The Bible speaks of a man who’s coming to sit in the temple in Jerusalem who will, among other unbelievable acts, proclaim to be God. There’s no doubt about that.
2 Thess. 2: 1. “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8 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: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
The apostle John also makes mention of this Anti-Christ. 1 John 2:18. “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. 20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. 21 I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. 23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. 24 Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.”
In fact, if we go back to the book of Daniel, the prophet also alluded to this “son of perdition” who’s coming to deceive millions by his lying powers and wonders. Dan. 8:23, And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.”
Dan. 11:21. “And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.”
Unmistakenly, “this man of sin” is coming. The danger is a “spirit of Anti-Christ,” which has been in effect since the first century is continuing and will accelerate as we get nearer to the Second Coming of the Christ. It’s commonplace today to hear denials of Jesus’s existence, the historical Jesus, His divinity, being very God, the incarnation and His resurrection. These denials are all part of the system being created to undermine the real Christ.
This man will have power to the extent he will call down fire from heaven; he will be able to negotiate peace in the Holy Land, and other trouble spots around the world; he will bring economic prosperity. He will be the amazement among millions or even billions of people because of his “super’ powers. Of course, Satan the Devil will empower him; if you are not with his system (the Mark of the Beast), you will be deemed ‘the enemy,’ and will be persecuted for it.
Given the state of our world today, plagued with wars, economic decline, poverty and crime, our society is ripe to welcome such an individual into its midst. What he would be ushering though is “sudden destruction.” Christ will destroy him. Jesus also warns us about this figure. Matt. 24: 15, “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand.” This man will do an abominable act in the temple in Jerusalem (third temple) that causes desolation.
Much more could be said about this vast subject. The gist of it though is for all of us to be aware of the appearance of this “man of sin” in the end time scenario. But before that we need to be prepared for this ‘spirit of Anti-Christ’ that has been creeping upon us in various ways. Be on the alert! Watch and pray.
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