| |
|
Welcome to The Rapture Rebuttal.
Is the Rapture Biblical? Could Christ
return at any moment? Who will be left behind? Study
with us as we search for the answers. |
size="1">
|
|
|
| |
Antichrist
This lesson will focus on the antichrist and what he will be doing when
he is kicked out of heaven. I know many believe by the time the antichrist
comes, you have taken part in the rapture. If this is the case, then you may
believe there is no need for you to study this information. This is what
makes the rapture doctrine so dangerous. Let's just suppose for a moment you
are wrong. You would be totally unprepared to deal with tribulation and the
deception that shall come upon the whole world. We don't insist you believe
as we do but I urge you to consider the information we have provided you on
the rapture. God says in Hosea 4:6 "My people are destroyed for a lack of
knowledge" Make sure you are not one of those people. Consider this, not
only are outsiders at odds with the rapture but those who believe this
doctrine are at odds with each other. There are three different
interpretations on when it will happen. This doctrine is not sound and for
this reason it has caused all kinds of confusion. God is not the author of
confusion 1 Cor. 14:33.
To start I think it is important to examine the title "antichrist". As
English speaking people, our first impression of the title would be that it
is in opposition or against the Christ. This is not so in the Greek, from a
prime root , 473 in the Greek dictionary of the Strong's Concordance. It is
defined as instead of or in place of. We can determine from this research
that the antichrist is not coming openly in opposition of Jesus but rather
in the place of Jesus, playing that role. This is how he is able to deceive
the whole world. Many who have been taught the rapture will think he is
Jesus because of a lack of knowledge. Let's examine some of the names Satan
has used over the years and what he is really after.
Isaiah 14
12) How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son
of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the
nations!
13) For thou hast said in thine heart, I will
ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will
sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14) I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will be like the most High.
These verses show us what Satan's plan is. He wants to be God. This name
Lucifer 1966 in the Hebrew Dictionary is defined as "the morning star". This
name belongs to Jesus and Satan will imitate every detail we know about
Jesus.
Revelation 22:16
16) I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto
you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David,
and the bright and morning star.
We all know that Jesus is our Rock, that Rock on which Peter would build
the church, that immovable Rock on which we can stand and not be moved. That
same spiritual Rock our fathers drank from in the desert with Moses. Well in
true form Satan uses this name also.
Ezekiel 28:12-19
12) Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king
of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the
sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
The word Tyrus here, 6865 in the Hebrew dictionary, means "rock". In the
following verses, you will see this can only be speaking of Satan.
13) Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every
precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the
beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the
carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was
prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
14) Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and
I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast
walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
15) Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that
thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
Here you see Satan was made a beautiful and wise cherub. He was even
given the position of guarding the mercy seat. In short, he had it all until
iniquity was found in him. If you read verses 16-19, you will find that he
fell because of his pride. He wanted to sit in the mercy seat rather than
protect it. It just so happens this is were Christ sits. Satan wants to hold
the position of Christ and he will get his chance to play Christ when he is
thrown to the earth. He will be very convincing, he is very capable of
fooling you if you are not prepared to deal with him. Unfortunately those
who have been taught the rapture likely will be fooled.
Now let's look at some of the methods Satan uses to deceive.
2 Corinthians Chapter 11
2) For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy:
for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste
virgin to Christ.
3) But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent
beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from
the simplicity that is in Christ.
4) For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus,
whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have
not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well
bear with him.
Notice Paul is very concerned here that the reader might be deceived. Why
would Paul be so concerned about us being deceived, if we are to be taken in
a rapture before the deceiver comes to the earth? Verse 4 makes this very
clear. We have those here now who are teaching another Jesus. The rapture
teaches you that Christ will come first. This is simply not true and it can
easily be proven. 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 verses 1-4, clearly state we will
not gather back until a falling away first and that man of sin, the son of
perdition, is revealed. Now let's think back to Eve and what happened in the
garden, Satan used God's own words to deceive Eve. He simply put his own
little spin on them. Another place we can see this, is were Christ was
tempted by Satan. This is a good test for anyone. Go to Matthew 4:6 and read
what Satan said there. Can you see where he twisted the scriptures? Now go
to Psalms 91:11-12. Satan knows the scriptures, we need to be ready. Let's
read more about these false teachers Paul is warning us about.
13) For such are false apostles, deceitful workers,
transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
14) And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed
into an angel of light.
15) Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers
also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be
according to their works.
Here we see Satan himself will appear as an angel of light, so don't be
surprised if those who carry his message, appear to be "holy" men. Be careful,
the deception has already begun. Who is our Light? We know that Jesus is our Light, are you
beginning to see the parallels between the two?
Mark 13:21-23
21) And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here
is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not:
22) For false Christs and false prophets shall
rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even
the elect.
23) But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you
all things.
Here we are being warned directly from Christ about false christs and
deception. Why would He go to all the trouble to warn us, if we wouldn't see
these things happen. This does not exclusively address the time before the
tribulation. These false christs will be showing signs and wonders. These
are the supernatural beings you can read about in Revelation chapter 9. If
you went to that chapter, notice their power is in their mouth in verse 19.
You talk or in their case preach with your mouth.
Revelation 13:11-14
11) And I beheld another beast coming up out of the
earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
Notice this beast, which is the antichrist, looks like the lamb. Who is the
lamb? Jesus is the Lamb slain, who cleanses us with His blood. He speaks as a
dragon though, when he speaks, he speaks lies and deception. Over and over we
have seen how Satan imitates Jesus. If you have been taught the rapture,
these lies will be hard to separate from the truth.
12) And he exerciseth all the power of the first
beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to
worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
13) And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh
fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
14) And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by
the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the
beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an
image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
Here we learn about the power and miracles that the antichrist can
perform. He is coming to deceive and he will deceive many. Notice in verse
12, he caused those on the earth to worship the beast. He didn't make them.
Verse 14 tells us he caused them to worship the beast through the miracles
and deception. We have learned in this study, that the antichrist will not
come in opposition to Christ but in the place of Christ. He will do
everything within his power to make us believe he is. He is coming first,
don't take my word for it, get in the bible and find out for yourself. We hope you enjoyed this study,
please read all of our studies. God Bless!
|
|
|
 |
