Antichrist, America, and Armageddon

Notes: Antichrist, America, and Armageddon

Matthew 24

Revelation 6

Pastor Greg Laurie

SERIES: God Came Near

Sunday, May 31, 2015 — 10:00 a.m.

Bible prophecy is like a jigsaw puzzle.

In our world it appears we are seeing the foreshocks of Armageddon.

ISIS is doing horrible things to people. Other groups are killing people.

Iran is an even bigger problem.

Russia is taking places over.

China is taking lands over, wanting to dominate Southeast Asia.

There are scientists that do an Atomic Clock to doomsday. They say we are 3 minutes from midnight. An atomic catastrophe.

The world is setting a stage for a leader to come in and help. Unfortunately, we are told that will be the Antichrist.

The closest comparison we will see in the Bible would be Judas, the Bible says the devil entered him.

There are more than 100 passages of scriptures describing the origin, nationality, character and career of the antichrist.

The Bible predicts the future hundreds of times in detail. We can see how it has in the past accurately, and we can trust it to look at the future.

The next prophetic step will be the Rapture. The Antichrist will not come until after the rapture.

2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 NKJV

[7] For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. [8] And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.

This is speaking of the fact that the Holy Spirit is working through the church.

Luke 21:28 NKJV

[28] Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."

Hebrews 9:28 NKJV

[28] so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

We should be looking in eager anticipation.

Jesus says He is going to keep us from this time.

Revelation 3:10 NKJV

[10] Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.

We will have tribulation in our life but we will not go through the Great Tribulation.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 NKJV

[9] For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

2 Peter 2:9 NKJV

[9] then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,

Matthew 24:4-8 NKJV

[4] And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you. [5] For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. [6] And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. [7] For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. [8] All these are the beginning of sorrows.

This has not quite started yet. Now we are just seeing the foreshocks.

Earthquakes and natural disasters will increase before these times.

Revelation 6 is a parallel chapter of Matthew 24.

Revelation 6:1-8 NKJV

[1] Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, "Come and see." [2] And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. [3] When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, "Come and see." [4] Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword. [5] When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come and see." So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. [6] And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine." [7] When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, "Come and see." [8] So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Antichrist not only means "against" but also "instead of".

The Antichrist will deceive many through offering peace.

The tribulation does not start violently, but peacefully.

Presidents have tried to bring peace to the Middle East but have failed. The antichrist will appear to succeed.

A good forerunner to the antichrist was the Roman Empire. Rome controlled through their strong army. There was peace but then the emperors wanted to be worshipped.

Hitler started out by helping the German people. He fixed a lot of things for the people, then he revealed his true plans. He brought death and destruction.

The antichrist has a sidekick called the false prophet.

We that believe in Jesus are not popular right now. A poll says that for the first time in America that Christianity is not growing.

People used to just say that they are Christians, but really weren't. Now they say they are not, they are "nones", meaning they don't believe in anything.

Matthew 24:12 NKJV

[12] And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.

2 Thessalonians 2:3 NKJV

[3] Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,

1 Timothy 4:1-2 NKJV

[1] Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, [2] speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,

True believers may go astray for a while but they always come home. A prodigal will always come home.

Are you a pig or a prodigal? Pigs return to their slop and dogs will return to their vomit.  

Why do they return? Because that is their nature.

You know a true Christian by where they end up.

Where will America be in the last days story?

Their is a pretty good case for Russia and China being dominant in the last days. Airtight for Israel and Iran. But where is America?

1. We may not be there because of nuclear decimation.

2. We may just decline as a world power. Rome was in power for 600 years, but every nations days are numbered.

3. America may not be mentioned in scripture because a great revival may take place.

If there is a great revival then when the rapture occurs our country would change greatly.

The scriptures don't tell us to look for the antichrist, but to look for Jesus Christ!

We are not supposed to have a bunker mentality but an outreach mentality.

We see the signs of the times on the news so we need to look up!

Are you ready?