Antichrist

A lot is being said about the Antichrist.  Sermons, books, Bible based films and documentaries are plentiful, and even the secular media seems to be obsessed with end-time scenarios.  All sorts of movies tell stories about people trying to survive in a “dystopian” future following some kind of apocalyptic event.  As an introduction to the subject of the Antichrist, let’s look at a few things the Bible has to say about it. 

The Holy Spirit inspired Jesus’ disciple, John, to write: 

Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour.  They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be evident that they all are not of us.  But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know.  I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth.  Who is the liar except the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.  Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.  As for you, see that what you heard from the beginning remains in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. (1John 2:18-24 NASB) 

https://biblehub.com/nasb_/1_john/2.htm 

Applied broadly, an antichrist is someone who is opposed to Jesus Christ, who denies His deity, and as a result denies God the Father.  Antichrist is also a name given to a coming leader who, with the help of a False Prophet, will establish a worldwide economic, political, and religious system that will exercise tyrannical authority over humankind for seven years after Jesus Christ removes His followers out of the world (the Rapture). 

The Apostle Paul, writing in the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, described the Antichrist as a man of lawlessness, who comes into power after a great religious apostacy - falling away from the true faith -  and after Jesus Christ removes those who believe in Him from Earth to be with Him in the heavenly realms: 

Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, regarding the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him,  that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit, or a message, or a letter as if from us to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 

No one is to deceive you in any way! For it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,  who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.  Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things?  And you know what restrains him now, so that he will be revealed in his time.  For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is removed.  Then that lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will eliminate with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming;  that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and false signs and wonders,  and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not accept the love of the truth so as to be saved.  For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false,  in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.(2Thessalonians 2:1-12 NASB)

https://biblehub.com/nasb_/2_thessalonians/2.htm 

John’s vision, received from Christ and described in the Book of Revelation, depicts the Antichrist and the False Prophet: 

And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. 

The Antichrist 

Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten crowns, and on his heads were blasphemous names.  And the beast that I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne, and great authority.  I saw one of his heads as if it had been fatally wounded, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast;  they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?”  A mouth was given to him speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him.  And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven. 

It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority was given to him over every tribe, people, language, and nation.  All who live on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written since the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slaughtered.  If anyone has an ear, let him hear. (Revelation 13:1-9 NASB) (headings added for clarity) 

The False Prophet 

Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon.  He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who live on it worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.  He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of the sky to the earth in the presence of people.  And he deceives those who live on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who live on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life.  And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause all who do not worship the image of the beast to be killed.  And he causes all, the small and the great, the rich and the poor, and the free and the slaves,  to be given a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads,  and he decrees that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.  Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six. (Revelation13:11-18 NASB) 

https://biblehub.com/nasb_/revelation/13.htm

Please see Daniel, Chapters 8 and 9, for additional information.  The Antichrist will come into power by negotiating a Middle East peace agreement, and will restore temple worship in Israel.  After he has been in power for three and a half years (42 months), he will betray Israel and the peace agreement.  Then, as per Revelation 13, everyone will be required to worship him and his image, or be killed.  (Please refer to 2Thessalonians 2:3-4) 

For another description of the Antichrist, please refer to Chapter 9 of Hal Lindsey’s book, The Late Great Planet Earth. 

The dragon is Satan. (Revelation 12:9)  The Antichrist and the False Prophet will be the servants of Satan, and the entire world will follow them;  except those who are saved by faith in Christ during the Tribulation. (Revelation Chapter 7)  The False Prophet will help the Antichrist and serve as the leader of the apostate religion.

The Second Coming of Christ will take place after the Antichrist has been in power for seven years.  The Antichrist and the False Prophet will rebel against Jesus when He returns, but they will be defeated and thrown into a lake of burning sulfur. (Revelation 19:11-20) 

Bible believing Christians trust that these things will happen, but we are not given the exact date or time of their occurrence.  John believed that he was writing his epistle in “the last hour.”  The church has always believed that the Lord’s return was imminent, and true believers still do.  Many bible scholars define the last hour or last days as the church age (the time from Pentecost until the Rapture). (The NIV Study Bible, 1984/1985) 

Believers will be able to recognize the conditions that indicate His coming is near.  We are directed to live in the expectation that He could return at any moment.  Paul called the Antichrist a man of lawlessness.  Today’s Zeitgeist seems to be a spirit of lawlessness.  Personally, I believe that this a spirit of antichrist.  That time might be in an hour or two.  Are you Ready? 

This has been a short introduction to Bible prophesy about the Antichrist.  It is far from complete, but it is better than some of the “spook stories” on the subject that the secular media shows you on TV.  It took me years to get a working understanding of Bible prophesy about the end times.  To help those who wish to pursue the subject further, please let me refer you to two DVD teaching series from Dr. Jack Van Impe and his wife Rexella.  They are, Revelation Revealed and Daniel – Final Endtime Mysteries Unsealed.  They are available from Jack Van Impe Ministries,  https://www.jvim.com/  The ministry also offers, The Jack Van Impe Prophesy Bible, which contains both of the  teaching series in written form.  These resources are the real thing. 

 

Limiting Violent Crime

Our country continues to be plagued by mass shootings.  People are being deprived of peace, safety, and even their very lives. 

As if that were not tragedy enough, we always quarrel about who and what is to blame.  There is no agreement about the cause of the problem.  Therefore, agreement about the cure eludes us. 

Primarily, each of us is responsible for our actions.  People are subject to all sorts of influences, and due consideration must be paid.  Nevertheless, the responsibility for a mass shooting falls squarely upon the shoulders of the shooter.  It is not society’s fault, the fault of the shooter’s parents, the school system, the fault of the weapon, or anything else other than the shooter.  There may be things that can be done to mitigate influences that make people more prone to violence, and these should be examined carefully.  We must not, however, excuse individuals from the responsibility for their own actions. 

The problem of violent crimes perpetrated against persons in the United States is larger than mass shootings.  Far more people are killed, injured, disfigured, or disabled by other kinds of violent crime.  All types of violent crime must be included in any discussion about the carnage that is taking place and how to limit it. 

No system of laws and security measures is able to completely eliminate the risk that violent crime exposes all of us to.  We are an open-handed and good-hearted people.  It is only natural that we all want to “do something” to stop the horror that is tearing at the fabric of our society. As long as there are individuals and groups who think resorting to violence to solve problems is justifiable, however, some of us will continue to be killed, maimed, and get hurt. 

As a society, we are obsessed with violence.  Many of our movies and television shows pander to our fascination with it.  Violent entertainment is popular with American audiences, so the entertainment industry gives the public what it wants.  Conversely, violent entertainment creates an appetite for more violence.  A lot of the video games we play, and allow our children to play, are based on “killing the bad guys.”  They desensitize people to the taking of human life.  In much of what we watch and play at, violence is the recourse that our “heroes” go to first, rather than the alternative of last resort that it should be. 

Our sports have become increasingly violent as well.  The fans cheer when an American football player puts a devastating “hit” on an opponent.  They cheer again when a fight breaks out between hockey players.  Boxing has taken a back seat to kick fighting, mixed martial arts, and toughman contests. 

Many other examples could be listed, but your time is limited and so is mine. I am not advocating pacifism.  I am saying that all of the above makes people less likely to resist the urge to become violent with someone who annoys them.  A society that reverences violence breeds people who do violent things.  The cohesiveness of the social order is delicate.  Once disrupted, it is difficult to restore. 

Guns are just one of many weapons with which people assault each other.  They also use knives, bombs, bows and arrows, or bludgeons.  In 2019, for example, a man killed eight school children in China with a knife.  It was one of many such attacks that have happened there in recent years.  Most people can’t have guns in the People’s Republic of China, therefore, the perpetrators use edged weapons or bludgeons instead. 

Weapons are inert objects until people use them.  They are tools.  In some cases they increase the lethality of the force that people use and the distance at which force can be applied.  Some weapons are more efficient than others.  Guns are able to cause death or serious bodily injury at a greater distance than knives.  Guns can fire projectiles faster and more accurately than bows.  Regardless, they just lay there and do nothing until a human being picks them up and uses them. 

The problem is who we are.  The tools we use are incidental to the character of the user.  A baseball bat has no brain to think with or heart to feel with.  It is designed for sport and commonly available.  Then again, it makes an effective club. 

What are we to do?  Recently, President Biden alleged that the government has ability to regulate our constitutional right to keep and bear arms.  That statement sent the conservative radio and TV talkers up the wall.  As usual, he could have been more precise in his language, and he was only half right. 

The Second Amendment says (in part) that “… the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”  That language might be interpreted as a prohibition against government regulation of that right.  If so, President Biden was wrong. 

All sorts of constitutional rights, however, are limited by law to keep people from violating the rights of others.  The First Amendment guarantees us the “free exercise” of our religion.  However, we do not have the right to kill “unbelievers;” even if our religion allows it or commands it.  It also protects our freedom to peacefully assemble, but we do not have the right to block others’ essential movement by  assembling on a freeway or in front of a hospital emergency room.  We have freedom of speech, but we do not have the right to incite others to riot or do violence.  Legalese aside, the truth is that when freedoms that are abused they might get taken away, and we must be vigilant to keep that from happening. 

It seems that we have the same fight every time there is a mass shooting - or Chicago has a bad weekend.  We will continue to have it, over and over, until anti-gun people quit trying to do an “end run” around the Second Amendment.  The only solution that will end the argument in favor of those opposed to the private ownership or possession of firearms is to cause the repeal of the Second Amendment.  Oh - but they do not have the political support they need to get that done.  The bulldog on the front porch is that most Americans want to keep their guns. 

In an effort to “do something,” the great minds we send to Washington, D.C. are working on new gun control laws; more stringent than the ones already on the books.  Exploiting the opportunity provided by the recent mass killing incidents, the Democratic majority in the House of Representatives passed a Bill that is a Liberal wish list of restrictions on buying and possessing guns.  It has been sent to the Senate.  At this writing, the Senate just reduced to writing its own Bill, which is purported to be a “bipartisan compromise.”  The Senate’s version is supposed to be a milder version of the magnum opus created by the House.[1] 

President Biden will sign into law just about any gun control legislation that comes across his desk.  He has always been an opponent of the private ownership of firearms. 

Alternatives to Unconstitutional Gun Control Laws 

Rather than target (no pun intended) guns as a source of violent crime, it may be better to focus on the criminals who commit the crimes.  In this way, we put the burden on the lawless, instead of on law abiding citizens.  Additionally, it is reasonable to take a look at those in the entertainment industry who often profit from stoking the public’s appetite for violence. 

All crimes must be prosecuted if there is sufficient evidence to do so.  Judicial review boards should be created and empowered to initiate recall proceedings to remove judges who consistently fail to impose sentences, up to the limit of the law, that are commensurate to the harm caused to the victim of the offence.  The court system should be sufficiently funded to manage the increased number of cases that would result. 

Harsh penalties should be imposed on those who possess, use, or threaten the use of any weapon capable of causing death, disfigurement, or serious bodily injury, during the commission of a crime.  Upon conviction for a second offence, offenders should receive more severe sentences including the possibility of life with parole after 25 years’ incarceration.  The death penalty should be imposed if a victim dies as a result of the use of a weapon in the commission of a crime, whether the death is intended or accidental. 

The appeal process needs to be streamlined.  Convicted persons must have the right to appeal to a higher court.  However, our current appeal process is ridiculous; especially in death penalty cases. 

The police must be fully funded, trained, and equipped.  Those who abuse their authority should be punished as individuals.  Most cops are good people who serve at considerable risk to protect us.  They deserve our support. 

It may be argued that these measures will have an unequal impact on some minorities who are already overrepresented in prison populations.  The disparate impact on minorities could be mitigated if the poor were given an adequate defense in court.  Forced economically to rely on public defenders, they are often “persuaded” to accept plea bargains, even though they may be innocent, by being told that they risk a much more severe sentence if they increase the court’s workload by taking their case to trial. 

The law must mandate that all persons who are convicted of a crime involving a weapon must serve their entire sentence in a higher security prison that has armed perimeter patrols, double fences topped by razor wire, armed officers in guard towers, and exterior walls that do not allow egress.  They should not be housed in lower security facilities, honor camps, or community corrections settings. 

Gang violence is out of control in America.  More stringent organized crime laws are needed that mandate the deportation of gang members who are not U.S. citizens, and provide sentence enhancement for gang members convicted of using weapons to commit crimes. 

There is a clear correlation between criminal drug trafficking and violent crime.  Any person convicted of importing or selling controlled substances, who is not a U.S. citizen, should receive the death penalty.  Citizens should receive sentence enhancers if convicted of importing or selling drugs while in possession of a weapon. 

The film makers who produce violent movies, TV shows, and video games should be required to precede them with an in-depth explanation of the fact that they are entertainment and not reality.  The explanation should include examples of the harm that results from violent behavior and the possible legal consequences to the perpetrator.  It should be impossible to view the entertainment without first watching the explanation.  It would be no different than requiring cigarette companies to put health warnings on cigarette packages.  As was the case with cigarettes, the government should air “infomercials” explaining the harmful outcomes of violent behavior. 

Violent sports are a mega million-dollar industry.  That industry should be required to provide modified rules, safety equipment, and training designed to prevent injury or death to school and community programs in which the players are 17 years of age or younger.  Adult participants in sports that are documented to have caused death or serious bodily injury should be provided with lifetime insurance or sports medicine treatment.  Rules should be stringently modified to severely limit the risk of injury to adult competitors. Assaultive players should be barred from play without pay for periods of time that are consistent with the severity of the offence, but not less than two seasons.  Professional sports leagues should be required to air infomercials before each game informing the public of the risks to players that devolve from hard-hitting play, and advising them that violence is not acceptable in sports or in everyday life. 

Thanks for listening.  Write or call your Senators and Congressmen.

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[1] https://www.npr.org/2022/06/12/1104433332/gun-control-senate-deal