WHAT WILL HAPPEN DURING THE MINOR TRIBULATION?

Today, we are going to look at the events of the Minor Tribulation. The first event of the Minor Tribulation is “the rise of the Antichrist.”

Revelations 6:1-2 says, “And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. 2 And I saw, and behold A WHITE HORSE: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.”

Who is the man on the white horse? The man on the white horse is certainly not Jesus because:

a) The tribulation had already begun and Jesus is in Heaven opening the seals.

b) The church had already been carried to Heaven. Jesus works through the church and the Holy Spirit, but as we saw in Revelation 4, the church has already gone through the open door in Heaven, accompanied by the Holy Spirit. Hence the age of grace, the church age, has ended.

c) The man fought with a bow [Uta] but in Revelation 19:15, Jesus fights with the sword that comes out of His mouth.

d) In revelations 19:12, Jesus has many crowns on His head, but this man has only one crown.

e) Jesus has already [overcome] won the victory and has no need to fight again, conquering and to conquer.

In Revelations 3:21 Jesus said, “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne.”

Who then is this man that rode on the white horse? The man that rode on the white horse is the Antichrist.  He falsely disguised himself as Jesus Christ, falsely claiming that he is the messiah who will bring peace and prosperity to the world.

So today we are going to answer a number of questions that people have been asking about the Antichrist, namely (a) Who is the Antichrist? (b) When will he be revealed to the world? 

Why does he bear the name Antichrist? He bears the title “Antichrist” because he pretends to be Christ. Hence he rides on a white horse which is a symbol of purity and victory. He wears a crown and has a bow in his hand to conquer. The Antichrist will come as a self-styled messiah and the whole world will exalt and welcome him.

The prefix anti simply means “against, opposed to, opposite of.” Thus, Antichrist is the exact opposite of Christ in every conceivable way. 

The Antichrist has a number of other titles by which he is presented in the Scriptures. 1) He is called the Man of Sin (2 Thess. 2:3), 2) The Son of Perdition (2 Thess. 2:3). 3) He is called that Wicked One (2 Thess. 2:8). Daniel refers to him as “the abomination that maketh desolate” (Dan. 11:31, 12:11). He is also referred to as the king of fierce countenance who understands dark sentences (Dan. 8:23).

Who then is the Antichrist? The Antichrist is:

1. The Beast (Rev. 19:20, 13:1-8, 17:3-13).

2. Antichrist is born a man like other men; yet a man who becomes the very Devil incarnated in human flesh and form. He yields himself to satanic control in such a manner and to such a degree that, when resurrected from the Bottomless Pit, he is Satan made visible in human form in much the same sense that Jesus was God made visible in human form. The Antichrist will be buried like the others (Ezek. 39:1-6).

Notice that in Revelations 6:2, there is no mention of arrows with his bow. The Antichrist will take possession of the white horse and the crown of glory – the position of a top leader, not by the means of war, but by his subtle political and diplomatic ability.

By using some trick, he will put all the countries in a united Europe under his control. When Europe comes under the banner of one union, it will possess enormous power economically as well as militarily, and the whole world will kneel down to it.

When the Antichrist appears, however, he will make a covenant with Israel for 7 years (Dan. 9:24-27).

Accordingly, the day when the united nations of Europe and Israel ratify a 7 year contract is the very day that the first seal of the tribulation will be opened.

3. A world dictator who will come into power within one generation from the time of the rebirth of Israel as a nation.

4. Towards the end of that generation, this dictator will become so prominent and powerful that he will declare himself to be God. The Bible says that he will be indwelt by the devil.

5. To worship him, indicated by receiving his “mark,” will be to worship Satan. This will bring eternal damnation to whosoever does so. A definite warning about this is there in the Scriptures (Rev. 14:9-11).

At the rapture of all the dead and living in Christ in a moment (1 Thess. 4:13-18; 1 Cor. 15:51-58), not one soul will be left on earth who is who is in Christ who has lived a righteous and holy life.

After the Rapture, multitudes will still be saved through an awakening (Acts 2:16-21; Rev. 6:9-11; Rev. 7:1-17; Rev. 12:17; Rev. 9:20-21; Rev. 16:2; Rev. 16:9-11; Rev. 17:6; Rev. 7:9-17, Rev. 13:1-13; Rev. 14:9-13; Rev. 15:2-4; Rev. 16:6-11; Rev. 17:2-4; Rev. 17:16-17).

6. The Antichrist is called the man of sin, because he will be an embodiment of lawlessness, and the leader of the great apostasy (2 Thess. 2:3-12; 2 Thess. 2:8-12; Rev. 13:1-13; Rev. 14:9-13; Rev. 15:2-4; Rev. 16:2-12). 

7. The Antichrist is called the son of perdition, because of being destined to destruction by rebellion, like Judas that sold himself to Satan (2 Thess. 2:3; 2 Thess. 2:8-12; Rev. 13:2; Dan. 8:24; Dan. 11:37-39).

8. He will be a strong opposer of God (2 ULATION

9. He will exalt himself above God (2 Thess. 2:4).

10. He will accept worship as God (2 Thess. 2:4).

11. He has a time to be revealed (2 Thess. 2:6).

12. When the hinderer of lawlessness is taken out of the world, then shall that Wicked one [the Antichrist] be revealed. (2 Thess. 2:7-8).2020!

13. The Antichrist will have powers from Satan to do signs and wonders (2 Thess. 2:9; Dan 8:24; Dan 11:37-39; Dan. 13:2; Dan. 13:11-18; Dan. 16:13-16; Dan. 19:20; Matt. 24:24). By these lying wonders, the Antichrist tries to prove to (convince) the world that he is God.

14. He will be a deceiver (2 Thess. 2:10-11; Dan. 8:24-25; Dan. 9:27; Dan. 11:36-45; Matt. 24:15-32; Rev. 19:20).

15. The reason for men being deceived by the Antichrist is because they have rejected the truth, loved sin, and refused salvation (2 Thess. 2:11-12).

16. Something now hinders him from being revealed. The mystery of iniquity or the spirit of lawlessness cannot reveal the Antichrist until the hinderer of the lawlessness in the world is taken out of the way [world] (2 Thess. 2:6-7).

Who is the one that is hindering the manifestation of the Antichrist? That one cannot be the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit will always be in the earth. The church is the hinderer of the revelation of the Antichrist.

17. The spirit of lawlessness now works preparing the stage for the revelation of the Antichrist (2 Thess. 2:7).

18. The lifespan of the Antichrist: When the Antichrist is revealed, he will live until the 2^nd Advent of Christ, will head the armies of Armageddon and will be destroyed by Christ at His coming with the saints (2 Thess. 2:8; Rev. 19:11-21; Dan. 7:24-28; Dan. 8:23-27; Dan. 9:27; Dan. 11:36-45; Dan. 12:1-7; Matt. 24:15-31). 

19. The Antichrist is a man, not a spirit, because he will be killed by Christ at the battle of Armageddon.

20. The Antichrist will be Satan’s agent in his last attempt to rise as a world dictator (2 Thess. 2:9-10; Dan. 8:24; Dan. 11:37-39; Rev. 13:2).

21. Only those who are lost will follow the Antichrist (2 Thess. 2:10-12; Rev. 16:13-16; Rev. 19:20). 

22. The Antichrist will be a great delusion and a lie (2 Thess. 2:11-12; Dan. 8:10-14; Dan. 8:25; Dan. 11:39).

23. The Antichrist will come to world attention when the final ten-nation world political structure is in existence; an alliance represented by the ten toes of king Nebuchadnezzar's framed image vision of world empires (Dan 7:8). 

Is the world situation really going in the direction of producing the 7 year treaty of friendship and prosperity between Europe and Israel?

First, the Jews, who had wandered for 2000 years, miraculously regained their state of Israel on May 14, 1948. That was a miracle – the re-gathering of scattered Israel.

Secondly, God has preserved Israel through several wars in which the Arab states, with a collective population of over 200 million, struggled to swallow the tiny nation of Israel with a population of only 3 million people. This is also a miracle.

Europeans became concerned when the Second World War ended as they found themselves sandwiched between the mighty military and the economic strength of the US and the USSR. To enhance their position, their leaders decided that all the nations in Europe [the former territory of Rome] should work together at various levels.

In 1958, 10 years after Israel became an independent nation, The European Economic Community [EEC] was formed, with its capital in Brussels, Belgium. Since then, progress in economic co-operation has given rise to plans for military and political unity as well.

In 1992, Europe became a union economically. When this unification is completed, the people of countries belonging to the EEC will not need visa when travelling to other countries within the European Block. They will cross the boarders freely, and hold jobs they want in other countries within the EEC. Thus, Europe has achieved economic unification through the EEC. Also a high degree of military co-ordination has come about through the North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO].

Once they achieve political unification, the so called United Nations of Europe will be complete.

When Europe is unified politically, and the Antichrist takes over, he will then make the treaty with Israel for whatever reason. This treaty will mark the beginning of the end.

Today, you have the great opportunity to change your eternal destiny. You are not going to escape the tribulation because you are acting nice. You are not going to escape the tribulation because your name is in a church register. You are not going to escape the tribulation because you are a leader in the church. You will escape the tribulation only on these conditions: (1) you MUST be Born Again (Jn. 3:3), and (2) live a holy life (Heb. 12:14).  

Watch out for the next edition of Good news from the Pulpit!

Your friend: I. I. MADUBUNYI (Head Pastor)  6^th Sept., 2020