Day 4 of the 24 Day Prophecy Study
Notes compiled by Steve McAtee and Marty Zide
The Antichrist is the human (a Gentile) who will have the central role during the Tribulation period. He is given various names that describe his character. He mimics the role of the Son in the Trinity. Some titles were given to Antichrist in Scripture; the Wicked One, the Lawlessness One, the Son of Perdition, the Man of Sin, the Desolator, the Abomination of Desolation, the Prince that shall come, the Willful King, the Beast, the Little Horn.
By examining these titles that are given to Antichrist, we get an idea of his character and his actions during his 7-year reign of terror.
Actions of Antichrist 1. speak great words and wears out the saints of God 2. shall do his own will 3. exalts himself 4. speak great lies 5. goes about conquering others 6. blasphemes God 7. he will be assassinated and will be restored to life 8. makes and breaks a covenant with Israel.
Antichrist will have great abilities to gather a following. People will give him their full allegiance. He will have tremendous leadership abilities. He will be intelligent, possessing an understanding of economics, politics, and military brilliance. He will be a great orator. He will mesmerize people with his words. But it must be remembered that all these abilities are powered by Satan.
Dan. 7:25 - He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One.
Dan. 11:36 - Then the king will do as he pleases, and he will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will speak monstrous things against the God of gods. 2 Thes. 2:3-4, 9 - ...the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god ...so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. That is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders.
Rev. 6:2 - I looked, and behold, a white horse... and he went out conquering and to conquer.
Rev. 13:3 - I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast.
During his career in the Tribulation he will have a special mark that all will be required to receive. One must worship Antichrist to obtain it and if one does not have it, he will not be able to buy or sell anything. Not having the mark makes one an enemy of Antichrist. The False Prophet will be in charge of getting people to receive the mark.
THE FALSE PROPHET
This is the second beast that we are introduced to that will play a major role in the Tribulation period. He is also called the False Prophet. We will see that he is the religious and economic leader, while Antichrist is the political and military leader. Without being dogmatic, he may very well come from a Jewish background.
Actions of the False Prophet 1. poses as a lamb - speaks like a dragon 2. makes people worship Antichrist 3. performs miraculous signs and wonders 4. speak great lies and deceives people 5. has people make an image of Antichrist that’s given the ability to speak 6. kills those who do not worship the image
Rev. 13:11-12 - Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon. ...And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.
Rev. 13:14-15 - And he deceives those who dwell on the earth ...to make an image to the beast And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed.
Rev. 13:16-18 - And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, ...and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.
Both the Antichrist and the False Prophet will end up in the Lake of Fire for all eternity.
Rev. 19:20 - And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.