Dan 11:36-37 "Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done.” "He shall regard neither the God of his fathers nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself above them all”

Pride is the manner, the attitude of the Devil, and he will not leave any religion intact, but he will make sure the true God is blasphemed.

Even if the anti-chirst were to be Muslim, having this religion in his background it would not matter because it says he will not practice it. “He shall regard neither the God of his fathers,” He will be his own God, as Jesus said he comes in his own name, his own authority, doing his own will.

Isn’t this what we hear from the word faith movement. Don’t pray for God’s will but it’s your will to be done, you can make things happen by faith, write your own ticket with God. thus, We are little gods, this is the spirit of antichrist at work today; inside the church.

By doing his own will He becomes a dictatorial leader.

Having no holiness (but the opposite) he will rule over the people in a lawless time period, promoting his nature and rebellion against God. But for this to occur there has to be preparation in the world, (nothing happens overnight (except for the rapture that will happen in a split second or less – blink; we are gone).

Does the rapture take place before the identity of the Antichrist is known? Not according to the bible. Some who are awake may know who he is even before he signs the peace treaty with Israel that begins the Tribulation period.

Just as the numerous titles of Jesus tell us about His person and work, so do the titles for the antichrist. God incarnated in Jesus as the Son of Man, brought salvation, Satan’s man is called the son of perdition (2 Thessalonians 2:3). Perdition in the Greek is apoleia, which means utter destruction, used of vessels of ruin. To be called a “son of” means you have the same nature or characteristic[s] of that thing; the antichrist is a vessel of destruction that leads many to be destroyed. There was only one other in Scripture called the son of perdition, Judas. As Satan fell from his position so did Judas. Satan departed from the assembly of angels Judas departed from the assembly of disciples. The only two people the Bible mentions possessed by Satan are the antichrist and Judas. The Holy Spirit used this term for Judas to teach us about some of the qualities of the future antichrist. Judas was not powerless, he was with the disciples able to do the same miracles right alongside them. As Judas feigned care for the poor so will the antichrist. Judas had protested about the oil being poured on Jesus before His crucifixion, not because he cared for the poor but because he was thief (John 12:5-6), he loved money. Likewise the antichrist will like the things of the world (Daniel 11:28; Revelation 18).

The Church is not what restrains the Antichrist from being revealed and come into power. Look at the church today and you can see why. John's Epistle, speaks of his day, there were already "many antichrists" (1 Jn. 2:18). If the Apostolic period with Peter, Paul and John being alive and head of the church did not withhold the arrival of these minor antichrists, can the Church which will be Laodicea at the end of the age prevent the last and most powerful one of all, who is the Satan on earth?

As long as the restrainer continues to work in the world this false Christ cannot come to his position of power. Once the Holy Spirit’s power to restrain is removed, the Antichrist is able move unhindered for a short time. It is at this time “he” will be revealed; this “he” (2 Thessalonians 2:6) is the son of perdition, The Antichrist (1 John 2:18). He will promote to the world his false teaching on himself accompanied with signs and wonders, in order to convince and conquer. The false prophet and the antichrist will counterfeit the apostles and Jesus’ miracles. Although the miracles will outwardly look real (the same as the apostles did), there will be a substantial difference, only one has its source in God. Next to Jesus, the antichrist will have the greatest response caused by his miracles. Satan is not against miracles, he’s for them, what he is against is the Word of truth.

As Paul explains in verses 9-10, “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with ALL power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” A lie is often embraced because it’s easier to accept than the truth that requires effort to understand and power to put into practice. When you embrace a lie more than the truth God will allow you to have what you want. You may think it’s from God and keep loyal to it, refusing to hear that it is not from God. That is when deception solidifies. We can’t know what is false until it is compared to truth, only then does it becomes evident. Many in the Church are in denial that they have taken part in any falsehood because they do not believe that any deception can affect the Church or them personally. By thinking this way they are denying Jesus’ own words, that deception would take place through false teachers and prophets inside the Church at the end of the age (Matthew 24:4-5, 23-24).

In the last days we are warned about signs and wonders coming with manifestations of great power that come from an evil source. That will deceive those who did not accept the love of the truth. The wording means not to receive, to take hold of and to learn. Those who trust in experiences will be fooled because they are not using the measuring stick God gave them to protect themselves – the Word. They will trade away their only hope to know truth and instead believe the lie.

This lying will increase until the majority are all lying. The Lord says, since you don't believe the truth but lies I’ll deliver to you the ultimate lie and you will believe it.

I remember a woman from church in the 90’s constantly warning that TBN will probably interview the antichrist when he comes because they will be so impressed by his powers that he claims come from God. Indeed he will be popular in Christian church circles just as his spirit is today. but the genuine believers will not be fooled by this.

Greed is a sin that will be exhibited in the man of sin. The New Testamant speaks of those who amass wealth in the last days.

We are told in Zechariah, woe to those who are at ease in Zion. But their shepherds trade in sheep for money. That's exactly what the prosperity preachers are doing today. They have no pity on the sheep. Read Ezekiel 34, it's a business to them, and they use the sheep to make money. There are those who say, Blessed be the Lord, for I have become rich. These people think they are blessed of God with a mass of wealth and they never stop seeking for more. The Laodicean church boasts that she is rich not needing anything (Revelation 3:16-19), showing the importance of wealth in the end.

These are the riches we should all be seeking.

Col. 2:2-3 “that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

1 Tim. 6:17-18 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share”

This does not justify building larger church building with pools and gym’s and all the rest of the “stuff” that goes along with so called spiritual fellowship centers. So many families are hurting, hungry, homeless, going though hard times and the church should be a blessing to them, not a blessing to ourselves.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 Men will be “lovers of money” rather than lovers of God. The church will be like the world. They run their ministries like CEO’s. Their admirers believe they deserve all the opulence because of the miracles and help they deliver to the church. In fact many wait for the transference anointing of wealth to them because they have contributed to them.

“the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful” (Matthew 13:22-23). We are forewarned “If riches increase, do not set your heart on them” (Psalm 62:10). Money has a way of ruining our character and becomes a competitor of our affection to God when we yearn for it. Surely we are not to heap up treasure on earth.

Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?” (Luke 16:11) The true riches of Christ are not about money. Jesus said of doing his will that “great is your reward in heaven.” there “we have an inheritance...that does not fade away, reserved in heaven” (Matthew 5:12; Philippians 3:20; 1 Peter 1:4). Those who do lay up treasure for themselves on earth are foolish and worldly-minded according to Jesus (Luke 12:15-21). If you are blessed with money help those in ministry that need the help to reach others with the gospel, do not help those with the message of getting rich.

Proverbs 28:20-22: “…he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished. To show partiality is not good, because for a piece of bread a man will transgress. A man with an evil eye hastens after riches.” This is what the church is taught today Gods wants you to have wealth, being poor is being cursed. Even though God does not say this but the opposite. The last days apostate church will eventually be decked with gold and wealth (Revelation 17:4). Not surprisingly, the Roman Catholic Church has huge reserves of gold and silver treasure. The Protestant’s have wealth as well, individually.

Luke 16:14: Jesus points out “Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money” The religious make themselves spiritual by pursuing it. The antichrist will love money too, and will honor a false god with “gold and silver, with precious stones and pleasant things” as he will have control over much of the world’s gold and silver; the worlds wealth will be at his disposal.

Dan.11:43 “But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps”

James 5:1-3 Gold will increase in value and be stored. The wealthy of the world will store up gold as a hedge against all the global financial chaos, many will even “worship…idols of gold” (Revelation 9:20).

“Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord’s wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy, for He will make speedy riddance of all those who dwell in the land” (Zephaniah 1:18).

Babylon will be reborn and rule and merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls… Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! …’” (Revelation 18:11-12, 16-17).

The woman (the new religion of both the church and others) was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication” (Revelation 17:4).

Babylon and the woman are together.

The anti-Christ does not come as some devil and neither do his emissaries. He comes as a lamb “he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon,” with authority (Revelation 13:11-12).

One of the ways the antichrist will deceive the elect, up to a point, is this. He will pretend to care about the poor. He will misrepresent himself, as a great humanitarian he will appear to care for the poor. He will distribute wealth from the richer to the poorer to make himself look compassionate just like Judas did. Social justice will be implemented on a world-wide scale.

John 12:6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.

Matt 27:3-5 Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." And they said, "What is that to us? You see to it!" Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.

Money won’t help in the end some people need to throw back the money into the church they took it from.

Acts 1:16-17 tells us o Judas "for he was numbered with us and obtained a part in this ministry."

V.25 Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place."

The Bible calls Judas "the son of perdition" as the betrayer (John 17:12). This expression is used in only one other passage in Scripture, 2 Thessalonians 2:3. There it is applied to the future Antichrist. Judas is a type of him who is to come, he illustrates some of his characteristics.

The Bible calls Judas "the son of perdition." (John 17:12) This expression is used in only one other passage in Scripture, by Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:3. Judas is a type of Antichrist in that he illustrates some of his characteristics. Judas professed to follow Christ. He walked and ate with him.

The bible shows Judas as a betrayer, but that is certainly not how he though of himself. He had the best of intentions and what’s wrong with earning some money along with doing God’s will? Following Jesus does not mean we should lack. On the night he betrayed him with kisses, selling him for 30 pieces. Judas thought of himself as obedient. He like others wanted the Messiah to cast off the Roman yoke of oppression and become their king, he wanted the kingdom to take place. Judas thought he was helping Jesus obtain what was rightfully his, just as Peter wanted to prevent Jesus from going to be crucified. Take the kingdom by force is always a temptation by Satan, when Jesus said the meek will inherit the kingdom.

So we see there are two people in the bible who are called the "Son of Perdition," Judas and the Antichrist! They are both very much about the power and money. Apparently a whole new financial system will be instilled because the world as we now know it will be changed. The necessities of life will not be readily available and will be controlled in its distribution by this new world ruler. He may be called a President, or a king, but will eventually be called a god, (the fake Messiah).

There are other types in Scripture: Nimrod whose name means “to rebel” was the first world ruler He was called a mighty hunter before the LORD which means “to be in the face of.”

This was the second group of ancient apostates (first ones in Gen. 6) Nimrod was the founder of Babylon, which allowed him to sway the people from God's Truth. Nimrod, was Satan's first attempt to raise up a human ruler over all men. They were convinced to build a tower to heaven and worship as they please. He instituted a defiant and rebellious world leadership which led to build a tower that was really a gate to the gods (Babel– gate of gods - study of the stars).

When the people came together to build the tower of Babel under Nimrod’s leadership they were one in language and purpose (Genesis 10:8-12). God said “nothing they propose to do will be withheld from them.” The descriptions of man in Genesis 6 was not remembered but ignored, so God had to intervene.

The clarion call today is unity of the world. This same false unity will be led by the Antichrist (Revelation 17-18) especially for religion. Don’t think the Devil doesn’t have unity; his unison is a uniting of false religion, and it always opposes God’s way.

There have been many subsequent attempts, such as Nebuchadnezzar, Alexander, Napoleon, and others. In Revelation we read that a number is assigned to the name of a particular man. It is not an office or a title that has been with us for a thousand years (like the Vicar of Christ). It is a man who first rules over the secular world before he introduces the religion of himself from the temple in Jerusalem . He will finally succeed in the person of the Antichrist where all other dictators have failed.

Nebuchadnezzar controlled the Jews that were captive in his land. Nebuchadnezzar was a type of antichrist having an image made of gold and people were to bow down to it. Its weight was 666.

Haman in the book of Esther was another type of the Anti-christ. Making a law for the Jews bow down to the king with intentions of wiping out the Jews. Later there was Pharaoh another type of an anti-christ who enslaved the Jews. Pharaoh and his army came after the children of Israel in the same way Satan will in Rev.12. Nero the Roman Caesar was also a type of the anti-christ having people to bow down to him. He wanted himself to be acknowledged in the Christians worship and killed Christians who would not burn incense to him. Throughout human history numerous rulers have acted as cult leaders expecting obedience. From Genghis Khan, Stalin, Mao, Hitler had both enslavement and elimination.

Judas as a type of anti-christ is the one we see this spirit working in today. The anti-christ prefigured by Judas is not a Hitler. Judas was numbered among the apostles a member of the disciples. He was entrusted with the treasury, he went out with them until he finally left that fateful night to betray Jesus.

All these types will be rolled up in the one the world will admire as he appears like Jesus to them they will believe the lie.

pt.5 What does it mean He will intend to change times and law?