The Spirit of Antichrist

The following is transcribed from a recent message given to a group of believers in Oregon on 3/10/10


Hebrews 12:26-27; Matt.7:24-27

I want to spend a few minutes in the beginning of our study looking at the issue of the coming “shaking” prophesied in Heb. 12:26-27 and at what the implications are for us.

In Matt. 7 both houses are visible but the foundations are invisible. One is sand; one is rock. The only way to know which is which is to test them in the storms, floods, and winds.

That is “shaking” and that is what’s coming (and to some extent now is).

The shaking will leave only one house standing – everything else will be removed. God’s plan is to remove everything from the church that is not representative of the rock of Christ.

In the context of Hebrews this removal is not directed at immorality, but at religious substitutes for the spiritual life of the Christian. The shaking intends to remove that which is seen and temporal to leave only that which is unseen and eternal (2 Cor. 4:17-18).

As we will see, Satan is going be involved in this shaking; so, what’s in it for him?

We know what God is after; but why is Satan so committed to the testing and tribulation the church goes through? Why the hatred?

When Adam fell Satan became the “god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4). He was granted the authority Adam would have had (Gen. 1:26).

God’s punishment on Satan for deceiving Adam and Eve was stated in Gen. 3:14-15. Christ is the seed of the woman (Gal. 3:16, 19). So, Satan sought to destroy Him at birth, throughout His life, and then on the Cross.

Where do we fit in?

The final instrument of God’s judgment on Satan is not only the first body of the Christ, but also the second.

Christ and the church are in spiritual union (John 17:21-22, Eph. 5:29-32). We share His life, His destiny, and His authority (1 Jn. 5:11-12; Rom. 8:29-30; Lk. 10:17-19; 1 Cor. 6:2-3).

The “seed of the woman” which will crush the enemy’s head as prophesied in Gen. 3, is now corporate (1 Cor. 12:12)

The church is the second “body of Christ”. Satan attempted to destroy the first body but the resurrection thwarted this. Now he has turned his attention to the second body because the church is the only threat on this planet to Satan regarding the loss of the godhood he achieved through the fall of Adam.

As we get closer to the time of the rapture (the second body’s resurrection – 1 Thess. 4:16-17), Satan’s anger and attacks increase, as does his attempts at deception and limitation in our spiritual lives.

At the rapture Satan’s destruction is secured because at that point, the body of Christ is fully glorified in her final position of authority in the heavenlies.

But the church won’t be raptured until she reaches the “measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13). For this to happen, those who intend to move to this goal must understand the issues at stake and be refined by the fires of life, just as Jesus was (Hebrews 2:10). Only a remnant will see this realized this side of eternity, hence Paul’s use of the term perileipomai in 1 Thess. 4:15,17 (see blog article entitled The Coming Purification and Rapture of the Church).

Now you know why life is difficult and will only become more so as this final generation runs its course.

Let’s spend a few minutes on the deception part of Satan’s assault against us.

When asked what the signs of His coming would be, Jesus answered that global deception would be the predominant sign (Matt. 24:4).

Antichrist will seat himself in the temple of God, claiming to be God (2 Thessalonians 2:4). He does not compel the world to pay him Divine homage by brute violence; it is done voluntarily. That he can present himself to men as the object of Divine honor, and receive it, shows a community of belief already existing between him and his worshippers. They see in him the representative of their own religious ideals. He will not come as a specter of the night, but as an angel of light, the morning start of a new day; and the generation that will welcome and worship him will not think itself irreligious but the most religious of all the generations. In him the modern man will find it truest representative and exponent. We may believe that he will be regarded by his generation as the highest type of our developed humanity, the noblest embodiment of its dignity, its consummate flower. He will be recognized as a natural king of men, and his kingdom, rising grandly before the world, will be welcomed as the full evolution of the democratic idea, the realization of popular aspirations, the end of social strife, the unity of nations, the natural outcome and highest product of our civilization, and the ultimate goal of human history and evolution. S.J. Andrews

Satan has always been the great impostor. He is preparing to bring about the ultimate deception of humanity in the kingdom of antichrist. He is also working overtime on the church to prevent her from reaching spiritual maturity.

As we saw earlier, the ascension of the church and her glorification in Christ results in the dethronement of the “god of this world” (1 Corinthians 4:4). Satan will do all he can to prevent this.

To see some of the specifics of how this plays out in this last generation we need to briefly look at the person of antichrist and the spirit of antichrist as revealed in the Scriptures.

As used in the Bible, this term antichrist combines the Greek word, "anti", with the title commonly given to Jesus. The main meaning of this word is, "instead of" or, "in place of". Antichrist, therefore, means literally "someone who stands instead of, or in place of, the real Christ". My intent is this writing to demonstrate how complex and far reaching Lucifer’s attempt at imitation will go.

As related to the virgin birth of our Savior, as the offspring of implanted divine seed (Hebrews 10:5; Luke 1:35), Satan’s imitation will be to impregnate a virgin and produce the antichrist. The first example of this is found in Genesis 6:4 when the “sons of God” (a term used in the Old Testament for angels, in this case fallen angels, cp. Job 1:6) impregnated the “daughters of men” and produced the Nephilim - half demon, half human hybrids. Incubus provides the “body” and Satan’s indwelling during the tribulation provides the power (Revelation 13:4).

As Jesus was indwelt by His Father, the beast will be indwelt by Satan.

As Jesus was the God/man, the beast will be both demon (Satan) and human.

As Jesus was savior, the beast will profess to be the savior of mankind.

Jesus will ultimately receive the worship of the world (Philippians 2:9-11). Satan will, for 3 ½ years accomplish this for himself (Revelation 13:8).

Jesus has a congregation and Satan has luciferian covens.

The followers of Jesus pray to understand and obey His will; the followers of Satan do rituals to discover and implement the will of Satan.

The trinity is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The unholy trinity is Satan, the false prophet and the beast (Revelation chapter 13).

The “new race” of humanity in Christ is comprised of those in Jesus’ spiritual bloodline (1 Corinthians 15:22, 45-50; Romans 8:29). Satan also has an extensive bloodline, both literal (elite, royal families – the bloodline of luciferian initiates) and spiritual, who comprise his followers and ultimately his army (Revelation 19:19).

As Archbishop so aptly wrote in the last century,

We learn that evil and not, as so many dream, gradually to wane and disappear before good; but is ever to develop itself more fully, even as on the other side good is to unfold itself more and more mightily also (Jas. 5:7, Eph. 4:13). Thus it will go on until at last they stand fact to face, each in its highest manifestation in the persons of Christ and antichrist.

Finally, some comments on the work of deception as directed to the church. As noted in 2 Timothy 3 verses 1 and 8, “perilous times” in the last days include the rise of spiritual deception similar to that of Jannes and Jambres. These were the magicians of Pharaoh who withstood Moses (Exodus 7:8-13). We need to notice the nature of their resistance to the truth. The mode in which “Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses” was simply by imitating, as far as they were able, whatever Moses did. What Moses did, they could do, so from an objective observer’s viewpoint, there was no significant difference. A miracle is a miracle. If Moses wrought miracles to get the people out of Egypt, they would work miracles to keep them in.

The most powerful satanic resistance to God’s testimony in the world “in the last days” is offered by those who, though they imitate the effects of the truth, have “a form of godliness,” but not “the power thereof” (2 Tim. 3:5).

People like this can do the same things, adopt the same forms, use the same theology, phraseology and profess the same convictions as others. If the true Christian feeds the hungry, clothes the naked, visits the sick, teaches the Scriptures, witnesses to the lost, engages in prayer, sings worship songs - the imitator can do every one of these things. Again, this is the special character of the resistance offered to the truth in our generation.

The church in America is not spiritually weak because it is comprised of unbelievers; it is weak because it is comprised of infants who no longer understand how to grow to maturity.

The true path of spiritual advance has been replaced by an imitation – a deception. We have been offered an alternate, “anti” Christianity and we have embraced it with great zeal.

Satan is the deceiver of the nations. He is also the deceiver of those within the church whose spiritual stature has not prepared them for the incredible subtly of end-time deception.

The shaking we speak of in not just outward – it is also inward; the shaking of the mind and soul (i.e. the spiritual realms; the heavenlies). To withstand the outward we need a rock solid faith in the love and sovereignty of God; to withstand the inward we need to know the truth in our inward parts – not partial or distorted truth, the full counsel of God (Eph. 4:14, Acts 20:27), or when the winds come our house will fall.