
Don't Be Soon Shaken in Mind: The Antichrist Deception

Samuel Smith
23 Jan'19
5
LESSON 4
DON'T BE SOON SHAKEN IN MIND: THE ANTICHRIST DECEPTION
You are welcome to another edition of Insights from God's Word, a Bible Study Programme that is committed to sharing God's Word by allowing the Bible to speak for itself.In this edition, we continue with our series on The Final Events of Bible Prophecy. The topic for this study is: Don't be soon shaken in mind: the antichrist deception.
1. For several strong reasons, many people believe that the end of the world is near. Closely associated with this end time belief is also the belief in a coming antichrist power before the end of the world. There have been several viewpoints within Christendom and other religions regarding a coming antichrist.
2. Most of these views teach that the world will come to an end in the great Armageddon battle between Christ and the coming antichrist. One of such theories that has had far reaching effects on the minds of people across the globe is the theory of futurism.
3. Futurism was formulated by a Jesuit monk, named Francisco Ribera (1537-1591). This theory teaches that the antichrist has not shown up yet, but he will in the future. Unfortunately, Ribera's ideas has been made popular within Christendom and beyond, not because this concept is solidly grounded on the Word of God, but had been carried worldwide by books such as Hal Lindsey's "The Late Great Planet Earth" and "Countdown to Armageddon".
4. Based on Ribera's futurism ideas, a lot of unbiblical teachings have slowly made their way into the Christian church. One of such teachings that do not have any biblical background but has become prominent and untouchable within many mainstream Christian denominations today is the secret rapture doctrine. This doctrine postulate that Christ will come in two phases. He will first come spiritually to "rapture" away believers silently and secretly to heaven. After this secret rapture of believers by Christ, then the antichrist will appear on the earth to torture everyone who has been left behind for a period of seven years. The secret rapture theory continue to teach that within this seven - year period, which is popularly referred to as the tribulation period, everyone who will be left behind after the rapture, will be seriously persecuted by the antichrist power. But as the persecution goes on within the seven year period by this antichrist power, anyone who will repent and decide to stand on the side of Christ, not surrendering his or her faith despite the terrible persecution by the antichrist, will have a second chance at salvation. The theory teaches that such repentant believers will be redeemed by Christ after the seven - year tribulation. This is when Christ finally returns to the earth in glory to dispense His wrath on the wicked and utterly destroy the antichrist power. This has been the popular secret rapture teaching that has been making rounds in most of Christianity today. But Beloved, the sad news is that all of this is a hoax. Not one of these items described above is supported by Scripture. Unfortunately to say, many people within Christendom are looking forward to a rapture that will never occur.
But the real serious issues in regard to this false doctrine are as follows:
a. The theory was developed to hide the identity of the antichrist power. As we will discover later from Scripture in our subsequent studies, the antichrist power is not yet to come, but is actually operating now. Now, if the whole world is made to believe that the antichrist is supposed to come in the future after the rapture, then no one is likely to identify the antichrist with any present power now. Clever, isn't it?
b. The theory gives people the false hope of a second chance. Friends, the Bible clearly teaches a single second coming of Christ (
5. Now, I believe somebody is getting tensed up, and has begun formulating several questions in his or her mind for me; to actually defend his or her belief in the rapture doctrine. Valid questions such as:
a. How will you explain the text in
b. How will you explain the text in
c. How will you explain the text in
6. Beloved, to add the explanations to all these questions to this study will make it a tediously long one. For a Bible-based explanation on the questions above and many others, you may send the words "rapture studies" to the WhatsApp number below. These studies, I believe will address and settle your mind on the above questions. Friends, I know it's not easy to let go what has been cherished for a long time, but at the end of the day, we are all likely to make a turnaround when we discover we are driving on a route that will not lead us to our desired destination.
7. Friends, the secret rapture theory, as you will discover from the clear Bible explanations in our series on the topic, has no biblical support. The concept has largely been carried by movies and novels such as the LEFT BEHIND series by Tim Lahaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. In fact, at the back cover of this book, the authors have been honest enough to stipulate that their book is "A NOVEL OF THE EARTH'S LAST DAYS". Unfortunately, many of us will want to base our faith on novels rather than on the clear truths of the Bible.
8. Friends, what Ribera's futurism theory has succeeded in doing is to deceive people into believing that the antichrist will come in the future, while the power is craftily operating today.
Now, I want us to get some Bible evidence for what I have been trying to carry across so far. Our Bible study reference for this study is
2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;"
9. This man of sin is also referred to as the son of perdition. The only other place in Scripture where we find this phrase is in
Beloved, Judas was part of the twelve apostles of Christ, but he did not allow the transforming power of Jesus to change him. He resisted the path of righteousness to the point that he was finally led by the devil to betray the Son of God.
This antichrist power which is referred to as the son of perdition in
10. The verse
The verse
11. The verse
Moreover, from the text, we discover that the power has actually been at work right from the time of the apostle Paul. Now, this clearly means that the man of sin that the passage of
12. The verse
13. The verses
2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
(In case you want a further explanation on the biblical position of the spiritual phenomena I listed above, just send TONGUE STUDIES to any of the WhatsApp numbers below)
Beloved, besides the strange phenomena that are taking root in most Christian churches today, another new issue that every child of God must critically examine its nature with the Word of God is the growing tide of ecumenism. Religious ecumenism basically says: Oh let us all unite in God. We all serve one God anyway. Let us put away our various doctrines that divide us and unite for a greater purpose. It doesn't matter whether you are a Muslim, Hindu or Christian; just come and let us unite for the common good of humanity. But I thought Christ said He is the Way, the Truth and the Life and that no man can come to the Father except through Him (
Exhortation: "And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty" (
In our next study, we will consider the topic: The Strange Beasts of Daniel 7. The Bible study reference for this study is
Stay blessed and keep shining for King Jesus.
Maranatha!
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