The rapture and the 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 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. 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 seperate 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. www.rapturerebuttal.com