165 Revelation: Anticipating the Antichrist
The Bible talks about a 7-year period of time that will be the climactic era of history - when the church will be raptured, God’s final judgments will be poured out, and Jesus will come again.
These 7 years will be kicked off by the arrival on the world scene of a key figure: the Antichrist.
In 2 Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul reassures these young believers that despite the rampant rumors and false teaching, they had NOT missed the coming of Christ. The reason they should know that, Paul says, is because “that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed.” (2 Thess. 2:3)
This and other texts all seem to agree that before Jesus returns and before we’re raptured, there will appear on earth a human being who will be the ultimate false messiah - a satanic duplicate of Christ. The prefix “anti” not only means “against” but “in place of.” That is, he will not only be against Christ, but he will seek to take the place of Christ in the hearts of men and women.
We learn more about the Antichrist in Revelation 13. He is described as “a beast coming out of the sea.” The sea symbolizes the chaos of the nations. This figure arises out of the chaos and confusion of the world.
What can we learn about The Antichrist?
1. He will be a world-class political and military dictator. (v. 1)
This Beast is described as having 10 horns with 10 crowns and 7 heads. In Biblical imagery, horns have to do with military power, and crowns with political power. The Antichrist will be a leader with unmatched clout and charisma.
2. He will be extraordinarily powerful. (v. 2a)
The imagery seems to mean that this leader will have the stealth of a leopard, the brute strength of a bear, and the intimidating power of a lion. The point is that this ruler will be incredibly powerful, and that’s because…
3. He will be energized by Satan. (v. 2b)
The dragon will both empower and enable this beastly leader.
4. He will gain an audience by recovering from a fatal wound. (v. 3)
Some scholars take this literally, while others interpret it symbolically. In any event, the world will be taken with the newly recovered life of this Beast and will see him as someone worth following.
5. He will seek to be worshiped and blaspheme God. (vs. 5-6)
At first, the Antichrist will win the world’s respect and admiration for solving the Middle East crisis and making a covenant with Israel (Dan. 9:27), even creating a way for them to rebuild the Temple.
But halfway through these 7 years, there will be a shift. The Antichrist will demand more than respect. He will demand worship. He will break his covenant with Israel, set up an idol in the Temple, and demand the world to worship him.
6. He will persecute the people of God. (v.7)
This is the Great Tribulation.
What should we take away from all this?
The deception will be powerful; don’t be fooled. (v.8)
The challenge will be great; don’t be naïve. (vs. 7, 10a)
The victory will be sure; don’t be intimidated. (v. 10b)
Text: Revelation 13
Originally recorded on March 26, 2000, at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN.