The Antichrist as Anti-Revelation, Part 1

The Antichrist as anti-revelation. We need to come to a much deeper, clearer understanding of what has gone on in the course of history in both the spiritual and physical realms. Of course, we know that there are two great spiritual realities. The spiritual realm with two beings existing in eternity, having always existed, having neither beginning or end of days, not having father or mother, any such thing, existing in eternity. And at some point, God through Jesus Christ created the spiritual realm, the angelic realm. And then later, of course, after Satan's rebellion, recreation and the creation of human beings, and the great plan of salvation that God has ordained for humankind. We greatly underestimate and barely understand the origin of Satan and the angels he drew in his rebellion. Maybe I shall give a series about the Antichrist. Let's look at Revelation 12, verse 1. Revelation chapter 12, and verse 1. And there appeared a great wonder, and having a woman clothed with the sun, a woman can represent, of course, a physical woman, as in the case of Mary, the mother of Jesus, or any physical woman, mother. A woman can also represent a church, true church, or the false church. A great wonder in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. Of course, there are twelve tribes of Israel, and twelve apostles, and the number twelve is often used in Scripture. And she, being with child, cried, travailing in birth. In this case, of course, initially Mary being in travail, giving birth to Jesus Christ. But, of course, later we read about, in Isaiah 66, the church being in travail and is brought to birth at resurrection. And there appeared another wonder in heaven, and behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, seven crowns upon his head, and his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven. Now, in Revelation chapter 1, stars are identified as angels, so stars can be symbolic of angels. His tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, or angels, and did cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman, which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. Satan threw out from the Garden of Eden to the time that Jesus Christ was born. He tried to overturn prophecy. He tried to break prophecy so that Jesus Christ would not be born. Of course, you have the prophecies there in Genesis 49 about the Messiah, and going all the way back to Genesis 3, the first messianic prophecy. And then after the child was born, he did everything he could to kill Jesus Christ, having all those two years and under killed in Bethlehem. And unable to do that through the ages, he is warred against the Church of God, trying to destroy the Church of God, which can be symbolized by a woman. Verse 5, she brought forth a man child, Jesus Christ, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron, and her child was caught up unto God and to his throne. So, of course, Jesus Christ came to the earth. The one who was the word became Jesus Christ, was crucified, raised again, ascended back to heaven, now sitting on the right hand of God, making intercession for us. He is triumphed over Satan the devil.

And then he goes back to the Church, the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared for 1260 days. So, we see here how Satan drew a third part of the angels in his rebellion. Probably that rebellion had to do with the fact that God had revealed to him the great plan of salvation, that Satan the devil could not take a back seat to anyone, because, as you read in Ezekiel 28, he was very intelligent, very wise, very beautiful, all the superlatives, even at the throne of God, one of the anointed caribs that covered, and he just could not stand what was in store for those who would be just made of the dust of the ground. Now, I can't turn to a scripture that says that was the turning point. I speculate with that, but we do know for sure because of his vanity, and because of his beauty, his wisdom, and all of that. We read that recently in a sermon.

The first messianic prophecy speaks of Satan's seed. Let's go back there. And you see on the one hand, as we have read here, his tail drew a third part of the angels.

Maybe we should stop in Colossians first. Let's go to Colossians chapter 1, because in Colossians chapter 1 we see that everything that exists, including the angelic realm, were created by Jesus Christ. He was the agent of creation. So we look at Colossians chapter 1, beginning in verse 13. We break in somewhat on the thought. Colossians 1, 13, who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, that is God the Father, and hath translated us in the kingdom of his dear son. So in the spiritual sense, we are the kingdom of God and embryo being translated into that kingdom of God now, having the opportunity to live in the flesh under God and Jesus Christ, the government of God now, in whom that is through Jesus Christ we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins, who is the image of the invisible God. So Jesus Christ said, if you've seen the Father, you've seen me. Jesus Christ does not ashamed to call us brethren, that we will be in that image as well in resurrection, the firstborn of every creature, for by him are all things created, that is, through Jesus Christ, that are in heaven, that are in earth, visible and invisible. Whether they be thrones, dominions, principalities, or powers, all things were created by him and for him, and he is before all things, and by him all things consist. Now, in Hebrews 1.14, it tells us very clearly that angels were created to serve as ministering servants to the heirs of salvation. Earlier in Hebrews 1, the Apostle Paul writes, under which of the angels said, he at any time sit you on my right hand. He never did. The purpose of angels is to serve as ministering servants to the heirs of salvation, human beings.

Now, in Genesis 3.15, so we see that what I've shown here in reading those scriptures and a few comments is that, of course, the angels are created beings. Angels are created beings. Yet, here in Genesis 3.15, the term seed is used. I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your seed and her seed.

It shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.

Who are the seed of Satan? Well, maybe one day we'll understand completely, but we know that all who walk according to the prince of the power of the air, in one sense, are his seed. He is the father of lies and a murderer from the beginning, as it says in John 844. But there is more to it than that. What does the term anti-revelation mean? Anti-means, opposed to, or against. Will Satan feign the return of Christ, or will he claim to be above all that is called God? Think about that for a moment. Will he feign the return of Jesus Christ, or will he claim to be above all that is called God? In other words, will his minions, both in the spiritual and the physical realm, deceive the world into believing that there are greater powers in the universe than God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of the Bible? Are there greater powers in the universe than God and Jesus Christ? Look at Matthew 24. Matthew 24. The question would just ask, will he feign the return of Jesus Christ, or will he claim to be above all that is called God? In Matthew 24, the Olivet prophecy, in Matthew 24 and verse 20, the introduction to this has to do with the placing of the abomination of desolation. In Matthew 24, 15, when you therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, who shall read, shall let him understand. Then it talks about various behaviors that will take place at that time. Then verse 21, for then shall be great tribulation. So this introduces the great tribulation, the placing of the abomination of desolation.

Shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world, to this time, known or ever shall be, and except those days should be shortened. There shall no flesh be saved, but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. Of course, God wants, and he is determined in his plan, that there shall be, quote, seed saved alive, that there will be people living over in the millennium in the flesh. I would call those the elect, but there's more to it than that.

Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there, believe it not, or there shall arise false Christ, false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders insomuch that if it were possible, they should deceive the very elect. So you have the elect and the very elect. I would take it to the very elect would be those in the first resurrection. Last night, as I was surfing the channels for updates on the storms that hit Oklahoma, I'd asked my daughter to call if there was any damage there. She said, well, last time I couldn't call, so you don't know for sure.

I saw the last snippet of Brian Williams' program. It's called Rock Center. NBC has canceled Rock Center. It has a few more episodes to run, I think, maybe through June. But I saw the last part of a snippet about space exploration, and he showed pictures from a space telescope of Mars. And it zeroed in on a lizard, a lizard on Mars. Well, I have difficulty believing there are any lizards on Mars, but his comment was what else are they hiding from us?

Every day and in every way, Satan and his minions, every way that they can conceive of, they are deceiving the people into believing that there is superior intelligence in the universe and that we are somehow the offspring of this superior intelligence. It wasn't by creation, Almighty God, as we read from Colossians chapter 1. No, not that. So how many articles, programs, movies, so-called scientific evidence of life outside the earth? Satan's goal is to deceive the peoples of the earth into believing that the Bible is not true, that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is not the true God, and that Jesus Christ is not the Son of God. I've been puzzled for years by statements in Daniel and Revelation with regard to what the beast power does. Let's look at Revelation. Let's start in Daniel. Daniel chapter 7. Daniel 7 and verse 25. Daniel 7, 25.

And he shall speak great words against the Most High.

See, anti-Revelation against or opposed to. He shall speak great words against the Most High. Now, it would seem that if one was feigning the return of Jesus Christ and saying that he is Christ, that he would not speak against himself, per se.

He shall speak great words against the Most High. He shall wear out the saints of the Most High, think to change times and laws. And of course, we have talked about, well, the Pope and the Catholic Church and Protestantism and all of them are in the league and have gone together. And they have declared that Sunday is the seventh day, which is a lie. And they know it is a lie, and so they call it first day of the week. But they say it's changed because one of the main reasons they give is that they say Jesus Christ was resurrected on the first day of the week, which is also a lie and not true. If it's a lie, it's probably not true.

And think to change times and laws, and they shall be given into his hand until a time, times, three and a half years. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion to consume and destroy it until the end. And of course, God comes and destroys it. The kingdom and dominion and the greatness of the kingdom and their whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominion shall serve him and obey him. Now we go to Daniel 11.

More about this one who claims that he is God. In Daniel 11, beginning in verse 36, "...and the king shall do according to his will, he shall exalt himself, magnify himself above every God, shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished for that that is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers." Usually the term fathers in the Old Testament refers to the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. "...neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women." And there's debate among the commentaries there. I don't think anybody knows for sure the desire of women. Of course, one of the things historically among the Jews was that he, that she, not he, she, the woman, whatever woman would be, the mother of Jesus. And there are still Jewish women. See, the Jews are still looking for a Messiah. Well, maybe I'll be the mother of the Messiah. Others say, well, it has to do with homosexuality, nor the desire of women, that this one would be a homosexual. But I can't prove neither one of those myself. That's just what people, what some say about it. "...shall speak marvelous things against the God of God, shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any God, for he shall magnify himself above all. But in his estate shall he honor the God of forces. He will be armed to the hilt. He will have every kind of weapon that you can imagine," says in one place who's able to make war with the beast. "...he shall honor the God of forces, and a God whom his fathers knew not shall he honor with gold, silver, and with precious stones and pleasant things. Thus shall he do in the most strongholds with a strange God, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory, and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the lamb for gain." Now we go to Revelation 13. Revelation 13.

There's no question here that this one, you're talking about the the beast's power.

In verse 3, Revelation 13, I saw one of his heads, and it were wounded to death. His deadly wound was healed, and all the world wandered after the beast. They were, it's not wondered in one sense you might normally think of, but it has to do with they were like astounded. They were amazed. What is this? What's going on? And they worshiped the dragon, which gave power unto the beast. So Satan gets his long, long desire to be worshipped. They worshiped the beast, saying, who is like unto the beast, who's able to make war with him. And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things, and blasphemies, and power was given unto him to continue three and a half years. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God to blaspheme his name in his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. So like in Daniel 7, Daniel 11, Revelation 13, blasphemes the true God, which was given unto him to make war with the saints, to overcome them. Power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And they that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If any man have in here, here, let him hear. We can see from these passages that this one will exalt himself above all that is called God. Thus it doesn't seem that he is necessarily feigning the return of Christ. If Satan were feigning the return of Christ, why would he be blaspheming himself? He claims to be a God that is higher than all gods. In fact, Satan, the beast, and the false prophet will be architects of the battle of the great day of God Almighty. So you turn forward there, page 2, to Revelation 16. Revelation 16 records the seven vials of wrath being poured out. Revelation 16 verse 1, I heard a great voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels, these are the seven angels that will pour out the seven vials of wrath, go your ways and pour out the vials of wrath of God upon the earth. The first went and poured out his vial upon the earth, and there fell a grievous, noisome sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast upon them that worshiped his image. We pick it up again in verse 9. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, and blasphemed the name of God, which had power over these plagues, and they repented not to give him the glory. And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast, and his kingdom was full of darkness, and they gnawed their tongues for pain, and blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pain and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates, and the water thereof was right up that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, that's Satan the devil, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are spirits of devils, working miracles which go forth unto the kings of the earth, and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. So this thing about the aliens and who's coming and who's fighting who and all of that, and so many movies, articles, programs devoted to this, outer space exploration, and so on, what is this all about? Will Satan deceive the peoples of the world into believing that the true God is of superior intellect and from an alien super race? But in fact, they're not aliens at all, but the fallen angels that we read about in Revelation 12. Now here is something astounding you could put in your search engine. Pope and aliens.

You could put in there Pope and atheists as well.

Putnam and Horn claim these two men have just written a book to have documented the research and evidence supporting their startling prediction and their new book Exo Vaticano.

Advanced orders of which have already rocketed into Amazon's bestseller list for its April 15 release. So it's been released about six weeks ago. On their website and in Exo Vaticano, they claim that the Catholic Church hierarchy plans to announce an extraterrestrial Savior who will usher in a new world spiritual belief system that supplants traditional Christianity and organized religion. Putnam's and Horn's research is based on interviews with Catholic scholars and scientists who are willing to discuss the prophecy of the popes and the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Among the Catholic researchers interviewed is Dr. Guy Consolo Magno. Maybe Consolo, Dr. Guy Consolo Magno, a Jesuit and Vatican astronomer who generated much press interest in 2010 for his views on alien life. He said, any entity, no matter how many tentacles it has, has a soap. When asked if he would baptize an alien, Consolo Magno replied only if they ask.

Putnam and Horn cite a difficult-to-find document written by Consolo Magno, who makes a remarkable claim about the relationship between Jesus and extraterrestrial life. Perhaps it's not so far-fetched to see the second person of the Trinity, the word who was present in the beginning, John 1-1, coming to lay down his life and take it up again, John 10-18, not only as the son of man, but also as the child of other races. At first reading, it appears as though Consolo Magno is suggesting that Jesus may have been the star child of an alien race, as Putnam and Horn suggest. On rereading, Consolo Magno's quote, it appears he is instead claiming that the second aspect of the Holy Trinity that was personified in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ may be recognized as relevant to other worlds and races. This would make it possible for Consolo Magno to baptize aliens even on their own worlds. If Jesus's divinity is recognized by extraterrestrial races and expressed in a unique way by them, then it is easy to understand why Consolo Magno believes that contemporary society will look to the aliens to be the saviors of mankind. Consolo Magno, as Putnam and Horn makes it clear, is no rogue priest making wild theological pronouncements about alien life. Consolo Magno's boss and chief Vatican astronomer Dr. Gabriel Funis, F-U-N-E-S, stunned the world in May 08 when he revealed that it is acceptable for Catholics to openly contemplate extraterrestrial life. In an interview, he said, just as there is a multiplicity of creatures on earth, there can be other beings, even intelligent, created by God. This is not in contrast with our faith because we can put limits on God's creative freedom. We can't put limits on His creative freedom. Why can't we speak of brother extraterrestrial? It would be part of creation. Aye, brother extraterrestrial. Both Funis and Consolo Magno are scientific advisors to the Pope. It advised him on all matters concerning astronomy, which includes the likelihood of a future discovery of extraterrestrial life. It is inconceivable that both Funis and Consolo Magno would have been able to make public their beliefs about extraterrestrial life without the approval of the previous Pope, John Paul II, and Benedict XVI. It is highly likely that the Vatican astronomers will continue to be given permission to make statements about extraterrestrial life and its theological implications. So is it pure science driving these statements from Vatican astronomers or something else? Now, this is a part of a very long article. It's not the whole article by any means. Now, also recently, Francis, the new Pope, in a recent homily, talked about atheists when she drew considerable fire.

The Lord created us all in His image and likeness. We're the image of the Lord. He does good, and all of us have this commandment at heart to do good and do not do evil. All of us, he continued, but, Father, this is not Catholic. He cannot do good. Yes, he can. He must. Not can. Must. Because he has this commandment within him. Sounds like the New Agers. Francis opined that the mindset of those of different belief systems cannot do good leads to disharmony in the world. Instead, this closing off that imagines that those outside everyone cannot be good is a wall that leads to war and also to what people throughout history have conceived of killing in the name of God. The Pope specifically cited atheists as he began to discuss that redemption is available for all mankind. Of course, we know that. The Lord has redeemed all of us with the blood of Christ, not just Catholics. Everyone, he claimed. Father, the atheists, even the atheists, everyone. And this blood makes us children of God of the first class. We're all created children in the likeness of God and the blood of Christ has redeemed us all. It's like a done deal. That's sort of like the what the New Agers, Oprah Winfrey, and many others teach that, and I could name some locals, that you're already saved. You just don't know it yet. Get on board, little children. You'll know it. The world will be heavily involved in devil worship. At the end of this age, we look now at Revelation 18. Revelation 18. We were in 16. Revelation 18 and verse 1. And after these things, I saw another angel come down from heaven having great power. And the earth was lighted with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the Great is fallen, is fallen, has become the habitation of devils and the hold of every foul spirit and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations, all nations, have drunk the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice from heaven saying, Come out of her, my people, that you be not partakers of her sins, that you receive not her plagues. Then, in Revelation 9, verses 20-21, that after the trumpet plagues began to be poured out, we read about the vials of wrath which come after the trumpet plagues. But after the trumpet plagues began to be poured out, there's no evidence, really, of any of these people who receive the mark of the beast repenting. It's Revelation 9-20. The rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils and idols of gold and silver and brass and stone, wood which can neither see, hear, or speak, or walk, neither repented they of their murders, nor their sorceries, nor their fornication, nor of their thefts. The world would be very heavily involved in devil worship at that time, only the very elect, and those names who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life, only those will not be deceived. Those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life, the very elect. If it were possible, Matthew 24-24, the very elect would be deceived. And Revelation 13-8, which I've already read both of these, it says, and everyone, all the peoples of the earth worshiped the beast except those whose names were written in the Lamb's Book of Life. So we look at Thessalonians now, 2 Thessalonians 2, which is sort of the linchpin of all of this, in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. What was happening in Thessalonica, that there were letters being circulated among some of the brethren there, and I'm sure detractors and terrors saying that Jesus cried the day of the Lord had already come. And so Paul writes, especially 2 Thessalonians, to combat that notion.

In 2 Thessalonians 2, now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together unto him, that you be not soon shaken in mine or be troubled, neither by spirit nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as if Paul were the one saying this, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means, for that day shall not come, except there come an apostasia, false teaching, falling away first, and that the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition. Now notice how Paul frames his next verse, opposition against, and who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God. Or that is worshiped so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. And if we read those scriptures from Daniel and from Revelation, that he blasphemes the most high God.

What if there comes a so-called absolute scientific proof that Jesus was not divine? When the Islamic world says that Jesus was not divine, they recognize him as a great prophet. The Islamic world does not view Muhammad as the son of God, because they say that Allah is not begotten, neither does he beget. This may be the crux, that is, the so-called absolute scientific proof that Jesus was not divine. Some kind of announcement in conjunction with so-called physical proof of extraterrestrial life would cause a lot of people to doubt the truth of the Bible. And more and more people are doubting the truth of the Bible. Church attendance and the mainline denominations, as we have noted in various news articles, is declining. Like talking with my brother and sister-in-law with regard to their church, which is one of the most unique churches that I know of in the world, it's called the Benoit Union Church, in which two Sundays a month a Methodist preacher preaches, and on the other two Sundays a Presbyterian and a Baptist. And on fifth Sunday they invite a guest, which the guest was sitting at the table with us, who will be speaking on fifth Sunday in June. And we had a little set too about Thomas. You know, the doubting Thomas.

That they, two or three years ago, their attendance, Sunday school attendance, was running in the 60s. Then last year it dropped to the 40s. This year it's dropped to the 30s. And that's the story throughout the land for the most part. Now, on the other hand, some of the charismatic evangelical kind of movements are gaining in number, and so are the New Agers and the alternative kind of spirituality. Most religions have no trouble incorporating the alien presence, as we just read about the Catholic Church, the alien presence incorporating that into their belief system. The whole foundation of Christianity would be shaken if they announced Jesus was not divine, or on the other hand say, well, he was of alien origin, some kind of super being of alien origin. In other words, we humans on earth are merely prototypes of the superior aliens. And you see this Star Wars series, which is one of the most damnable things. I know you may be a Trekkie. I've said this a few times to ABC students, and they get really... some just can't believe it. In other words, they would be saying there is no Creator. Genesis and the rest of the Bible is a lie, or at least a very primitive interpretation of what really occurred. This deception is being set up by the current hype over the new images from Mars. I've already mentioned what Brian Williams said on Rock Center last night, and they showed the little lizard, sort of like the gecko on the commercial. And you have a popular conspiracy theorist like Art Bell, Richard Hoagland, Van Flanderen, for the construction of the apparent monuments on Mars as proof that humans had their origin on a planet other than Earth. And there's a whole body of literature with regard to the Mayan buildings in South America, that these were built by alien invaders that no mere mortal could have built them. And some say the same thing about the pyramids in Egypt. There's a man named Sitchkin also that has these kind of conspiracy theories about alien invasion building these things. So there are so many possibilities with regard to the great apostasy that Paul writes about in 2 Thessalonians here just around the corner. Verse 5, Paul says, Remember you not that when I was with you I told you these things, and now you know what withholds that he might be revealed in his time.

For the mystery of iniquity does already work. He who now lets will let until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that wicked be revealed when the Lord shall whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and destroy with the brightness of his coming. And of course, it talks about the signs of wonders and the miracles. Churches all over the world are dying out and drying up at an alarming rate. No wonder Luke writes in Luke 18.8, and when the Son of Man comes, shall he find the faith on the earth.

The aliens claimed that it was they who had invented religion to keep us pacified until we could mature enough to join the advanced civilizations in the galaxy. If we observe the highly increased number of books, movies, television shows about aliens, we can speculate that soon the government intends to make a statement on this, and maybe they will come out with some kind of affirmation. The public has already been primed by manifold releases about aliens, would probably welcome ones that are peaceful. In fact, many will be relieved to know the truth that they are no longer shackled by the superstition of religion. We can just forget all this religious stuff. If there is no God, no sin, no punishment, no eternal death, no reason not to do anything that feels good, no matter how perverted or unethical, thus the only real authority over mankind would be the government and those that control them. So, as I've said, the only law there is now that is to be obeyed is you shall not be intolerant of sin.

This so-called New Age revelation that man was not created by God to know, love, and serve him, but was created by mortals to know, love, and serve them. So, the anti-revelation is that man is not meant to serve any God at all, merely to become like a God through the acquisition of knowledge, Gnosticism. In the Old Testament, this is the same reason Adam and Eve ate of the tree of knowledge. They wanted to become gods unto themselves. And she saw the fruit that was pleasant to the eyes. Look good to eat. Your eyes will be open and you shall be as gods. That's what Satan said. And the message is the same today.

This observation is just as likely as most other scenarios of all the things that could make very religious people desert their faith. This is one of the most chilling and destructive ones.

Divine revelation is based upon faith, but the anti-revelation is based upon so-called scientific evidence that will be almost impossible to deny with faith alone. So that's, once again, you go back to what Jesus said. If it were possible, the very elect would be deceived. We know, now we go to Ephesians, we know and we know that we know from the Bible that there is warfare going on in high places, and that's where the battle is really being fought. That's where the battle will really be fought and won by each one of us. And we come to understand that we are involved in the battle of the ages. This battle has existed from the time of Satan's rebellion to the present day. He was there in the Garden of Eden with the so-called special knowledge. He was there when Jesus Christ was born. He was there when the church was established. He has been warring against the truth of God for 2,000 years, the Church of God, and of course not warring against the truth of God ever since he rebelled. In Ephesians chapter 6 verse 10, Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and the power of his might and put on the whole arm of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Yes, there are unidentified beings, if you want to look at it the way the so-called scientific world looks at it. There are invisible beings. There are demons who are warring against the people of God. And that warfare is spiritual.

In Daniel chapter 10, it proves that warfare is being waged in the heavens between the holy angels and the minions of Satan. Look at Daniel chapter 9. Daniel chapter 9 is where Daniel read the book of Jeremiah concerning the 70 weeks prophecy, and he began in prayer and fasting to try to understand the prophecy. And so he prayed and fasted for several days. You look at verse 20 of Daniel 9. Daniel 9 verse 20, And while I was speaking and praying and confessing my sin, and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lamb my God, for the holy mountain of my God, yes, while I was speaking in prayer even the man, of course it's an angel, Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, caused to fly swiftly, touched about the time of the evening oblation. And he informed me and talked with me and said, O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill and understanding. At the beginning of your supplication the commandment came forth, and I am come to show you, for you are greatly beloved, therefore understand the matter and consider the vision. And he begins to reveal the vision to Daniel.

Then in chapter 10, in the third year of Cyrus, the king of Persia, a thing was revealed unto Daniel. His name was called Belteshazzar, that was his Babylonian name. And the thing was true by the time appointed, but the time appointed was long, and he understood the thing and had understanding in the vision. In those days, I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. He talks about his fasting and so on. Now in verse 11, he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak. Verse 12, then he said, Fear not, Daniel, from the first day that you did set your heart to understand. Then verse 13, But the prince of the kingdom of Persia, this is a demon, but the prince of Persia, the kingdom of Persia, withstood me. Persia, of course, is ancient Iran. Withstood me in twenty days, but lo, my kill, one of the chief princes came to me, and I remained there with the kings of Persia. But now I am come to make you understand what's going to be fall in the latter days. In verse 20, Then said he, Know you wherefore I came unto you, and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia? And when I am come forth, lo, the prince of Grisha shall come. That motivating force, that spiritual power that was behind, Alexander the Great.

The Bible, dear brethren, is true, and the great warfare is being waged. Satan's agents can pose as angels of light. We know that scripture quite well, I think. 2 Corinthians 11, 12 through 15.

One might ask, if rebel angels can imitate God's miracles, how can one tell if angels are of God, or whether they are rebellious? Couldn't they all be the same? This is the confusion Satan's minions have always sown. Keo, Sitchkin, and many alternative spiritualists fail to realize the very obvious distinction between God's angelic messengers and the deceptive manifestation of fallen angels. We've read about the rebellious angels. We also read about Gabriel coming to reveal the vision to Daniel. God's messengers always act within the confines of God's word. That is, their actions and their results are always biblically based. They are lawful and they are consistent. The results of interaction with an angel of God will leave the visitee with no doubts about the biblical God or His revealed word. They know that it's from God, from Moses and the burning bush, to Daniel in this example here, to the angel appearing to Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, from the angel appearing to Mary, the mother of Jesus, telling her that she will be the mother of the Messiah, to the angel that appeared to Joseph, saying, fear not to take her to wife, even though she's with child, because that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. In contrast, contact with the fallen angels casts doubts on the validity of the Bible and leaves confusion concerning God's identity. God's angelic encounters always give glory to God and confirm His word.

On the other hand, deceptive angelic encounters, occult manifestations, and aliens would be those invisible spirit forces that have fallen, lead humans away from God into increased occultism, self-deification, self-actualization, human potential, and complete disregard for the validity of the Bible. After God left Saul—go to 1 Samuel now, 1 Samuel 28—after God's Spirit was taken from Saul, Saul sought out such forces as the fallen angels. You go over here to Longview, you come in on 80, take a left on the loop, go down a little bit, pass that first light. On the right, there is a spiritualist, palm reader, whatever she calls herself, and they're usually cars in the parking lot there. They're doing like old Saul did. In 1 Samuel 28, verse 7, then Saul said unto his servants, seek me a woman. You almost never thought about this. You almost never see a man who is a fortune teller. I'm sure there are few. Nearly always, it's a woman.

Then said Saul unto his servants, seek me a woman that has a familiar spirit, that I may go to her and inquire of her. And his servant said to him, Behold, there is a woman that has a familiar spirit and indoor. These people know, well, I know where a demon-possessed woman is.

And Saul disguised himself, put on other raiment, and he went to men with him. And they came to the woman by night, and he said, I pray you divine unto me the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto you. And the woman said unto him, Behold, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off those that have familiar spirits. So when Saul had God's spirit, he drove him out of the land. He said, well, you know, Saul has chased all of these demons out, people that had them. And the wizard's out of the land, wherefore then lay you a snare from me to cause me to die.

I mean, I'm not supposed to be doing this. And Saul swore to her by the eternal saying, as the Lord lives, there shall no punishment happen to you for this thing. Then said the woman, who do you want me to bring up unto you? And he said, bring me up Samuel. And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice, and the woman spoke to Saul, saying, Why have you deceived me?

For you are Saul. And the king said unto her, Be not afraid for what you saw. And the woman said unto Saul, I saw God's ascending out of the earth. And he said unto her, What form is he of? And he said, An old man comes up, and he is covered with a mantle.

And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground and bowed himself. And Samuel said to Saul, Why have you disquieted me to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore, distressed for the Philistines. Make war against me, and God has departed from me. And answers me no more, neither by prophets nor by dreams, therefore I have called you. That you may make known unto me what I should do. Then said Samuel, Wherefore then do you ask of me, seeing that the Lord has departed from you, and it has become your enemy? And you could read the rest of it. So here Saul then has this vision of Samuel coming up and talking to him, and it was through a medium, a witch, one who was well versed in witchcraft.

Now this, if you go to Daniel chapter 8, this one, this one who will sit in the temple of God claiming that he is God, will be well versed in witchcraft. In Daniel chapter 8, Daniel chapter 8 explains the vision of the he goat and the goat with two horns pushing against each other. The he goat, Alexander the Great of Greece, the two horns, Medio-Persia and the Empire, them clashing. Alexander the Great conquered it. Alexander the Great died, leaving no heir, and then the kingdom was divided into four divisions. So we look at Daniel chapter 8 verse 22, Now that being broken, where as four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.

In the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to a fool, a king of fierce countenance and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up, and his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power, just like you read in Revelation 13, energized by the devil, and he shall destroy wonderfully, destroy better translated, corrupt, shall prosper in practice, and shall corrupt the mighty and the holy people.

And through his policy also, he shall cause craft to prosper in his land. Craft is like witchcraft. Demonology has special spiritual powers. See, only recently, the golden boy of the Republican Party, Ronald Reagan and his wife, regularly consulted with a woman who was a great horoscope, I don't know what you call her, scholar, medium, or whatever. We know Ronald Reagan is not the beast, by the way.

So we see from this that the one who does do this will be, of course, energized by Satan, the devil. The great test with whether or not it is of God centers on Isaiah 8 in verse 20. Turn there. Everybody should be able to quote this scripture, and immediately as I say it, be able to quote it. But let's turn there and read it. In Isaiah 8 verse 20, Isaiah is one of the least taught and least understood books in the whole Bible. The book of Isaiah deals with just about everything you want to name from prophecies about the Messiah, prophecies about the millennium, prophecies about the destruction of nations, and so on and so on. In Isaiah 8 and verse 20, "...to the law and to the testimony, if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no truth in them." We look at the last few verses of the Bible. Look at Revelation 22. So how do you know the difference if they speak not according to the law and the testimony? You look at Revelation 22 verse 16.

Revelation 22 and verse 16, "...I, Jesus, have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and offspring of David, the bride and morning star, and the spirit and the bride say, Come, and let him that hears say, Come, and let him that is a thirst come. And whosoever will let him take the water of life freely. For I testify every man, and here is the words of the prophecy of this book. If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. And if any man shall take away from the words of this book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the book of life and out of the holy city and from the things which are written in this book, if they speak not according to the law and the testimony." So, brethren, here we have a start with regard to some of the things that are coming upon the face of the earth. I intend to continue this series. Not that I will do it every week. I might. It depends on several factors, of course, with regard to coming to more clearly understand what we are dealing with. We'll look at a couple more places in Jeremiah 10 and verse 11. In Jeremiah 10 and verse 11, there's a lot of talk in the Old Testament about the fallen angels and about their role and what they have done and the role they're going to play in the future that we have basically not touched in the Church for years, if it ever has been in our era of the last 70-80 years. In Jeremiah 10 and verse 11, He has established the world by His wisdom, and stretched out the heavens by His discretion. And it goes on talking about who the true God is. So we have to be able to distinguish between the true God and the false gods. In verse 15, Scripture talks at the time of visitation. Sometime in the future, God will judge these gods who are not gods, these fallen angels, Satan the devil. These beings who have not made the heavens and earth yet seek to be compared to God the Creator. Look at Isaiah 26 and verse 19. As I said, there are a lot of Scripture and a lot of prophecies in Isaiah that we, in some cases, have really not even skimmed over, much less, really looked at in depth. In Isaiah 26 and verse 19, your dead men shall live. Now, in this case, the word death here is spelled M-U-W-T-H, means to die to be dead.

Your dead men shall live together with my dead body shall they arise, they'll be resurrected, awake and seeing you that dwell in the dust. For your dew is as the dew of the herbs, and the earth shall cast out the rapha. R-A-P-H-A. That is the Hebrew word that is translated dead. And the difference between Mufath, M-U-W-T-H and rapha, are worlds apart.

Rapha has to do with the fallen ones. There are other references to rapha. We'll look at in just a second, and let's continue here. Come, my people, enter you into your chambers and shut your doors about you. Of course, this is similar to the protection that was afforded Noah and his family before the earth was destroyed with a flood. So God is going to come again and judge the world and the wickedness there. And one of the main reasons why he judged the world at that time was because of the activity of the demons, which we will cover in the next sermon, and shut your doors about you. Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment until the indignation be overpass. For behold, the Eternal comes out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth also shall disclose her blood and shall no more cover her slain. So God is going to reveal all of these things, and they shall come forth. Now, you look at Isaiah 14 in verse 9. I'm talking about now the word, ratha, meaning the fallen angels that in about seven places in the Old Testament, ratha is translated dead. In Isaiah 14 in verse 9, hell from beneath, sheal from beneath, is moved for you to meet you at your coming. He's talking about the king of Babylon, which is a type of Satan the devil. Hell or sheal from beneath you is moved for you to meet you at your coming. It stirs up the ratha, the dead, for you, and all the chief ones of the earth. It is raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations. All they shall speak and say unto you, Are you become weak as we are? Are you like? Become like unto us? Your pomp is brought down to the grave to sheal, and the noise of your vials, the worm is spread under you, and the worms cover you. How are you fallen, O Lucifer? We are not going to look at all of them. This will be the last one of these. Proverbs 9 verse 18.

There is so much to learn, so much to know. We sit here at times and all over the churches of God, as if we have pretty well mastered it all, and we really know it all. We're just sort of treading water till Christ comes. Brother, there is so much to learn. There's so much to know. There's so much that we need to dig into and really understand, because if any man thinks he stands, let him take heed lest he fall. In Proverbs 9 and verse 18, But he knows not that the dead are there, though Rapha, and that her guests are in the depths of hell.

So, as I said, we shall continue. One of the interesting things I would encourage you to read the Sudeographa, or the book of Enoch, at one time, for years I taught fundamentals theology at the college, and one of the long units that we had was the canonization of the Bible. The final canon of the Bible was not set until around 400 A.D. And at one time, Enoch, the book of Enoch, was in the canon, and then the Church Fathers took it out because they said it was too old to be in the canon. Now, you remember in Jude, there's a prophecy that says, and Enoch prophesied, that the eternal would come with ten thousands of its saints. So there is a quote from Enoch in the book of Jude. But the book of Enoch was dismissed from the canon and not placed in it. I'm not saying necessarily that it should be, but I'm just telling you that one time it was in it. Then it was taken out. And then we have this quote from Jude about it. So, brethren, there is a lot to learn with regard to the deceptions that are coming upon this earth and how we need to be prepared for it. And with God's help, we're going to try to leave no stone unturned so that you will know and know that you know.