Signs in Our Times?
Part 5: A Red Carpet for the Antichrist Continued
Last week, we began to look at how the events in our world today roll out a red carpet for Antichrist, allowing him to quickly take over world leadership and reach his satanic goals. This week, we continue with additional descriptors of Antichrist and the pieces of the puzzle that are already in place. If you missed last week’s article, you can find it here. “Part 4: A Red Carpet for the Antichrist”
He will oppose God and declare himself to be god as a part of a global religion
“He will defy the Most High and oppress the holy people of the Most High.”
Daniel 7:25a (NLT)
He will brag and oppose everything holy or sacred. He will even sit in God’s temple and claim to be God.
2 Thessalonians 2:4 (CEV)
Then I saw another beast come up out of the earth. He had two horns like those of a lamb, but he spoke with the voice of a dragon. He exercised all the authority of the first beast. And he required all the earth and its people to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.
Revelation 13:11-12 (NLT)
In a world of multiple religions and multiple denominations and sects within religions, it is hard to imagine a time when everyone would come together to worship one man. But perhaps it is not as difficult as it sounds.
Throughout history, religious wars have been fought to force everyone to adhere to a specific set of principles, but the United States was founded on the principles of religious freedom or the freedom to allow people to worship in the way they desired. Over the years, this has evolved into a cultural standard that not only can we choose how we worship, but we are also supposed to embrace all religious viewpoints, even if they conflict with our own.
This, along with other cultural pressures, have caused many Christian churches to “water down” their teaching in order to be culturally sensitive. I a recent study, the Barna group discovered that only about 1/3 of Christian pastors and 12% of children’s and youth pastors in the US hold a Biblical world-view.
“Barna unearths deficit of Biblical worldview in U.S. pulpits”
“Pope Francis Says All Major Religions Are Paths To Same God”
With the road of tolerance and religious unity already paved, Antichrist and his false prophet will have an easy path to a one-world religion that focuses on Antichrist as the messiah. Anyone who refuses to worship him will be put to death. (Revelation 13:15)
He will require all people to take his mark in their foreheads or hands
He required everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing his name.
Revelation 13:16-17 (NLT)
The word “on” in this first sentence is actually better translated by the KJV, which says “in their right hand, or in their foreheads”. This would suggest some kind of microchip that is implanted and could be scanned in order to buy groceries, get paid for your job, or do any kind of business. The reason it has been translated to “on” is probably because three short decades ago, this kind of implant was unimaginable. It wasn’t until the mid 80s when a microchip implant for pets was patented, and only within the last 14 years that implants were tested on humans.
Following the Covid outbreak and the requirement of many places to have a vaccine passport, a Swedish company created a microchip that could be implanted to take the place of a regular passport. This option is becoming increasingly popular.
“Facing COVID passport mandate, more Swedes get microchip implants”
These types of chips are not just used for vaccine passports. The advent of contactless payment systems has made paying with a microchip very easy. Since the technology is already in play, this will be an easy requirement for Antichrist.
“The microchip implants that let you pay with your hand”
He will behead anyone who refuses his mark, and he will turn against the Jews and those who become Christians during the tribulation and persecute them
Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
Revelation 20:4 (NLT)
Here in the United States, we still have freedom of religion, although that definition seems to be changing. But there are many other countries where Christians are persecuted or even put to death for their beliefs. A conservative number of Christians martyred for their faith is 400 per month, but the numbers are probably much higher.
“The World Watch List: The top 50 countries where its most difficult to follow Jesus”
“Countries Where Christianity is Illegal 2022”
Jews have been persecuted throughout all of history. However, today we are seeing a dramatic rise in antisemitism. It is not a far reach for people to turn Jews over to Antichrist without hesitation.
“Antisemitic incidents hit a record high in 2021. What’s behind the rise in hate?”
“PICTURES: Palestinians Celebrate, Hand out Candy After Terror Attack that Killed 5 in Tel Aviv”
“Gun permits, armed citizens spotlighted for role in breaking terrorism wave”
Finally, although Saudi Arabia is currently the only country to list beheading as the method of execution, it still occurs in other areas as well. Beheading is a very dramatic form of execution and will be the option of choice for Antichrist.
“Taliban beheaded, hanged over 100 Afghan security forces: UN”
People will be required to worship a lifelike image of him
This second beast [the False Prophet] fooled people on earth by working miracles for the first one [Antichrist]. Then it talked them into making an idol in the form of the beast that did not die after being wounded by a sword. It was allowed to put breath into the idol, so it could speak. Everyone who refused to worship the idol of the beast was put to death.
Revelation 13:14-15 (CEV, Notes mine)
This is another revelation that the apostle John would have difficulty understanding, since “talking statues” certainly didn’t exist then. They do exist now, though. The first robots were built in the 1950s, and since then, they have made remarkable advances. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) now allow us to create life-like robots with the ability to interact with humans. Multiple Antichrist robots placed all over the world could easily be weaponized to kill anyone who refused to bow to them.
“Autonomous Wars and Weaponized AI”
“Meet the lifelike next-gen Disney animatronic that breathes and stares at you”
It is clear that our world has created the technology, systems, and geo-political environment to allow the Antichrist to achieve his goals. We have most certainly rolled out the “red carpet” for this man.
Resources
“Prophecy Update October 2021” – A discussion of Antichrist with Pastor Brett Meador
Songs of Victory
The links and articles referenced in this piece are for reference only and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or beliefs of this writer or the Song of Victory website.
Scripture taken from the Amplified Bible, Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
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Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (CEV) are from the Contemporary English Version Copyright © 1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.
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