Part 2....Removing The Mask Of The Anti-christ

Daniel 11:36-39 “The king (anti-christ) will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place. 

He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all. Instead of them, he will honor a god of fortresses; a god unknown to his fathers he will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. He will attack the mightiest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him. He will make them rulers over many people and will distribute the land at a price.                                                                                                      So we see here, a description of the Antichrist:

......He will be arrogant and self-willed.

......He never stops talking and boasting about himself. Daniel 7 makes this clear when it emphasizes the “little horn” who makes big boasts.                  ......The Antichrist will be the ultimate egomaniac.

......He is a blasphemer. Webster says that in this case, his blasphemy is “the act of claiming the attributes of a deity”.

......He is deceptive, ruthless, and utterly devoid of integrity.

......He is outspoken in his public opposition to God.

......The whole world will blindly follow after him.

......His reign is limited by God. The “time of wrath” in verse 36 refers to the last half of the seven-year Tribulation period. Note that even though the Antichrist has enormous power, he can only do what God permits him to do. What is true now, will be true then.

.....He rejects his own spiritual heritage. Verse 37 says he has no regard for the “God of his fathers.” This expression has led some to think he must be Jewish and there might be some of that in his linage.                                       However, Daniel 7 says he comes out of the fourth beast, which represents the Roman Empire, and Revelation 13 pictures the Beast (a symbol for the Antichrist) arising out of the sea of the Gentile nations. Ezekiel 31:3 calls him “The Assyrian”..... But Whatever spiritual background he comes from, he rejects it totally.

......He opposes all organized religion.

......He will set himself up as a god to be worshiped. This is the “abomination of desolation” that takes place at the mid-point of the Tribulation when he will stop the sacrifices in the rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem, offer a pig on the altar, and proclaim himself to be God.

.....It says He has no regard for the desire of women. This meansthat he is a homosexual. 

.....He worships military might. Verse 38 mentions a “god of fortresses,” it is the only time this expression occurs in the Bible. His bloodthirsty character allows him to ruthlessly kill millions of people in his drive for world domination, with no regard for the value of life.

......His power will come from Satan. This explains the “god unknown to his fathers” in verse 38. 

.....He will deceive the world with the help of Satan who will empower him to work miracles that will astound millions.

.....He will conquer many nations.

.....He will richly reward those who follow him...... For a short period of time he will appear to be the savior the world has yearned for. But the “Man of Peace” will soon reveal his true evil of his character.

Let me say it.... I believe he’s alive right now, waiting in the wings....

I’ve got to tell you, I enjoy nothing more than reading about the overthrow of this man of evil, murder, and violence..... I love it more than a good cup of Café con leche, or well made flan....                                                                                                                                             Revelation 19:11-16 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice He judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written that no one knows, but Himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood and His name is "The Word Of God".

The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses 

and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of His mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter."  He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of the Almighty. On His robe and thigh, He has a name written, "King of Kings and Lord of Lords".

Ponder the scene for a moment. Millions of soldiers are moving toward the Middle East, armed with the very latest high-tech weaponry. They have more than enough firepower to destroy the earth several times over. And they fully intend to use their arsenals on each other. But at the last second something happens. Perhaps there is a sign in the sky that catches the attention of the combatants. Suddenly the armies of unregenerate men cease fighting each other and join together in a final assault on the Lord Jesus Christ.

As the Lord begins descending from heaven, the order is given to fire away. Rockets, missiles, atomic warheads, laser beams and particle beams all fly straight toward the figure on the white horseand the army that is with him. But before they can reach their mark, the Lord Jesus Christ along with the army that includes you and me, neutralize all of it, and strike down that vast army with the sword that comes out of our mouth, which is the word of God. All the missiles and warheads will be useless against our glorified bodies.                                                                     Scripture says we will be as the angels.... I’ve seen them and they are 8 to 12 feet tall! You are going to be something to deal with! I’ve always wanted to be taller......Why do we worry and fret over battles that are already won, before they begin...

And this battle is over before it starts. Men and demons, run for cover but there is nowhere to hide. The great day of judgment has come and no one can escape. 

I meet Christians all the time who say, “Oh, I don’t want to miss the rapture.” If you’re born again, you’ll be raptured. If Jesus is active and moving and working on the inside of you, you’ll be raptured. 

Scripture says “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved”. It’s that simple; if you’re born again, you’ll get raptured.                                                    Now you might get raptured and then say, “I wish I had served the Lord more and been more committed to Christ.” Because, as the Bible says, “If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.” All your works, that are like wood, hay and stubble, will be burned up, but you’ll be saved. We use the expression “by the skin of your teeth,” but you’ll be saved. 

The old song says, “It will be worth it all when we see Jesus,” Is so true. Yes, you’ll struggle, you’ll get tired, weary, and exhausted. You’ll have to delay gratification; you’ll have to pass on other things in order to put God first... but it will be worth it all....

Now, we want to Look at what the bible says about the rewards we’ll receive when Jesus passes out our trophies and crowns...

Matthew 5:12 “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you”.

There’s a reward for enduring persecution and not letting it make you bitter, or resentful, or unforgiving....

Matthew 6:4 “Let your giving be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly”.

There’s a reward for being faithful in tithe and offerings, God is looking to see that we put Him first and honor Him with all of our substance.

“Matthew 16:27 “For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done”. 

The Lord will reward us for all we have done in serving and ministering unto others. As we help others in their time of need in giving to the poor, in acts of charity and benevolence. Jesus said just a cup of water given in His name will be rewarded.. What have we done with God’s word. Are we people of obedience unto the Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil”.

Have we used our strength, our minds, our talents and abilities, to serve the Lord, or only served ourselves....

Matthew 6:19-21 “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”.

I hate to tell some folks, but we’re going to be rewarded concerning our motives in what we do. Hypocrites will not do so well here.... If we give begrudgingly, we lose our reward. If we grumble and complain all the way to the offering plate, we lose our reward. If we are stingy, we lose the reward for what we did give. The cheerful heart, and liberal spirit, will be rewarded on that day.... 

James 1:12 ”Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him”. 

Jesus talked about those who are tossed about, who are undependable, who are unstable, double minded, and inconsistent. When you can’t be trusted, and you can’t be counted on, you lose your reward.                           Say what you mean and mean what you say. Do what you say when you say what you will do. When folks constantly promise and don’t keep their word, it shows a deficiency in their character. Let your word be with integrity and your promises be solid gold! Jesus is going to reward each one for that. 

Matthew 21:28 Jesus said “But what do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first one and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ 29 ‘I will not,’ he replied. But later he changed his mind and went. 30 Then the man went to the second son and told him the same thing. ‘I will go, sir,’ he said. But he did not go. 31 So, which of the two did the will of his father?”

Jesus is actually saying that those who don’t keep their word have stepped out of the will of God and receive no reward because they didn’t show up.....

Matthew 5:35 Jesus said....”Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one”. What the Lord is saying is that it gets easier and easier to not keep your word the more you do it....

Here's the last one..... - Matthew 25:21 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.”

This is about contentment.... When we are not content, the real issue is that we don’t really trust God. Be the best where you are.... Do the best you can at what you’re doing. Scripture says, “Whatsoever you do, do it as if you were doing it unto the Lord.”....If we did everything as if we were ministering unto the Lord, how would it change things...

Wouldn’t it be better to say, “I lived for Christ. I served Christ. I followed Christ”? Then on that day, you will have works of “gold, silver, precious stones” for all eternity, instead of wood hay or stubble that didn’t make it through. Let’s look at that Scripture.....

1 Corinthians 3:10 “By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 

13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames”.

Gold, Silver, and precious stones, are symbols of God’s Spirit, God’s word, the blood of Christ, lifting up the cross, time spent in His presence, it worship, praise, and thanksgiving, A grateful and thankful spirit, and love of God and one another....

Wood, hay and stubble are performance based Christianity. They do it to be seen of men, but when no one is around, they are someone else.    Paul says that it is about, when we are saved, and have God’s foundation, but we only build for ourselves.                                                            These are ego centered and not God centered. Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart.                                                                   The hay, wood, and stubble crowd say they are Christians, (which means followers of Christ), but when they walk out of the church, they leave Jesus in the church building and do their own thing all week... 

I want to hear Him say “well done, good and faithful servant, you’ve been faithful over a few things, great shall be your reward.  

Now, I know that we started out with the Anti-Christ, but by this point in the message... He’s not even a memory...The Millennium has now come and is gone.....

Let me tell you what waits for those who will inhabit the new heaven and new earth following the millennium..... 

Since Adam and Eve’s fall in the garden of Eden, a great division came between heaven and earth, which separates God and man. Heaven is “above” and earth is “beneath”....

But Ephesians 1:10 tells us that, in “the fullness of the times,” God will “gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.” 

All things will unite under Christ’s headship in the new heaven and new earth. The separation between heaven and earth will be no more, and it will truly be the days of heaven on earth.

God’s original intention, when He built the garden of Eden, was that it be “days of heaven on earth”... Eden was a prototype of what the world should be without Satan.

There will be a literal fulfillment of the prayer Jesus taught us to pray, whenever we pray... 

in Matthew 6:10 “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” 

We will not spend eternity in heaven following the millennium, because heaven will have come to earth!! Any beauty we experience here, will be far surpassed there. We will have laughter without tears, life without death, singing without the minor chords of mourning, contentment without crying, and pleasure without pain.                                                              We will spend each day in the presence of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The mystery of the trinity, Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit will be cleared up, for we shall behold Him, and that which is in part shall be done away with, when that which is perfect is come.                                               The crown jewel of God’s restored creation will be a glorious, brilliant, and sparkling city; God’s Word calls it “New Jerusalem,” coming down from God and locating above where present dayJerusalem now is. It will be headquarters for all the saints who will come and go as needed. 

Revelation 21: 10 “And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. 11 It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. 

13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. 16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, (1400 miles) and as wide and high as it is long. 

(It will have a total area of roughly 3.37 billion cubic miles) 17 The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits thick (216 feet). 18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. 19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. (The city was in levels about 1 mile high each) The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, 

the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass”.

Think about something as we read about this incredible structure...      The earth's total land surface area is about 197 million square miles. The eternal city will have many times more living area than this, or 3.37 billion cubic miles! It will be the center of both the physical and spiritual universes...

After all things are made new, God will live among those he created. All those difficult experiences so familiar to humans, such as crying, death, sorrow and pain, will be gone and never return. Jesus then makes an incredibly important but often overlooked statement.

Revelation 21:6 “IT IS DONE I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End” 

This is the last Biblical declaration proclaiming something hasbeen completed or been accomplished. At this point in history, all prophecy has been fulfilled and all of the Lord's promises have been fully kept. God's great plan of salvation has now been successfully accomplished!

Revelation 21 also marks another important milestone. God's law was meant to act like a tutor who would help instruct us in holiness and godly living. It was written down, studied, explained to others and so on, all with the goal to imbed it into our character, to unveil clearly to all the glorified saints, the deeper mysteries of the incomprehensible plan of God for the ages to come. After all, we are the ones who will now carry it forth into the new heavens where God’s righteousness fills all in all...

And now, finally, 1 Corinthians 13:12 tells us, “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known”.

But don’t wait, get all you can now, be filled with the spirit, filled with the word, filled with the fruit of the Spirit, and work the works of Him who has called you, while it is day, for the night is coming upon this world... Be the light, for all who grope in darkness, be joy to the downcast, hope to the hopeless, encouragement to the discouraged, healing to the wounded and afflicted, a friend to the friendless, and most important, one who carries Jesus to the world!