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Will the Antichrist's Rule Be Worldwide?
You can go to our "Archives" and click on "The Coming Rebuilt Temple" regarding up to date information on how close we are to seeing this fulfilled. The rebuilding of the Temple has to happen in order for the Antichrist to enter it and commit the "Abomination of Desolation" spoken of by Jesus Christ in Matthew 24:15 and by the apostle Paul in II Thessalonians 2:1-4.
But what about the Antichrist: will he rule the world for a short period of time as has been taught by many Bible teachers over the years? In this lesson, we will examine the truth of that teaching and see if it lines up with the Word of God. We will begin in Revelation 13:1, 3,7-8, as well as other Scriptures, by defining what the word all means: does it mean all inclusive or something else?
1. And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy...
3. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and the world wondered after the beast...
7. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
8. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. --Revelation 13:1, 3,7-8
When the above Scriptures use the word all, does it apply to everything, or everyone, or is there a different meaning that we are missing? There are times in the Scriptures when the word all is all-inclusive, but there are other times when it is not and is known as a synecdoche, pronounced si nek da ke. It is a figure of speech where a part is used for a whole or a whole for a part, or a material for a thing (bread for food, food for bread, copper for a penny or a penny for copper). We use phrases like "everyone came", or "everyone was there" in describing a gathering, when we know for a fact that "everyone" was not there.
Other examples are:
Daniel 4:1, "Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in allthe earth; Peace be multiplied to you."
"Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth..."
We know that neither Nebuchadnezzar nor Cyrus ruled over all the kingdoms of the earth, but only over parts of the Middle East. These are examples of using the synecdoche, or figure of speech to make a point. The same is true of the following verses:
Matthew 3:5-6, "Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, and were baptized of him in Jordan, professing their sins."
Luke 2:1, 3, "And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed...And all went to be taxed, everyone into his own city."
There are many other Scriptures like this, as are the Scriptures in Revelation 13:3, 7-8, when the word all is used that does have an all inclusive meaning. For example, in Revelation 13:3-4, 8, 12, and 17, the word "world" or "earth" in Greek is ge (pronounced, gay) and oikowmene. Both words mean territory, tract of land, region, fixed boundaries, and area. In Aramaic, the word is ara and eretz in Hebrew: both mean the same as the Greek. The only word applied to universal rule is kosmos and used only of Jesus Christ's world rule.
If we find a number of Scriptures limiting the power and dominion of the Antichrist, then we must limit the all in Revelation 13 to the territory he will rule over and not make it universal.
Antichrist Dominion
In Daniel 11:39-45, we see that Antichrist's rule is not worldwide, based on the fact that other nations come against him in the Middle East. Also, Daniel 11:41 tells us that Edom, Moab and the chief of the children of Ammon will escape out of his hand. Israel will not be under his rule either. According to Revelation 17:12-14 his primary rule will be over ten countries or regions in the Middle East, based on the fact that there are ten kings that give their power and strength to him.
12. "and the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast."
13. "These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast."
14. "These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful." Revelation 17:12-14.
If the beast has only ten horns, and they are ten kings over ten kingdoms, then that will be where his predominant rule will be. We must not try to put fifty or sixty horns on the beast in order to try and extend the Antichrist's kingdom to include the whole world. The Antichrist's rule will consist of a revived and revised Islamic Caliphate centered in the Middle East. You can refer to Part V of this teaching series where I list the ten countries that will probably make up the Caliphate.
Does this mean that Antichrist's rule will not affect the world? Definitely not, since there are Muslim populations in many nations, including the United States. In fact, we are seeing Islam take a strong foothold in our nation today, from the White House (which, last week, hosted leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood; the terrorist organization out of Egypt), to government administrations, to our schools, and businesses. It seems that the U.S. population as a whole is blind to what is transpiring before our very eyes. The courts, news media, and other entities are speaking out strongly against Christianity, while upholding Islam.
The Islamic organizations in our nation, most of which are fronts for Islamic terrorism, cry foul every time some one says something negative against Islam. They have been allowed to establish their own Sharia Law in some places, which is a violation of our Constitution, yet congress sits back and does nothing to stop it. All the while, Christianity is being bashed, maligned, mocked, ridiculed, and banned from our schools, colleges and universities. It is becoming an anathema to mention Jesus Christ in the marketplace, as well as in our Military. Our Supreme Court has taken on the role of God, as the liberal judges, which make up the majority, continue to make and pass laws that are antichrist. Our nation is in a state of anarchy against the one true and Most High God, the Creator of this universe, and there will be a heavy price to pay soon.
The Mark of the Beast
There are several Scriptures that tell us about the Mark of the Beast and what happens to those who receive it:
16. "And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their forehead: 17. and that no man might by or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name."
18. "Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six." --Revelation 13:16-18.
9. And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 10. the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 11. And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. --Revelation 14:9-11.
There has been much speculation as to what the Mark of the Beast will be, but it will be revealed, at the latest, when it is issued by the Antichrist. When the Mark of the Beast is issued, Muslims worldwide will be taking it, along with many non-muslims who have been being programmed over the years through movies, television, tattoos, and other sources, thinking it will be the "in thing" to do. But what does the Mark of the Beast represent? I believe there are four things in the Scriptures that give it definition:
1. The Mark of the Beast will represent man's government, fueled by Satan and not God's government.
2. It will be Satan's mark and not God's.
3. For those who receive it, it will mean they are owned by Satan and not by God.
4. It will mean they are bound for hell and not heaven, with no recourse action.
Will All Who Do Not Receive the Mark of the Beast Be Killed
In answering the above question, we will break it down into two groups; the Christians and the non-believers:
We must first reiterate that Antichrist's rule will not be worldwide. There will be many nations that will not accept Antichrist, his rule of government, nor his mark, but will be ushered into the Millennial Kingdom when Jesus Christ returns to rule the earth.
According the the Scriptures, the Church will still be here during the reign of Antichrist. In II Thessalonians 2:1-4, the apostle Paul is talking to the church of the Thessalonians about the catching up of the Church (rapture), and what must happen before that takes place:
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him (rapture), 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 (rapture). Let no one deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first (apostasy: followers of Jesus Christ forsaking Him), and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition (Antichrist); who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. --II Thessalonians 2:1-4 (emphasis mine)
Two things stand out in these verses: one, many believers will quit serving Jesus Christ and go back into the world, and two, the Antichrist must be revealed before the Church is raptured.
Secondly, according to the Word of God there are two things that are indisputable: Jesus Christ has only one Church (true followers of Jesus Christ), and there are only two general resurrections in the Bible. The first is the resurrection of the Church (those who have previously died and those who will be alive at Christ's coming), and secondly, the resurrection of the lost (those who rejected Jesus Christ in their lifetime), when they are resurrected at the end of the Millennial Kingdom and stand before the Great White Throne Judgement of God. Look what it says in Revelation 20:4-6:
4. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: And I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands: and they loved and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5...This is the first resurrection.
6. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power; but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. --Revelation 20:4-6.
These followers of Jesus Christ do not receive the Mark of the Beast, and are beheaded, yet they are part of the first resurrection (rapture). There cannot be two raptures of the Church, or as some teach, there will be those who get saved during the Tribulation but are not part of the first resurrection. That is heretical teaching and is not Scriptural.
Both of the above Scriptures tell us two things. First, the Church will be here during the Tribulation Period, and second, not all followers of Jesus Christ will be killed who do not receive the Mark of the Beast, due to the fact that when the rapture occurs, there will be "those who are alive and remain" that will be caught up together with those who rise from the dead (I Thessalonians 4:15-18).
As I said earlier, there will be many nations that will be ushered into the Millennial Kingdom who will not be part of the Church and are raptured.
1. The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2. And it shall come to pass the the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; 3. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 4. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. --Isaiah 2:1-4.
Even nations that fight against Jerusalem in the Battle of Armageddon will have people that come up to worship the LORD Jesus at Jerusalem during the Millennial Kingdom:
"And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of host, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles." --Zechariah 14:16.
Lastly, there will be the king of the south and the king of the north who will come against Antichrist, as well as the kings of the east. This will be the Battle of Armageddon, which will usher in the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ:
"And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships:" --Daniel 11:40.
And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. 13. 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. 14. For they are spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of he earth and of he whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty... 16. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. --Revelation 16:12-16.
So we see that the Antichrist's rule will not be worldwide, nor will every nation be under his control and take his mark. Today, we are seeing many beheadingss in the Middle East against Christians, as ISIS continues its rampage, but things are going to get worse and worse as Iran continues to make her move to take over the Middle East to establish a Shiite Caliphate, after which a counter attack will take place against Iran and her allies and retake the Middle East and establish a Sunni Caliphate. Out of that will come the Antichrist.
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