The Book of Revelation
Chapter Thirteen
An Introduction
(The Antichrist, Daniel 7 & 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12)

As in the “introduction” chapter to Revelation 4, where Daniel 9:24-27 was discussed, it is advisable to briefly cover the vision given to Daniel in Daniel 7 and the Apostle Paul’s words in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12. These passages parallel and lend clarification to events in Revelation 13. Before covering 2 Thessalonians and the chapter in Daniel and since a primary personage introduced both in these passages and Revelation 13 is the Antichrist, a few facts regarding this major player of the Tribulation will follow below.

The Meaning of Antichrist

The term “Antichrist” in the Greek is antichristos. It is a compound word from anti (meaning “instead of” and/or “against”) and Christos (meaning “anointed”). The word literally means someone who (1) opposes Christ or (2) usurps the place of Christ. The reader will see in Revelation 13 that both meanings apply to the Antichrist. Although there are various descriptive names referring to the Antichrist within God’s Word, the name “Antichrist” (in both singular and plural form) occurs only in 1 John 2:18, 22; 4:3 and in 2 John 7. The Apostle John reveals that an “antichrist” is a person who “denies that Jesus is the Christ,” which is to deny “the Father and the Son” (1 John 2:22). He goes on to declare that “no one who denies the Son has the Father” (1 John 2:23). To put it clearly, anyone who does not recognize the Deity of Jesus Christ, i.e., that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh (2 John 7), is “antichrist.” Anyone who refuses Jesus Christ can have no spiritual connection whatsoever with God Almighty.

Why is this important? Other than the fact that it is the truth, it is because only God in the flesh could live a sinless life, thereby becoming the perfect sacrifice, and totally pay the price for the sins of a whole world. Jesus Christ did exactly this on the cross of Calvary when He took our sins and died spiritually for every man and women that has ever or will ever live. He then voluntarily gave up his physical life and went to the grave. But the third day He arose from the grave and ascended to the right hand of God the Father. All this was done, so that if anyone who by faith alone will accept the payment for sin that Christ paid on the cross (and nothing else) for his personal salvation, he will be instantly given eternal life, never to be taken away.

The acceptance of Christ and His work on Calvary assumes the fact that Jesus Christ is God. To believe otherwise is a position of the “antichrist,” such is the case with Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Shintoism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Islam, Sikhism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Scientology, Mormonism, Christian Science, Bahai Faith, Zen, Unitarianism, Armstrongism, The Masonic Lodge, UFO cults, Universalism, The Way International, Theosophy, and the list goes on.

It is critical to understand that Christianity is NOT a “religion.” It is a “relationship” or “union” with the living Christ. Christians should NEVER refer to their faith as “religion.” Religion is the tool of Satan, as is seen throughout the world today and will culminate in the “one world religion” during the Tribulation Period.

As was mentioned, the Antichrist, who will surface in or immediately before the Tribulation Period, will both oppose Christ and usurp the place of Christ. The Apostle Paul makes this clear when referring to him (“man of lawlessness”) by stating, He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God. (2 Thessalonians 2:4)

The Names of Antichrist

Only the Apostle John in his discussion of the “last hour” refers to the coming of “the (singular) Antichrist,” even though he recognizes that there will be many antichrists. The Antichrist is referred to in various ways throughout God’s Word. Some are listed below.

  Isaiah 14:4, “king of Babylon”
  Isaiah 14:12, “Lucifer” (KJV)
  Daniel 7:8; 8:9, “little horn”
  Daniel 8:23, “a stern-faced king”
  Daniel 9:26, “the ruler who will come”
  Daniel 11:36, “the king that will do as he pleases”
  2 Thessalonians 2:3-8, “man of lawlessness,” and “the man doomed to destruction”
  Revelation 13:1, “beast coming out of the sea”

See also the following scriptures that refer to or describe the Antichrist: Psalms 5:6; 10:2-4, 18; 52:1; 55:3; 74:8-10; 111:6; 140:1; Isaiah 10:5-12; 14:2; 16:4, 5; 22:25; 25:5; Ezekiel 21; 25-27; Daniel 9:27; 11:21; Zechariah 11:16, 17; Jeremiah 6:26; Matthew 24:15; John 5:43.

Christ in Contrast to the Antichrist

Dr. Clarence Larkin, one of the most recognized Biblical scholars of prophecy, in his masterpiece Dispensational Truth, listed the following fourteen contrasting points between Jesus Christ and the Antichrist.

    1.  Christ came from above (John 6:38), whereas the Antichrist will ascend from the pit (Revelation 11:7).
    2.  Christ came in His Father’s name (John 5:43),
whereas the Antichrist will come in his own name (John 5:43).
    3.  Christ humbled Himself (Philippians 2:8), whereas the Antichrist will exalt himself (2 Thessalonians 2:4).
    4.  Christ was despised (Isaiah 53:3; Luke 23:18), whereas the Antichrist will be admired (Revelation 13:3, 4).
    5.  Christ will be exalted (Philippians 2:9), whereas the Antichrist will be cast down to hell (Isaiah 14:14, 15; Revelation 19:20).
    6.  Christ came to do His Father’s will (John 6:38), whereas the Antichrist will come to do his own will (Daniel 11:36).
    7.  Christ came to save (Luke 19:10v), whereas the Antichrist will come to destroy (Daniel 8:24).
    8.  Christ is the good shepherd (John 10:1-15), whereas the Antichrist is the “idol [evil] shepherd” (Zechariah 11:16, 17).
    9.  Christ is the “true vine” (John 15:1), whereas the Antichrist is the “vine of the earth” (Revelation 14:18).
    10.  Christ is the “truth” (John 14:6), whereas the Antichrist is the “lie” (2 Thessalonians 2:11 - ASV).
    11.  Christ is the “holy one” (Mark 1:24), whereas the Antichrist is the “lawless one” (2 Thessalonians 2:8 - ASV).
    12.  Christ is the “man of sorrows” (Isaiah 53:3),
whereas the Antichrist is the “man of sin” (2 Thessalonians 2:3).
    13.  Christ is the “Son of God” (Luke 1:35), whereas the Antichrist is the “son of perdition” (2 Thessalonians 2:3).
    14.  Christ is “the mystery of godliness: God . . . manifest in the flesh” (1 Timothy 3:16), whereas the Antichrist will be “the mystery of iniquity,” Satan manifest in the flesh (2 Thessalonians 2:7).

The Nationality of the Antichrist

Since in Revelation 13:1 he will come out of the sea (alluding to the Mediterranean, which was usually a reference to Gentiles), he will be a Gentile. Since in Daniel 8:8, 9 he is the “small horn,” which comes out of the four Grecian horns, he is probably part Greek. Since in Daniel 9:26 he is of the linage of the people that “destroy the city [Jerusalem] and the sanctuary,” he will be predominantly Roman. Since in Daniel 11:36, 37 he doesn’t regard “the God of his fathers” (KJV), he will be part Jew. Taken all together the Antichrist will be a Roman-Grecian Jew, a composite man representing the peoples of the earth, which technically qualifies him to be the embodiment of all evil men.

The Record of the Antichrist

His Rise to Power. Revelation 6:2 infers he will come to power through stealth and diplomacy. He gains control, not by war, but by convincing the leaders of the world that he can obtain world peace. This is seen in Daniel 8:25 and through his “covenant with many” as seen in Daniel 9:27. This covenant will be for seven years and along with the promise of world peace, it will proffer peace for the nation Israel. He will bring a “false peace” to the world for a while. But after three and a half years he will break the covenant. Initially the covenant will serve to make the Jews look for help and alliance to the Antichrist and thereby keep them from seeking God, similar to the way they looked to Egypt in the Old Testament. This condition will exist during the first half of the Tribulation Period.

His One-World Government. Daniel 2 reveals the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the “large statue,” which indicates a progression of governments eventually culminating in a one-world government. The ten toes of the “large statue” reveal an amalgamation of the ten kings under the dominance of the Antichrist. Revelation 17:12-15 indicates that the kings of the earth will concede their authority and power to the Antichrist. Verse 13 suggests that for the sake of world peace they will establish a world government that will be the solution to all the world’s problems. Today the scene is well set for the establishment of a one-world government via the United Nations and the European Union. Recently there has been progression to a one-world currency and a one-world court system. The stage is being set for this prophecy to be fulfilled at any time.

His One-World Economy. When the kings of the earth concede their authority and power to the Antichrist, this will include, in addition to their armies, their economic power. A one-world government cannot exist without an interrelated one-world economy. The establishment of the Antichrist’s control over the economy (buying and selling) of the world is seen in Revelation 13:17. The process for this is today being prepared in the European Common Market, with the establishment of interrelated satellite communications between banking and other commercial institutions of the world; and, also, the creation of identification devices that can be subcutaneous (under the skin) inserted in any person and then read electronically by appropriate monitors.

His One-World Religion. The Antichrist’s religion appears in various scriptural passages, e.g., Daniel 11:36-39 and 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12. These passages reveal that the Antichrist will exalt himself over all that is called God or is worshiped. He even sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God. In Revelation 17 he gives tacit approval to the ecumenical world church, which materializes after the Rapture. The False Prophet promulgates this “world church”. The Antichrist does this as part of his plan to take over all aspects world power, not that he believes in this one-world church. But since this ecumenical church or religion that is called the “mother of prostitutes” is seen riding the beast (Antichrist), it indicates that the Antichrist is primarily supporting this one-world religion to achieve his ends. This will be subterfuge on his part until he can gather sufficient control of all world affairs, at which time, he will kill this idolatrous ecumenical religion.

The Antichrist’s true religion is atheism. This nation, along with the nations and major institutions and various philosophies of the world, has steadily been drifting toward atheism. The founding fathers of the United States proceeded from the Declaration of Independence to establish our republic as a nation under the moral direction of God. A careful reading of the Federalist Papers establishes this fact. Yet since the 1960’s various Federal judicial rulings have steadily eroded this country’s connection to God.

On the other hand, Satan continues to support “religion” throughout the world, primarily to turn man from the grace of God through Jesus Christ. He does this by supporting all religions and movements that focus on “working one’s way to heaven.” But once he takes control in the Tribulation (the second half), he will crush all religion other than the one that worships him.

His Death and Resurrection. There are several passages that indicate that the Antichrist will be slain and then be resurrected from the dead. This is initially seen in Revelation 13:3, One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. This is confirmed in Revelation 13:12, He [False Prophet] exercised all the authority of the first beast [Antichrist] on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. It is then revealed in verse 14 that the beast (Antichrist) received his fatal wound by a sword. Then in Revelation 17:8 his death from the sword is confirmed, The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction. J. Vernon McGee who is a notable Bible scholar does not believe that the Antichrist is actually killed and then brought back to life. He believes that this is only a “copy-cat” death and resurrection, which is Satan’s way of mimicking the death and resurrection of Christ. His premise is based on his belief that only God, not Satan, can raise the dead. On the other hand prophecy scholars such as Tim LeHaye and John Hagee believe the Antichrist actually died and was resurrected from the dead. Mr. McGee may have a point, but the fact that upon Antichrist’s death he went into the Abyss (Revelation 17:8) and then came back from the Abyss is fairly conclusive evidence that the Antichrist actually died and was resurrected.

The fact that only God can raise the dead, i.e., give life (Genesis 2:7; 1 Samuel 2:6; Acts 17:25) and the fact that Satan may affect the physical condition of man only when permitted by God (Job 1:12) indicates that He, not Satan, allowed the Antichrist to come back from the dead. This in fact could be the “powerful delusion” that God sends all those who refuse Christ during the Tribulation so that they will “believe the lie.” (2 Thessalonians 2:11) It may be that the “lie” is that the “Antichrist, who is indwelt by Satan upon his resurrection, is in fact God.” This “lie,” which is believable due to God’s “powerful delusion,” will only be supported and encouraged by the False Prophet’s supernatural powers and the image that comes to life in the Temple. Tim LaHaye puts it this way:

From that point, on, indwelt by Satan himself, Antichrist will have power to perform “counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders” (2 Thess. 2:9-12) and can potentially deceive “those who are perishing.” He will have absolute authority by virtue of his supernatural powers and the submission of the kings of the earth to his control and dominance. It is then that he will unleash his attack on the nation of Israel. It will be the greatest anti-Semitic movement the world has ever known. He will seek to put to death all those who do not bear his mark or bow down and worship him as God. (Revelation Unveiled)

His Final and Permanent Destruction. At the Second Coming of Christ, the Antichrist and the False Prophet will be “thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur” (2 Thessalonians 2:8 and Revelation 19:20). Satan, who is released for a brief time at the end of the Millennium, is permanently cast into “lake of burning sulfur” after the battle of Armageddon (Revelation 20:7-10).

Having reviewed some details regarding the Antichrist, attention will now be directed toward Daniel 7 and 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12. Portions of these passages of Scripture correspond to and clarify events in Revelation 13. These passages will be presented as summations and not a verse-by-verse detailed exposition as will be the chapter that will follow this one.

Daniel 7

1. In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying on his bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream. 2. Daniel said: "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. 3. Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea. 4. "The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a man, and the heart of a man was given to it. 5. "And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, `Get up and eat your fill of flesh!' 6. "After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule. 7. "After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast--terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns. 8. "While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth that spoke boastfully. 9. "As I looked, "thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took His seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of His head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. 10. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before Him. Thousands upon thousands attended Him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, and the books were opened. 11. "Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. 12. (The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.) 13. "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was One like a Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence. 14. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. 15. "I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me. 16. I approached one of those standing there and asked him the true meaning of all this. "So he told me and gave me the interpretation of these things: 17. `The four great beasts are four kingdoms that will rise from the earth. 18. But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever--yes, for ever and ever.' 19. "Then I wanted to know the true meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others and most terrifying, with its iron teeth and bronze claws--the beast that crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. 20. I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and about the other horn that came up, before which three of them fell--the horn that looked more imposing than the others and that had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully. 21. As I watched, this horn was waging war against the saints and defeating them, 22. until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom. 23. "He gave me this explanation: `The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. 24. The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. 25. He will speak against the Most High and oppress His saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time. 26. " `But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. 27. Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey Him.' 28. "This is the end of the matter. I, Daniel, was deeply troubled by my thoughts, and my face turned pale, but I kept the matter to myself."

In this chapter the Bible student is confronted with Daniel’s vision of the four beasts, the visions of the Son of Man coming in clouds of heaven, the definition of the four beasts and the explanation of the fourth beast. The four beasts of Daniel’s vision correspond to the four metals of the statue in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 2.

The four beasts that come up from the sea (the peoples of earth) represent the four world empires, just as the four metals of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream represented the same four world empires. They are:

    (1)  Lion/gold - Babylon
    (2)  Bear/silver - Media-Persia
    (3)  Leopard/brass - Graeco-Macedonia
    (4)  Composite/iron - Rome

The leopard’s four heads indicates the division of the Graeco-Macedonia Empire to Alexander’s four generals after his death. The fourth beast, a terrifying composite of various beastly parts (characteristics of the preceding empires) speaks of the Roman Empire, which would appear to die out only to be revived (Europe today), is illustrated by the ten horns (ten kings/nations). The “little horn” speaks of an eleventh nation governed by the Antichrist who overcomes three of the other horns (nations) and will be the eventual head of this empire (the coming one-world government of all nations upon earth) during the Tribulation Period.

Daniel next sees the fifth and final world empire - the glorious and everlasting Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, the coming of judgment and the destruction of the Antichrist and his kingdom (all the nations of earth). Being troubled over these events, an unidentified interpreter explains them to Daniel.

He tells Daniel that the four beasts are four world rulers that arise from the earth (defined above), but that the Kingdom of the Most High and His saints would succeed them. Whereas this world’s kingdoms will all pass away, the saints of the Most High will have an everlasting kingdom. Then Daniel makes special inquiry about the fourth composite beast, which surpassed the others in cruelty and ferocity. He was curious about the ten horns and the other pompous little horn, which makes war with the saints.

The little horn is the Antichrist who will become the eventual one-world dictator and who will persecute the saints of God in a very horrendous way during the last half of the Tribulation Period, referred to in Matthew 24:21 as the Great Tribulation by Jesus Christ. But the Antichrist will be stripped of his power and destroyed upon the Second Coming of Christ at the end of the Great Tribulation. At this time Jesus Christ will set up His Kingdom, which will be everlasting. Daniel responds with alarm and wonderment.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

1. Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to Him, we ask you, brothers, 2. not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. 3. Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God. 5. Don't you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? 6. And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the One who now holds it back will continue to do so till He is taken out of the way. 8. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of His mouth and destroy by the splendor of His coming. 9. The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, 10. and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12. and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

A better translation of verse 1 is,Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him. This passage starts with a clear reference to the Rapture. The Apostle Paul appeals to the readers on the basis of the coming of Jesus Christ and the gathering of believers to Him, which is the Rapture and which parallels 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17 where he explains that believers will be caught up to be with Christ in the clouds. He tells them not to be easily unsettled or alarmed if they have had false reports, purported to have come from Paul, that the “Day of the Lord” had already come. A study (Joel 2; Obadiah 15; Malachi 4:5; Acts 2:20; 1 Corinthians 5:5; 2 Peter 3:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; Revelation 6:17) of the term, “Day of the Lord,” reveals that it is a time of judgment, i.e., the Tribulation Period.

His immediate argument that the “Day of the Lord” has not yet come is based on the Rapture. In other words since the Rapture (“gathering together unto Him”) hasn’t occurred, the “Day of the Lord” hasn’t occurred. Next he assures them that the “Day of the Lord” will not come until first “the rebellion” (apostasy - falling away) occurs and the “man of lawlessness” (Antichrist) is revealed, the one who is doomed for destruction (“son of perdition” - KJV).

In this case the use of the word apostasia (Gk - “departure or removal from”) that is translated “rebellion” in this translation involves more than the organized church departing from the faith. It will involve a total apostasy immediately after the Rapture when the Church (all believers) is removed from the earth. This then will take place during the Tribulation Period. Also at this time the Antichrist (“man of lawlessness”) will be revealed, i.e., he comes on the scene to take over the one-world government and become the world’s dictator.

The Antichrist, as mentioned previously, is composed of two Greek words meaning someone who (1) opposes Christ or (2) usurps the place of Christ. Both distinctions are mentioned in verse 4, He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God. This bold and blasphemous behavior will take place at the mid-point of the Tribulation Period immediately after the “powerful delusion” of verse 11, which may very well be his “death and resurrection” along with his animated image as depicted in Revelation 13:15.

Paul assures the readers that even though the “secret power of lawlessness” is already at work, the “man of lawlessness” will not come until the proper time, i.e., the time God has appointed. The reason he cannot come yet is because the “restrainer” (KJV) is “holding him back.” The following from the Believer’s Bible Commentary defines in excellent fashion the “restrainer.”

The Holy Spirit indwelling the church and the individual believer seems to fit the description of the restrainer more completely and accurately than any of the others [definitions]. . . As early as Genesis 6:3, the Holy Spirit is spoken of in connection with the restraint of evil. Then later He is seen in this same role in Isaiah 59:19b, John 16:7-11, and 1 John 4:4.

It is by the indwelling Spirit that believers are the salt of the earth (Matt. 5:13) and the light of the world (Matt. 5:14). Salt is a preservative, but it also hinders the spread of corruption. Light dispels darkness, the sphere in which men love to perform their evil deeds (John 3:19). When the Holy Spirit leaves the world as the permanent Indweller of the church (1 Cor. 3:16) and of individual believers (1 Cor. 6:19), the restraint of lawlessness will be gone. . . .

But here an objection is raised. How can the Holy Spirit be removed from the world? As one of the Persons of the Godhead, isn’t He omnipresent, that is, everywhere at all times? How then can He leave the world?

Of course, the Holy Spirit is omnipresent. He is always in all places at one and the same time. And yet there was a distinct sense in which He “came” to the earth on the Day of Pentecost. Jesus had repeatedly promised that He and the Father would send the Spirit (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7). How then did the Spirit come? He came as the permanent Indweller of the church and of every believer. Until Pentecost the Spirit had been “with” believers, but since Pentecost He has dwelt “in” them (John 14:17 Until Pentecost the Spirit was known to depart from believers-hence David’s prayer, “Do not take your Holy Spirit from me” (Ps. 51:11b). After Pentecost the Spirit remains forever in believers of the Church Age (John 14:16).

The Holy Spirit will, we believe, “leave” the world in the same sense in which He “came” at Pentecost-that is, as the abiding Indweller of the church and of each believer. He will still be in the world, convicting people of sin and leading them to saving faith in Christ. His removal at the Rapture does not mean that no one will be saved during the Tribulation. Of course they will. But these people will not be members of the church, but rather the subjects of Christ’s glorious kingdom.

Once the “restrainer” (the Church indwelt by the Holy Spirit) is removed at the Rapture, the Antichrist will surface in his true nature. He will be empowered by and eventually indwelt by Satan. He will supernaturally be able to do all kinds of counterfeit miracles, he will empower the False Prophet to do the same, and he will be able to produce all manner of evil, which will deceive those who are perishing. Those of the great apostasy who are perishing are doing so because they refused to love the truth and so be saved, i.e., having heard the clear presentation of the Gospel of Christ, they refused to accept Christ.

Because of this, God sends them a “powerful delusion” [death and resurrection of the Antichrist and the animated image in the Temple], which they fully accept and which will seal their eternal doom. The point is that those who enter the Tribulation who already have been enlightened concerning the Gospel but refused it and also refuse it in the first half of the Tribulation, along with those who for the first time hear the Gospel during the first half of the Tribulation and refuse it, will have no further chance to be saved during the second half of the Tribulation Period. Why? Because God sees their refusal to believe the truth and their delight in wickedness-thereby making their lost condition permanent.

Finally and upon the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of His mouth and destroy [the Antichrist] by the splendor of His coming.