Who or What Is the Antichrist?

Happy Sabbath, everyone! Always good to see you. I guess what I decided to do is just go ahead and give you a handout, and so I'm not going to say anything today. But, you know, it's good to see you. There's always something to be said, isn't there? Appreciate the sermonette that was given by Mr. Knudsen on encouragement. And I went up to him afterwards and I said, I'm sorry that I put Aaron Meidegger as the sermonette fellow. But I said, you did a wonderful job. And so anyway, if you wonder who I am, I'm Scott Delimiter. I asked Mr. Delimiter if I could take his place, and so anyway, we swapped out today for next week. So he will come and he will be me next week. So if I make a mistake today, it's not, you know, Jim Tuck. But anyway, hopefully everything will go well and you will appreciate having come today.

We look, brethren, at a changing world. It seems like it is changing so rapidly.

You've seen some of the articles that we've mentioned about Germany, how Germany is beginning to morph even more. Europe is changing in a great way after Brexit occurred. We're seeing so many things happen in Europe. It's like it seems as though that Europe is going to become virtually an armed camp before all is said and done because I think about 1500 or so Jihadish have returned, you know, from fighting down in Syria. They've returned with missions to actually do some terrorism in Europe. I don't know if you saw that particular article about what is going on in Europe, so it makes for an interesting next few months, perhaps a few years ahead of us.

We look at the world and the troubles that are in the world. Have you ever known, brethren, of a time in history where there are so many trouble spots brewing all over the world at the same time? And any one of them could erupt into something that would be worldwide an impact.

But even so, even though the world it seems is full of these, you know, striking news items that are appearing here and there, even though that is the case, most people, I think we could all agree, are in the dark. They don't know what's going on. They don't know what's happening in the world. Frankly, most news now you watch the evening news, basically it's been dumbed down.

I don't know if you've noticed it. It seems like it is really becoming more so that way. It's dumbed down. I remember when when Robert Bork got Borked, I remember he was going to be, you know, on the Supreme Court. And of course, by the time the Congress got finished with him, you know, by Washington, D.C.

standards, he was ousted. He wrote the book Slouching Toward Gomorrah. And all of you may remember that particular book Robert Bork wrote that was very popular. And I think what he was saying was very true about America and what is going on, not only here, but in the Western world. And then, of course, Alan Bloom came along and wrote a book about how, in fact, America is being dumbed down. And that is so.

And we see that happening again in the news that more and more you have more fluff. You don't get into the meaty things of news that are really happening in the world. Of all places, by the way, we were in Africa, and the only news station was available was Al Jazeera. And frankly, they had more news on their station than we had ever seen.

It was amazing how much news that they covered. And of course, it was biased in many ways, but yet it covered more international news. Well, you know, this world again is brewing serious troubles. And Jesus Christ warned that at the end of the age, we would come upon a time when, in fact, people would be so oblivious that they would be caught in a snare. Like being caught in a snare or a trap. They get caught up in the world and the society that we live in, and they are caught in a trap like a rat.

And there's no way out afterwards. Well, most, in fact, are going to be easily deceived. They're going to be tricked, as the word actually means by the word trap, if you look in the Greek. It means they'll be tricked. The people will be caught in a trap. They will be tricked into it like a bird that is caught in a snare. They're going to be tricked by the deception, which will come because they will have no understanding. They will have no grasp of what's been going on. And, you know, how will, brethren, the deception come? And better, how has it come to the world?

It is imperative, brethren, of all people upon the face of the earth that this group of people here understand understand how it all started, how it all came about, so that we can confront it when it is full force in the world in a very striking manner.

So I thought, let's talk about the subject of who and what is the Antichrist. Who and what is the Antichrist? You have the hand out there. We're going to refer to that a little bit later on, not right now, but we're going to refer to that. But in order to understand who and what the Antichrist is, we have to go back to the beginning of the Bible to see the cause of all the troubles that we see in the world today.

And if we can see the cause, know the cause of these things, we can anticipate what's going to happen in the future. The history, of course, of something that the world is not aware of is this, and that is how this world became upside down and topsy-turvy the way it is. Let's go to Genesis chapter 1.

Genesis chapter 1 over here, and beginning in verse 1. I say, we'll go back to the beginning. We really are going back to the beginning of the book, the Bible. But here in Genesis 1 verse 1, it says, in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

And we know, brethren, that the Bible actually says in Isaiah 45 verse 18 that when God created the earth, and we're specifically talking about the earth here, it wasn't created in vain. It was not created, you know, as being useless. It was created to be inhabited and occupied. When God originally created the earth, it was that way. But let's notice verse 2. It says, And the earth was without form, and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And here, of course, oftentimes some have the idea that this was the state of the earth when God came upon it. No, it was not the state of the earth when God created it originally. But in fact, the Hebrew word here means to become. In other words, the earth became without foreign, and void, or vain and empty. The world that we know today, the earth that we know became that way. But God had created it originally, again, to be occupied. You know, by human beings, as a matter of fact, and animals, and all the life that is upon the earth. He did not create it. It was not brought into existence in a vein to be vain and empty. It became that way. But how did it become that way? Let's go to Ezekiel chapter 28. Of course, these are very basic things to someone who's initiated in the Scriptures, who has studied God's Word, and understands it. And I know many of you here cut your teeth on some of these things. But it's so important, brethren, for all of us, you know, to be able to review these things. It's also good for those who are young, you know, in the church to be made aware of it, if they are not aware of it. All of us need to, again, to be acutely aware of it. But here in Ezekiel chapter 28, let's notice down here in verse 13, we're talking about here a physical king that indeed did exist, but as we go in and talk about this a little more here and read about it, we come to realize he's not just talking about a physical king. He's talking about much more than that. Ezekiel is inspired to write these things in that manner. But in Ezekiel chapter 28 down to verse 13 here, let's notice, speaking of the king of Tyros here, in verse 13 it says, Now obviously the king of Tyros was not an Eden.

So he's talking about something entirely different than just the physical king, you know, here of Tyre. But going on here, let's notice what he mentions. The Garden of God. Every precious stone was your covering. The Sardis stone and diamond, a barrel and onyx and jasper and sapphire and here's all of these fantastic gems. And this is the workmanship of your timbrels and pipes were prepared for you in the day that you were created. So this is a created being here, but he's talking about how that actually the ability to make music was built into this being it's talking about here.

Going on here and reading this account, let's go on, it says in verse 14, You are the anointed carob. So here he really nails it down. He says, You are the anointed carob who covers, I established you. You were on the holy mountain of God, you walked back and forth in the midst of the fiery stones. You were right at the hub of the power of the universe is what God is saying to this particular being here. And we of course know who this is talking about, but it goes on to say, You were perfect in your ways from the day that you were created till iniquity was found in you. And again, this could not ever be said about a physical human being. None of us when we were born, we were brought into existence are perfect. So this is talking about again, a being who is none other than the one who became Satan, the devil.

And Lucifer, as he was called before, was a covering carob whose wings outstretched over the mercy seat and was there at the very hub of the universe until iniquity was found in him. A sin was found in him. And the Bible actually tells us what kind of sin began to be found in this Lucifer. Lucifer, as we know, and the angels were created long before Adam and Eve ever came along. In fact, the angels were created before the physical universe was created. The angels were there to shop for joy when the physical universe was brought into existence. The Bible tells us over the book of Job, remember when God was challenging Job? And he was basically saying, look, Job, you weren't there when the angels shouted for joy at the creation of the universe. Well, Lucifer was there, and all of the angels were there. And this brilliant angel who was perfect in so many ways, who served right there with God at the throne of God, sin was found in him. Andiquity was found in him. Let's go to Isaiah 14. Isaiah 14 over here.

The Bible actually says that God put Lucifer and the angels under his charge here upon the earth.

In the book of Jude, it actually mentions that it was their estate. And Jude says that they left their first estate. These angels that were given this great duty, the great responsibility here upon this earth. You know, you look at the world today and the beauty of it. It is astounding. You know, one of the drives that I always have enjoyed is driving over toward Kingman, the road going out to Highway 60 there that heads out to Wickenburg. And there are some stone formations out there. And angels had to do that. It just is so awesome how beautiful it is. And you know, the Bible seems to indicate that this was their estate. So very probably, the earth was their canvas. And some of those things, of course, that we see were created and made that were beautified in that way, in that fashion. But again, let's go to Isaiah. Isaiah 14 and verse 12. The prophet Isaiah gives us some insight into this being, Lucifer, and what happened to him. Lucifer, of course, with all this great talent that God had built into him, had given him, had a problem that oftentimes people have when they have something that's naturally given to them. Some people are maybe very beautiful, handsome, or talented. They have incredible talent. What happens to them very often? It goes to their head.

And apparently, Lucifer was one of those beings who had it all going for him. Everything was there. And he was an absolutely perfect spirit specimen in every sense of the word. And he began to think very highly about himself. But notice here in verse 12 of Isaiah 14, it says, How are you falling from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning? Son of the morning. No, he was that bright and shining star that used to go and ascend to the throne of God, and he would be a light-bringer. He would bring light and truth back down to the earth, you know, where he would bring it to the angels from God. He was the go-between, as it were, and would help the angels in that time. Of course, when he was righteous, when he was doing those things that he should be doing, and the angels of God, in fact, who were here. But it says here, How have you fallen? How are you cut down to the ground, you who weaken the nations?

He's weakened the nations, the Bible says here. For you have said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven. I will exalt my throne of other stars of heaven. Stars, of course, symbolic of angels.

In Revelation 1.20, it gives us that proof. And so he wanted to be above all of the angels of God. Apparently, he did not have all of them. The Bible indicates he had a third of the angels. And it says that I will also sit in the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north, and I'll send above the heights of the clouds that I will be like the most high.

But notice what Isaiah records here, Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the pit. What does the Bible tell us? The Bible tells us in Revelation 20 that when, in fact, the beginning of the Millennium, Satan is going to be captured by a very strong, powerful angel, that he's going to be cast into a great abyss. So in the end, Lucifer, with all of his vanity, with all of his pride, thinking he could be above God, is going to be ending up in a pit. The one who thought he could take the place of God.

No, all along the way, brethren, he's wanted to be worshipped by everyone.

And through his rebellion, and there's no telling, brethren, the kind of power that was unleashed during that time when he began to rebel against God and there was a war in heaven, that probably what we see are the vestiges of planets here in this very solar system we're in. And as far as that goes, in the universe itself. We don't know to what degree this entire universe has been demolished and destroyed. But when we come to Genesis 1-1 and Genesis 1-2, the earth became, without form and void, vain and empty because of the rebellion of Satan, the devil, because vanity was found in him. And a third of the angels rebelled with Lucifer. And his name was changed, of course, from Lucifer to Satan, which means an adversary of God. And ever since that rebellion, every since that time, Satan the devil has been the enemy of God along with the angels that followed after him. And he has tried to thwart God's plan the last six thousand years. And he began right there in the Garden of Eden. And he began right there in the Garden of Eden. Let's go to Revelation, though, in chapter 12 over here. Revelation 12.

Revelation 12, John records this for us. These things we could not know unless they were written down for us. And God has given us the information that we could at least have a thumbnail of what happened and what occurred. But in verse 3 of Revelation 12, notice here, it says that another sign appeared in heaven, Behold, a great fiery red dragon.

You know, Satan is compared to a red dragon, by the way.

Having seven heads and ten horns and seven diadems on his head. It must be a ghastly looking figure, a very ugly figure. Whereas before he was beautiful, he was perfect in all of his ways. When he became God's adversary, he became ugly and distorted.

Very, very hideous. And it says going on here, and it says his tail, and of course in the Bible, the tail has to do with his power, drew a third of the stars of heaven. So he influenced or affected a third of all the angels who became demons. And it says, and threw them to the earth, and the dragon stood before the woman, who was ready to give birth to devour her child as soon as it was born.

And of course, the analogies here are quite interesting.

But a third of the angels rebelled against God right along with Satan.

And they were cast to the earth. Do you remember when the disciples came back after they had gone out, and they were so amazed that even the demons, you know, at their command in the name of Christ, were cast out?

And Jesus told them, look, don't be amazed. He said, I saw Satan fall as lightning from the sky. So he was, he said, basically, I was there. I saw him being cast down. And so Jesus beheld that event. And since that time, there in verse 9, we see, and those that it says, or verse 9, it says, so the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world. And he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

And so this is where they have been for the last 6,000 years, playing their games for that whole time. You know, this verse, by the way, is probably one of the reasons why I eventually came into the church. It was hard for me to accept the reality that Satan could deceive the whole world. I didn't want to believe that. I thought everybody out there who considered themselves a Christian, well, they couldn't be all that wrong. And of course, it's not that the people are bad people, because they are deceived. And when I came to that conclusion, I realized I was in the wrong place. And, you know, as the free world Baptist church was not God's church, I realized that, particularly as I began to learn more and more about it. Somehow I knew it anyway. But as things began to evolve in my understanding, I began to understand in a bigger way. And of course, one by one, some of those things that were barriers to finding the truth began to fall away. But Satan has deceived the whole world. The Bible, in 2 Corinthians 4, calls him the God of the world, little G-O-D, by the way. He's always wanted to be a God. He wants to be worshipped. He wants to be praised. He wants to knock God off his throne. He wants to win in that way. But, brethren, he never will. And as a result of that, what he's done, even though he's this hideous satanic figure that would probably terrify you and me if we saw him, he transforms himself into an angel of light. You know, it's like if Satan the devil would come around and you would see him, he'd probably be wearing a nice suit and tie. He'd look quite dapper, look very, very astute, and like you'd want to talk to him. He'd have a magnetic personality.

He transforms himself again into an angel of light. He will be whatever will hook people, as a matter of fact. With this being, Satan the devil has tried again to thwart and destroy God's plan. He tried to destroy Israel. Remember the story, the whole story of Balaam is about how he was trying to wipe Israel out. And he tried to do Israel that way numerous times when even Moses was up in the Sinai getting the commandments. You know, what was happening down in the camp? He was inciting people to build, and even Aaron got caught up in it, to build the golden calf. So he's tried to destroy Israel. An end-time prophecy, brethren, indicates that he will try to destroy this United States, Britain, and the modern peoples of Israel. He will strive to do that. And we may very well be the first to go, by the way, at the beginning of the Tribulation. You know, we may be knocked out of the running, the first thing. We see our cities are laid waste, you know, and the major cities are knocked out through whatever means is used, whether chemical weapons or nuclear weapons. You know, this country would be gone.

Wouldn't be much left, in fact, after that. He tried to destroy the Christ child. Herod, remember, sought to kill Jesus by murdering all of the children to and under. You know, so he's bloodthirsty, the way that he, you know, inspires those who adhere to his way of thinking. And in that case, Herod was being played by the devil. He tried to kill the apostles. And all of the original apostles were martyred, except John. And I think John probably would have liked to have been martyred a whole lot earlier, you know, according to some of the legends about John. You know, John had to go through some harrowing moments, terrifying times, and probably would a whole lot rather just have his head lopped off. But he tried to destroy, again, the apostles. And he's tried to destroy the church, brethren, through history, since 31 A.D.

And at times there have been very, very heavy persecution. And the Bible mentions, you know, in Revelation 6, that in the end of the age is going to be a horrible martyrdom that is going to take place. If you do not, you and I do not worship the Antichrist.

That time is coming. That's why it's important for us to be aware, brethren, to have ourselves on our toes spiritually speaking. Let's go back to Revelation 12 now and read verse 5. Revelation 12 and verse 5. And it says, she bore a male child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron, and her child was caught up to God and is thrown, obviously, talking about Jesus Christ.

But notice here, then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God that they should feed her there 1,260 days. So for a three and a half year period, what this means, brethren, is that the church went into hiding.

And it is interesting that when you study Jesse Lyman Hurwitz's book about the the true history of the church, he talks about how that there is a period which is called the Age of Shadows, where the true church goes in on one side and the church that comes out on the other side is entirely different. In fact, it's not the church at all. But there's that age of shadows where it's like the true church disappears from history. And so for 1,260 years, the church is virtually invisible. It still exists, by the way, but it is virtually invisible.

Of course, Satan continued to persecute God's people, but during the reign of Constantine, if we're a constantita, the Roman Empire in the 300s AD, the true church, in fact, the history shows that the church was banished to the edges of the empire. Either that or, you know, they would be put to death and all of their goods were confiscated. And so you have, again, the church having to get out of the limelight in terms of being visible because of the persecution.

And during that time, as you know in history, by 325 AD especially, the Roman Catholic Church has become the state religion. And so for 1,260 years, the church was, like I say, virtually invisible and then afterwards begins to debut in the world in a limited way.

If you study some of the histories of Peter DeBrize and Peter Waldo and others, you know, in the Valley of the Piedmont and in the Waldenses, books about that, you know that the church began to sort of peek its nose as it were out, you know, of the situation it was in for 1,260 years. It began to be more public. And also, by the way, those periods, those same time periods, if you have not read Fox's book of Martyrs, I think a lot of us here have looked at that book many years ago. And you read through there, of course, you don't need to read it more than one time. Let me tell you that. Because the things, the atrocities that were placed upon God's people during that time were just simply awful. You know, people were impaled. There were so many, again, heinous things that were occurring because what people were made to do in some cases, they had to accept the state religion, or they would be, you know, basically put to death. And in some cases, if they recanted, you know, that they were against the things that were taught by the Roman Catholic Church, then they killed them anyway before they could change their minds. And so that was, again, a time when all of that was beginning to happen, when God's people began to be more and more public . But be aware, brethren, that at the end of the age, Satan the devil is going to strike again at the true people of God. Let's go to Romans, I mean Revelation 12 down to verse 12 now.

It says, therefore, rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them, woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea. For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows he has a short time. So there comes a time where Satan knows his time is about up. His time is about finished. And then, of course, with anger goes forth. And it going on, it says, now when the dragon saw thee had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. Woman, of course, here being symbolic of the church. And the church is going to have a birth that's going to take place at the return of Christ. So the analogy with Mary and Christ, Mary symbolic of the church, and the church, of course, itself being symbolic of the birth of Christ. When Christ returns the second time at the first resurrection, all of us will be born into the family of God as spirit children of God who will be in the kingdom of God. And it says, now the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place where she is nourished for a time, a times and a half a time, from the face of the presence of the serpent.

And so because of persecution becoming so widespread, the church will eventually have to be taken out in order for it to survive. Remember, Jesus Christ said, I will build my church. And He said the gates of the grave would not prevail against the church. The grave, of course, is what happens when we die, right? So there will always be those who will be a part, you know, of God's church who will be in the flesh, who will be alive. And they will be alive until the return of Jesus Christ. But going on down through here, so Satan, or the serpent, spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. Flood, of course, in prophecy, symbolic of an army. And so Satan will dispatch an army. How we will do that, at least in the physical realm, you know, will be no doubt through, you know, causing someone with his own influence to do that, to fight against us. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood, which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth, and the dragon was enraged with a woman. Because he's always been enraged, hasn't he, with the church. And he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. I think this is when, in fact, those that remain are going to have to endure the martyrdom, the lion's share of the martyrdom. I think it's going to happen probably leading up to this in a limited way, but during this time, it's going to be the martyrdom that is foretold in Revelation 6, that many will be martyred during that time.

You know, think about what would you do if it was put to you, either you face death or you embrace this false leader over here, who maybe has performed signs and miracles and wonders.

It's going to be a tough and difficult thing for people at that time.

True Christians are going to be severely persecuted during that time, but some, again, are going to be protected and escape to a place of safety. And I like that place of safety to be Hawaii, but I'm not sure it's going to be. I have no idea where it's going to be. But let me tell you, no place is going to be safe unless God is protecting us. But Satan is going to make war, abbing in a big way, against those remaining that are going to face whatever he unleashes at that time. The events, brethren, that are transpiring right now are just preparation for these times that I'm telling you about here. The world's condition is being shaped and prepared for Satan's last stand against God. And he's going to make it a big one, a big last stand against God.

It's hard for us to really grasp these things. I know that. All of us are like, you know, we walk into a movie about halfway and we don't know what happened before.

In fact, we didn't walk walk in halfway through the movie. We walked in and maybe there's five minutes to the movie left. It's kind of interesting even now what we see in the world, but we have no clue as to what happened before. And without God's law, God's Word, brethren, we wouldn't have a clue at all of what happened before. But since Eden, Satan has been preparing for a last stand against God. He has methodically plotted, and chiefly he's done that, brethren, through the world of religion. People coming in the name of Christ, and by that many people have been deceived.

He's come through religion through the Antichrist. Now, please be aware of this, brethren.

That the Antichrist is not just an individual that's going to come along at the end of the age. That's where a lot of people make a mistake. You hear this talked about by people in different churches. They're going to watch for the Antichrist. The Antichrist, brethren, is a movement that's been going on for 6,000 years. Maybe you would call it anti-God right there in the Garden of Eden. Now it's the Antichrist, because Christ, of course, is very pivotal in all of this.

So what, brethren, is the Antichrist? Let's go to 2 Thessalonians chapter 3, or chapter 2, I should say. 2 Thessalonians chapter 2.

You know, the Apostle Paul mentioned some of these sayings that we're talking about, in fact, now.

2 Thessalonians chapter 2, it says, Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, it says, we ask you not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled either by spirit or by word or by letter as if from us as though the day of Christ has come.

Of course, the disciples wanted it to happen now, but there was going to be a time that would have to pass. They came to realize. But he said, let no one deceive you by any means. Christ talked about deception, brethren, that would be coming. For that day will not come unless the falling away comes first. And a man of sin has revealed the son of perdition.

Now, I know some people have tried to say that this falling away here is talking about the church.

In a much bigger way, brethren, it might be talking about the falling of the way of the world from you know, God entirely, the worship of God. Those that do know about God falling away from that entirely. And, brethren, that's been happening a long, long time.

People have become more and more distant from anything to do with God.

I'm sure we have had, again, falling away periods in the church. But notice going on, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped?

I guess verse 3 we need to read further, but it says, the falling away would come first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, so there is going to come someone on the scene that is going to do this.

And it says, so that he sits as God in the temple of God. Of course, Lucifer is the one and one of the not God off his throne, showing himself that he is God. He says, do not do you not remember that which I was still with you. I told you these things, and now you know what is restraining that he may be revealed in his own time. Paul is saying it's going to happen. It's going to occur. For the mystery, though, he says of lawlessness is already at work. So during Paul's time, people were turning away from the laws of God. They were turning away from the true Jesus, Christ, of the Bible to another Jesus. They were turning away to another gospel, even during his time.

So the mystery of lawlessness, Paul says, is already at work. Only he who is now restrained will do so until he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of his mouth and destroy with the brightness of his coming.

It says, the coming of the lawless one is according the working of Satan. So Satan will be behind him. With all power, signs, and lying wonders, with all unrighteous deception among those who perish because they did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved. So it's imperative, brother, we love God's truth. God's way. God's laws.

When we sing that song, Oh, How I Love Thy Law, do we sing it from our hearts? Do we really truly love God's law? His ways. I don't know how we could look at the world today and not love God's way compared to what we see in the world. But verse 10, it says, with all unrighteous deception among those who perish because they did not receive the love of the truth. In verse 11, for this reason, God will send them strong delusion that they should believe that they should believe the lie. It's the lie. The lie that's been perpetuated since Eden, basically. And that basically you don't need God. You're God. You're God.

So Satan was trying to back even in the Garden of Eden, trying to, you know, cause Adam and Eve to play God. And people have been playing God ever since. People want to be in control of their own lives. So Paul is saying here that the Antichrist was already working in his day.

And remember, Paul himself was beheaded in 68 AD, 37 years after the New Testament Church began. But there's coming a time of strong delusion, and that, brethren, we need to be prepared for.

It all started again, even before Paul ever came along as far as the church was concerned. In fact, by 33 AD, Simon Magus has started his religion. Remember, he wanted to pay Peter for the power to do, convey the spirit, you know, through the laying out of hands. And, you know, Peter rebuked him. Well, Simon Magus went out and started his own religion, which was a combination of Christianity and the old Babylonian mystery religion. And that became, you know, what on the other side of the Age of Shadows that Hurlbitt talked about, the Roman Catholic Church, essentially.

It morphed into that. You ever studied some of the questions, who's buried beneath, you know, the altar there at St. Peter's Basilica?

That it's not Peter, but it is Peter, Simon Peter. And by that, I mean Simon Magus, likely the one that was buried beneath there. But, you know, this influenced, you know, of course, the time, the Roman Empire, that eventually became the state religion, you know, of the Holy Roman Empire.

And the Church was severely persecuted, you know, by the Church that he was instrumental in beginning. Let's go to 1 John chapter 2 now. 1 John chapter 2. 1 John chapter 2. 1 John chapter 2.

1 John 2 verse 18. John says, "'Little children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard, that the Antichrist is coming. 2 Even now many Antichrists have come,' John says." So you might say there are little many Antichrists that are around, by which we know that it is the last hour.

Verse 21. 1 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth. John was saying to the Church at the time, "'Who is a liar, but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ.' He is Antichrist who denies the Father and the Son." Now that's a mouthful when you really understand what he's saying there, if you deny the Father and the Son. It wasn't long ago we had people who used to be a part of the Church, by the way, that were denying that Jesus Christ was even a deity. They were saying that Jesus Christ was a created being, that he was not God. You'll read again what it says here, what the Bible says. We have to accept the Father and the Son.

Antichrist means against Christ, and it's been going on since John's time and before.

John is writing this in the 90s AD.

An Antichrist, brethren, can be anyone teaching false doctrine about Jesus Christ. False ideas. Falsehoods about the gospel.

In fact, falsehoods about Jesus Christ.

And there's much of that that goes on in the world today. That's the Antichrist, brethren. There's a spirit that is attached to it. And of course, there's not God's spirit. It is satanic. It's not of God. Let's go to chapter 4 here. Chapter 4. We have to, again, be aware of these things and not be sucked into it.

Somebody comes up with their bright ideas. And there was, again, a movement a number of years ago among those who used to be a part of the church again to say that Christ was not God.

And the Bible tells us we need to be savvy enough to pick up on those things and not be, in fact, willing to listen to it. But in chapter 4 and verse 1, it says, Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. He could have said many Antichrists have gone out into the world. But this you know, the spirit of God. Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God. Now, by the way, not every spirit or everyone that says, I believe that Christ is the Son of God is necessarily of God.

But if indeed they know the truth and they don't say this, they're not of God.

If they don't say this, they are not of God. But it says, And every spirit that has not confessed that Jesus has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming and is now already in the world. You know, the kind of the idea, you know, was the philosophy of docetism is that Christ didn't really come in the flesh. He only appeared to come in the flesh.

You know, he didn't really get crucified. He just appeared to get crucified. You know, it's like, I'm not really here. I just appear to be here. But you're not here because you just look like you're here. But kind of stupid, isn't it, when people start reasoning that way. But there were people that had these philosophies, these ideas about themselves, about Christ, I should say. In verse 4, it says, You are of God, little children, to have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than He who is in the world. They are not of the world. Therefore, they speak as of the world, therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. So that's why they don't listen to you, brethren, because you know the truth. And oftentimes people don't want to hear the truth, do they? You know, stop their ears up and say, don't tell me about that. I don't want to hear about that.

It's like one time there was a, one of the pastors I used to work for said he went out and visited with this person. He explained to them the truth, the plan of God, and about how the Holy Days picture of the plan of salvation and all that. And after it was over, you know, he said, well, what do you think? She said, I think this is the stupidest thing I've ever heard.

Oh, again, to the world. They don't understand. They don't grasp. If God is not working with a person, they're not going to understand.

But it says, we are of God. Brethren, do you know you're of God? Do you know you have the truth? Well, if we don't know, who knows? If we don't know that we have the truth. But it says, we are of God. He who knows God hears us then. If we're of God, they're willing to listen to us. It means that they're going to be of God too. He who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. So you're able to tell if somebody's not willing to listen, whether one is of God or not. Those who are of the Antichrist, brother, will not listen to the truth.

They will embrace what is commonly believed or taught in the churches of this world. And eventually, brother, it's going to get to the point where they're going to believe what the world says, period. It doesn't have anything to do with religion. It'll be the world's religion, but it won't have to do necessarily with, in some cases, Christianity. This is going to believe the world. Second John over here in verse 7. Second John, verse 7. But many deceivers has gone out in the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh.

This is a deceiver and an Antichrist.

John says. And then he says, Look to yourselves that we do not lose those things we work for, but that we may receive a full reward.

You know, we don't want to be cut out of our opportunity for the future by being sidelined by foolish ideas. Verse 9. Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God.

He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.

And again, the church teaches that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is God.

He is the Word, of course, before, and He dwelt among us, and He's returned to the right side of the Father in heaven.

If we embrace the ideas of the world, brethren, of the Antichrist, we simply are not of God.

Can have the Father without the Son.

Jesus Christ said that many would come in His name and deceive many. More deceived in the world, brethren, today as a result of Christianity than anything.

The name of Christ is used to pervert the gospel, and the Apostle Paul pronounced a double curse on anyone who preached any other gospel.

And what is that gospel, brethren? The gospel of the kingdom of God. It's a message about God's future world-ruling government.

It's not a message about Jesus Christ, per se, though He's included in the account, but it's about His coming kingdom, of which He's going to be the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. It would be hard to, in fact, mention about the future kingdom without mentioning about Christ and His pivotal role in it when He returns.

So, brethren, we want to stay away from those who want to preach other gospels. We want to stick with the gospel of the King of God.

The churches of the world are filled with false doctrine. They preach another gospel about, again, the Person of Christ. And, in fact, they preach another Jesus that is even not in the Bible. You know, Jesus Christ, again, came and He proclaimed the gospel of the King of God.

The Antichrist is not only, brethren, about false doctrine, but one is soon going to appear on the scene who will be the one who epitomizes the Antichrist, who's going to be working under the power of the devil himself.

And He's going to say He is Jesus Christ.

And He's going to be instrumental in fighting the true Jesus Christ when He returns.

But remember, again, we heard it before it happened, before it occurred. You know, don't be duped by it. Don't be swayed, no matter what you see, no matter what you hear. And you may see some astounding things in the future.

Things that, in fact, none of us have ever seen before, that are going to be so astounding and convincing, but do not believe it. Do not be sucked in by it. Or somebody's preaching something different than what we have learned and what we have known.

What can we do now? What should we be doing now, brethren? Well, first of all, we need to have on the garments of involvement in the church. We need to draw near to God and to one another. We need to spend time with each other. We need to fellowship with one another. We need to encourage one another, as was brought out in the first message. We need to be very much encouraging each other, because I think that the road is going to be rough for God's people. From here on out, it's already been rough, but it may get rougher before all is said and done. But we need to pray again for one another. And above all, brethren, we must be separate from this world in its religious system that is out there. The word church comes from the Greek, and it means called out once. We used to say that a lot more in the church. We're called out, brethren, of the world into the church. The word ecclesia means called out once.

Brethren, if we love the world, we'll perish with the world.

God wants us to have the opportunity for eternal life in His kingdom. He wants us to have the chance, brethren, to escape this flesh and become spirit beings and God's family. We are God's children, His people. We are the church that Christ built, brethren. And He said that death would not prevail over the church that God has established.

But Satan has tried to stamp out the church, and it will become, again, even more in the future.

Jesus Christ, remember, in John 17, says that we are not of the world.

We're not of the world. Now, we live here.

We live among human beings, but we're not of the world.

In fact, Jesus said, I don't pray that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. And we are to pray that ourselves in our personal prayers that God would, in fact, protect us from the evil one. And that, of course, evil one can be the world. It can be Satan as demons. It can be our own selves, our own lives, to make sure we don't deceive ourselves. Sometimes we can play games with ourselves. Let's go to 2 Corinthians chapter 6 and deceive ourselves. 2 Corinthians chapter 6, over here, Paul says this over here. 2 Corinthians chapter 6, in verse 16, he says in verse 16, For what agreement has the temple of God with idols? Well, I think all of us would say nothing. There's no commonality between God's people, the temple of God, and idols of the world. For you, you are the temple of the living God, as God has said. So we are the temple of God. We are to be a holy place, a righteous place, a righteous people. Why? Why does God want us to be holy? Notice what he says next. He says, I will dwell in them and walk among them. Why should we be holy, brethren? Because Jesus Christ walks in our midst. He walks among us here. Maybe if our eyes were open, we would see all kinds of angels sitting around here, looking at each of us. Oftentimes we talk about how we all have guardian angels. Now, how many people are here today? And I don't know how many people we have, maybe a couple hundred people here. If all of us have two angels, where are they sitting?

If they're sticking close by. I mean, we got a lot of angels here, right? And maybe, maybe, brethren, Jesus Christ Himself, the boss, shows up and walks among us too. That's why we need to be holy, brethren. God is watching us. He was looking at us of what we do. And it says, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore come out from among them, and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean. Unclean, of course, in the sense of, we know today, having to do with sin.

Those things contrary to God. And I will receive you.

Doesn't mean we're going to be perfect, brethren. We understand that, don't we?

But, brethren, by and large, we should be a clean people. And He said, I will receive you, and I will be a Father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.

And over in Revelation 18, John writes this under God's inspiration. He said a lot of things, didn't he, in the letters that we read, 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John. Buddy leaves us with this, that he recorded here that God inspired him to write down. It says, I heard another voice from heaven saying, Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, unless you receive of her plagues, for a sense of reach to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works.

And so God says He's going to pay at that time, you know, to this system that in fact oozes with antichrist, antigod, antigod everything. He's going to visit upon, you know, that generation that is ahead of us, brethren, some of the most horrendous plagues that God is going to, you know, you might say, level the field. And of course, after that, the kingdom of God is going to be ushered in. So the mandate to us, brethren, as we come out of the world, that we are separate than this world, that we put on the garments of involvement, brethren, participate in the things that go on with God's church, the preaching of the gospel, being the chief thing that we do as a church, and beside that, of course, the things we do locally in helping and serving one another. But we must be separate from this world and the religious systems, and there are false doctrines in order to avoid the plagues of the day of the Lord that is coming. The Antichrist will lead the world to fight Jesus Christ as a coming. They'll make war against the lamb, and of course, we read the end of the book, and they're going to be defeated. Christ will take the beast and the false prophet by the nap of the neck, and he's going to cast them alive in a firing furnace, as the Bible talks about in Revelation 19. They'll be consumed by fire, because they will be physical, fleshly beings who will be influenced heavily by the devil.

No, brethren, most are going to buy into the Antichrist.

And I'm giving you this handout here. You can study it on your own. That gives you a profile of the Antichrist. This coming, I'm talking about the being, the person is going to come along claiming that he is Christ. But he appears before the day of the Lord. You know, we look at the different scriptures that tell us about that. He will be energized by Satan, and will receive satanic power, so he'll be able to perform wonders and miracles. He will come on the scene after the abomination of desolation occurs. I encourage you to do a little bit of a study about the abomination of desolation. Also, he will deceive the world into believing he is the promised Messiah. He will be a political leader. He will be a great communicator, renowned for his persuasiveness. He will look the part of a great leader.

So don't expect he's going to come along. He's going to have a long tail with a pitchfork, you know.

I know who you are. You know, one will be like that. He might be wearing a nice tie and a pinstripe suit. He will put his trust and military power according to the scriptures.

He will seek to change all laws and customs.

He will reveal himself finally as the great adversary of the church and Israel. He will seek to destroy both of them.

He will then claim absolute power and demand to be worshiped as a deity. Then, by that time, see, all pretense will be off in a kind of democratic form and will be abandoned. And he will be the world dictator. And he will oppose the two witnesses at the end of the age when they do their work in the future.

So, brethren, the world is going to be deceived by what's going to happen in the future. Will you be deceived?

Will you respond wholeheartedly to the call that God has given to you? To you? Each of us have, again, been given that call some a long time ago. Will you redouble your efforts to do better at the calling that God has given to you?

Jesus said that many are called, but few are chosen.

So, brethren, it's up to each of us individually to make a decision to respond to the call that God has given to us. Ultimately, brethren, our survival depends on it.