died on the cross, He won the battle for the earth and for peoples souls.

      When Jesus said, "It is finished," His defeat of satan and the final judgment of this world was made at Calvary.

           The spiritual battles of the next two thousand years will end in His victory at the Battle of Armageddon.

Jesus promised that the war for the planet earth will end with His total victory over evil when He returns and sets up His kingdom.

     The prophets warned that the antichrist and satan will let loose spiritual warfare against the tribulation saints [those saved] during the Great Tribulation.

God prophesied that he would send His Messiah to defeat satan and bring his people back to Him.

     And there are many prophecies warning of the coming antichrist and his reign of terror in the last days before the return of the Messiah.

The result of man's rebellion was the loss of innocence and the blessings that God had promised to His people.

    Eden's gates were closed, but God's love wouldn't abandon mankind.

When God created man in the Garden of Eden all of creation, God said was "good"; but because He valued our freedom so much, He allowed satan to tempt us to rebel.

      This temptation was the same one that had ensnared satan to become as God.

           Satan offered Eve that same chance to become as God by knowing "good and evil" if she would rebel against God's command.

In Ezekiel 28, God called satan "the prince of Tyre."

     This prophecy confirms the account in Genesis that the serpent [satan] was in the Garden of Eden.

          Ezekiel assures us that despite satan's wisdom and power, he was defeated by Christ when he makes his great attack against God using the antichrist, Ezekiel 28:6-9.

Only heaven can reveal the total of the faith of the believers who stood against all the attacks of satan.

      Millions of underground believers held on to the true faith of the gospel of Jesus Christ during those centuries of persecution.

At the end of the thirteenth century, the mediaeval Catholic Church started a crusade and beheaded over fifty thousand Christians during one 24 hour period because they wouldn't renounce their true faith.

      The history of that period reveals that over a million Christians were tortured and killed.

Their focus was on dealing with satan's attack on the true church and connected bible prophecies of the Antichrist and Babylon with the great evils they were facing during their struggle for religious freedom.

These ancient Christians had a manuscript called "A Treatise concerning Antichrist" containing their understanding of Bible prophecy.

      A system of iniquity comprising what is called Antichrist or Babylon, the fourth beast, the whore, the man of sin, the son of perdition, he is termed that Antichrist, because he opposes the salvation of Christ.

There was a group of ancient Christians that had separated themselves from the state church that could worship the Lord as the New Testament required.

      They were believers who were Protestants before Martin Luther posted his Ninety-five Theses on the Wittenberg church door. When he proclaimed these truths creating the Protestant Reformation.

Manuscripts of the Bible were secretly copied and smuggled from city to city to share with the underground church. It was illegal to read the Bible according to the official church law.

The western world entered the 'Dark Ages' spiritually for many centuries.

     Despite the satanic attacks on the truth, millions of Christians resisted the inquisition and corruption. Many other Bible believing Christians held to the faith through trials, torture and death.

During the Mediaeval period of the church, satan almost destroyed the early faith of the first Christians.

     Evil officials of the church took on political and financial powers along with worldly leaders.

          They made laws forbidding christians from having Bibles or to worship like those in the New Testament.

Over the centuries the Roman state church took on many Babylonian mystical religious features to appeal to the new pagan converts.

      Pagan practices includes cultish images, false miracles, elevating the clergy above the worshippers and vast corruption.

Satan tried to bring down the Church by infiltrating it. 

      Finally this attack was a far greater threat than the previous attacks by the pagan emperors, which were true believers; but then it was officially the state church and then thousands of unrepentant pagans joined for social, financial and political reasons.

After Emperor Constantine became a follower of Jesus Christ, he transformed the legal position of the church to the officially sanctioned state church.

Satan used the emperors and his pagan followers in Rome to persecute the Christians.

      Millions of Christians were tortured and killed for the faith. The brave deaths of these martyrs forced the world to examine what inspired these men and women to such conviction; almost half of the Roman Empire became followers of Jesus of Nazareth.

The Church was transformed by the resurrection of Jesus. 

       It immediately began to fulfill the Great Commission to, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" Matthew 28:19.

God used the cross to confound the wise and defeat satan's plan to ensnare men's souls.

       On Good Friday it appeared that satan had won. Jesus was dead, his followers dispersed. But Resurrection Sunday came. The grave was opened and the evidence of Christ's victory over death and sin was seen.

              The truth of His resurrection is fundamental to God's plan to redeem His people from the curse of sin and death.

Satan thought he had defeated God's plan when Jesus died on the cross. 

     He was unable to realize that the Cross, which appeared to represent Christ's defeat, ultimately won salvation for all who would trust in Jesus.

Satan's access to the heavenlies will end half-way through the seven-year treaty [of the Great Tribulation period] when he and his angels are cast out of heaven by Michael, the archangel.

       When he is thrown from heaven to the earth, he will totally possess the soul of the wicked dictator who will take  over the revived Roman Empire.

            Then this man will become the Antichrist, satan possessed. At that time he will force the people to worship him as god.

Since his fall, satan has kept his access to some parts of the heavenlies and also the earth.

     He doesn't rule in hell as some mediaeval mythology tells us. He will not descend into hell until Jesus casts him into the Lake of Fire after his final rebellion at the end of the Millennium [the 1000 year reign of Jesus Christ].

Jesus referred to satan as a king of an evil kingdom in Matthew 12:24-30.

      Daniel 10:13 refers to demonic fallen angels that are associated with particular kingdoms. It suggests the extent of the spiritual warfare in the heavens that will eventually end with the Battle of Armageddon.

Isaiah the prophet tells us about the fall of satan in chapter 14:12-13.

       He was created as a "son of the morning" or "morning star" without sin. But, because of his pride in his beauty and wisdom, he rose in rebellion against God. 

             The Bible calls satan "the prince of the power of the air" in Ephesian 2:2 because he had power over the earth since the fall of Adam and Eve.

Satan tried to take the place of God in the universe when he claimed that he was god.

      This began his war that was to drag all of humankind into thousands of years of sinful rebellion against God our Creator.