About the Antichrist
The Antichrist is the opposite of Christ. Just as Christ came to the earth to do God’s will, the Antichrist will come to do the will of Satan. He will be Satan in the form of a man.
Satan’s whole goal is to be like God in power and might, and he works for this with all of his might, night and day. “He will oppose every so-called god or object of worship and will put himself above them all. He will even go in and sit down in God's Temple and claim to be God.” 2 Thessalonians 2:4 (GNB). His goal is to replace God, and he will send the Antichrist as a way to do this. The Antichrist will deny that people need God, and he will present himself as ruler of this world.
But what kind of a world would be willing to accept the agent of Satan as Lord? Is it possible that this world we live in now has come to such a state?
The spirit of the Antichrist
The most common spirit in the world is the spirit of the Antichrist, which has been working since the earliest days of the church. (1 John 4.) The spirit of the Antichrist can be described as every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh (1 John 4:2). It claims that Jesus didn’t have lusts and desires as a natural man, and therefore, He couldn’t actually sin.
But in the Word of God it is written that He had the same flesh and blood that we have.
“Since the children, as he calls them, are people of flesh and blood, Jesus himself became like them and shared their human nature.” Hebrews 2:14 (GNB).
He had the same lusts and desires, which caused Him to be tempted, and He had to fight to keep from sinning. He had the Holy Spirit to guide Him, and strength and help from His Father in heaven. He made the same available to us, and therefore we are able to follow Him on the way that He opened up through the flesh and back to the Father. Hebrews 10:20.
That means we have to put in the same effort, take up the same battle that He did, fight against the sin that we have in our human nature (in our flesh) as a result of the fall in the Garden of Eden. Most people aren’t willing to do that. And that’s how the Antichrist spirit gets power. It shows people an easier way.
Also read: The spirit of the Antichrist: Denying that Jesus came in the flesh
The separation of God and people
Sin is the reason why we are separated from God. When sin is put off, we are one with God. The spirit of the Antichrist allows sin to live by covering them with tolerance, “love”, and freedom. God’s word clearly says what is right and wrong, what is sinful and what is pure. But when enough people live in sin, for example adultery, people no longer see it as sin. God’s laws are rejected, and the laws of society, and later on even the laws of the nations, change.
So impurity and sin are allowed to live, and people get farther and farther away from God – which is exactly what Satan wants. Most of the world listens to this spirit, because it allows them to live comfortably, without a guilty conscience. In the past, this has been done under the covering of religion and forgiveness of sin without stopping with sin. But in the times we live in now, humanism is more and more taking over the role that religion used to play. People rely on themselves more and more, instead of being led by any “higher power.”
Also read: What is sin?
The revelation of the Antichrist
All of this is preparing the way for the Antichrist himself to come and get rid of any form of religion. He will say that God is not needed at all. He will do signs and wonders to prove to the world once and for all that people can look after themselves and don’t need God. (Revelation 13:13-14.)
The people are ready to accept such a person. Someone who does not hinder their comfortable lives – who will give them peace and harmony on earth; a world of tolerance and love, without any personal cost to themselves. And the Antichrist will be able to do this.
The name of the Antichrist has always been connected with evil, but the truth is that when he is finally revealed, most people will not recognise him as the Antichrist. He will not look evil; on the contrary, he will be someone who is talented, and wanting to solve the world’s problems. He will work that the world can become a paradise, without God (something that is already starting to happen). The world will believe that with the Antichrist in command, people can do anything.
“It began to curse God, his name, the place where he lives, and all those who live in heaven.” Revelation 13:6 (GNB).
When that happens, Satan will finally have what he has always wanted. He will be seen as equal to God. He will have control of a world that has no need for God.
The bride of Christ
But there are some who have not and will not reject the gospel of Christ; they want to be finished with the sin that they see in themselves, so they can be one with God. They will not be deceived, because for them, sin is very sinful. (Romans 7:13.) Because they have been very watchful and awake to any spirit that tolerates sin, they will see the Antichrist for who he is.
When this happens, they can expect Christ to return and to take His bride home to be with Him. Once they have been raptured and are receiving the reward of their faithfulness, the Antichrist can do what he wants. (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7.) This will be a terrible time on the earth. The true, evil nature of the Antichrist will be revealed. When things have become as bad as they can be, when the need is greatest, Christ will return again with His bride.
Then He will kill the Antichrist with the breath of His mouth, and the world will see how powerless the Antichrist really is. Jesus will take control of the kingdoms of the earth, Satan will be bound and thrown into the bottomless pit, and the earth will have one thousand years to learn how right, just, true, and good God’s perfect will is, free from the deception of the devil. And those who kept themselves pure from the spirit of the Antichrist and have faithfully followed their beloved Jesus, will live and rule with Christ in this Millennium. (Revelation 20.) Theirs will be the kingdom of heaven, forevermore!