Post by Les Brewer on Dec 21, 2014 10:20:14 GMT
Introduction
As we approach Christ-mass 2014 in a few days, there are many things happening in the world. Serious things like the execution of police officers and similar unrest worldwide. I could share about many subjects, but those that know me best, know that I will forever lift up Jesus Christ, I will stand opposing the enemy and will teach how to overcome it in Jesus name. I bring you a message of overcoming victory. It was stimulated by a question from one of my Facebook Friends:
“Hi brother Dave. I've got some questions for you. I want to thank you in advance for answering back.
Do you have any idea who is really the antichrist that has been said in the book of revelation?”
This stimulated through the Holy Spirit not only an answer, but the message for today.
Here is my answer:
Brother thank you for the question. Funny thing the temptation is to answer in one word, and say “no, “ but that we would not be good of Bereans or stewards of the Word, if we left it as only “no.” The apostle John was already wrestling with the spirit of the antichrist so we could say the antichrist is already here and revealed in all the attacks we see through leviathan, jezebel and python. Even the religious spirits are part of this out pouring according to John and his letters. Then we received the apocalypse or Revelation of Jesus and we see when satan was sent to the earth and we overcome the antichrist man of perdition, lawlessness, or satan by the blood of the Lamb of God and the word of our testimony of Jesus.
In part one we will see how blessed we are to know that we will overcome the evil one and in part two that though some actually believe the antichrist will be a man the enemy will still be vanquished:
Part 1- We overcome the evil one:
1 John 2:14 NIV I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
1 John 4:4 NIV You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
1 John 5:4 NIV For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.
Here is the first Christmas story and salvation in prophetic or figurative language…Revelation 12
The Woman and the Dragon
1 A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads. 4 His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. 6 The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days. 7 And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down--that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. 11 They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short." 13 When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent's reach. 15 Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. 16 But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring--those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.
The greatest story ever told right here in revelation!
Part 2 Some believe that the anti-christ has to be a man. They believe this because some teach an unholy trinity and the antichrist would be a counterfeit Jesus and there will be a false prophet too. As we look at revelation and the antichrist, my opinion does not matter, it is just as what the word says and that is that there is no man specifically, but spirits of antichrists:
1 John 2:18 NIV [Warning Against Antichrists] Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.
1 John 2:22 NIV Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist--he denies the Father and the Son.
1 John 4:3 NIV but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
2 John 1:7 NIV Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.
Here we see that the son of perdition was Judas Iscariot, the one who would betray Him for 30 pieces of silver.
Then there is this: 2 Thessalonians 2:3 NKJV Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition (lawlessness).
Let's read the whole section 2 Thess. 2:1-12 NIV:
The Man of Lawlessness 1 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. 3 Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for [that day will not come] until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God. 5 Don't you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? 6 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, 10 and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.
Conclusion
There will be false christs like Apollo Quiboloy and others, but Paul encourages us to not "be easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come." We need to stay focused on Jesus and preaching the gospel of Jesus. The spirit of the antichrist is just that anti or opposite. The Holy Spirit is Love the antichrist is the absence of love! There may be many men of lawlessness or one, but the secret plan of lawlessness is already here Verse 7, but the Holy Spirit in the Church is holding him back by their testimony. This why we believe in a pre-tribulation taking away of the Church...once the Holy Spirit in us is removed from earth as we are removed, the spirit of the antichrist will be unleashed without hindrance. Jesus will return and defeat satan, then reign with an iron scepter very soon! Our goal is to reach the lost! God Bless You and Merry Christ-mass.
