The Baptist Pillar © Brandon Bible Baptist Church 1992-Present www.baptistpillar.com
"...The church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth."
I Timothy 3:15
The Coming World Dictator or Antichrist
The late M. L. Moser, Sr. (As preached on the radio)
From the Baptist Challenge, August 2014
Our subject this month concerns the coming world dictator or the Antichrist. The slimy trail of the serpent can be traced from the Garden of Eden all the way through the Bible to the serpent in Revelation when he is cast into the lake of fire.
We find in the Bible that Jesus Christ has many names given to Him and that every one of these names give us an insight into the character, the person, or the work of Jesus Christ. So, also, we find many names given to Antichrist. He is “The God of This Age,” “The Man of Sin,” “The Beast” of Revelation.
There seems to be a general misunderstanding of the meaning of the word “Antichrist.” The Greek word “anti” does not mean one opposed to another. It does not mean one outwardly opposed to Jesus Christ. It means one who comes in the stead or in the place of another. Our word “vice”, carries about the same meaning as the Greek word “anti.” We have the word “Vice-president” meaning the one who is to take the place of Jesus Christ.
The world will be deceived, having rejected Jesus Christ; the world, deceived by Satan, will receive Antichrist. Jesus Christ has never appealed to the world; Antichrist will. Jesus did not meet the world’s expectations; Antichrist will. Just as Jesus Christ was God manifest in the flesh, so Antichrist will be Satan manifest in the flesh. In fact, Satan is the great imitator and will come in the guise of Jesus Christ.
We are warned over and over again in the scriptures to be on guard against false teachers and preachers who are motivated by Satan rather than God. In 2 Corinthians we read: “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness: whose end shall be according to their works” (2 Cor. 11:14-15).
There are many preachers in the world today filling pulpits in all denominations that have never been born again, never called of God to preach. They are good men according to the standards of the world. They preach a Christ. Self-righteousness, good works, programs, but not the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ which is imparted to every sinner the very moment that he believes on the Lord Jesus Christ.
We said a few months ago that Satan was the great imitator. God is revealed in the Bible as a Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We find an evil or satanic trinity in the Bible. Satan is referred to as the god of this age, the Anti-God — the prince of this world — the Anti-Christ; the spirit of disobedience — the Anti-Spirit.
Many have failed to differentiate between the Holy Trinity and the Evil trinity and thus worship Satan. They are in deed and in truth devil worshipers. They have been deceived. What a terrible day of awakening is ahead of them when Satan is revealed as the one worshiped by his deceived dupes. Better study the Word of God and make sure that Jesus Christ is your Savior and you’re not among those who are worshipers of Satan.
Jesus tells us that as certain as the world rejected Him, as certain as the Jews rejected Him, so they will receive the Antichrist (See John 5:43). Paul tells us in 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12 that when Antichrist shall come upon the scene, that the whole world will receive him; that having rejected Jesus Christ as the truth, that they will receive the lie. John tells us that the whole world will worship him. The Book of Revelation shows Satan, received, crowned, worshiped by the world, all the nations of the world.
Did you know that Satan now controls the affairs of this world? [Read Matthew 4:8]. This passage refers to the temptations of Jesus. It is a three-fold temptation — the world, the flesh and the devil. Jesus was tempted in all points like as we are yet without sin. He is the only one that ever lived without sin in His nature or sin in His life. As the sinless Son of God, He meets Satan on the mountain top. Every temptation known to man is presented to Jesus Christ but there is no yielding. Jesus won the victory on the mountain.
Now one of these temptations is recorded in verses 8 and 10. It reads “The devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto him, All these things will I give thee if thou will fall down and worship me.” Now Satan either had this power over the nations or he did not. If he did not, then the temptation was a farce. There would have been no power in the temptation. All Jesus would have needed to do was to tell Satan that he did not have the power to deliver the goods. The temptation would have fallen flat.
Satan does have power in this world over the nations of the world. How else can we explain the condition of the world today and the Anti-Christian, Anti-God attitude of the United Nations and the other nations of the world. When the Holy Spirit is taken out of the way, the one that now stands in the way is Satan and prevents his complete domination of the world affairs; when the Holy Spirit is removed, then Satan will have full and complete charge of this world’s affairs.
Man has always wanted to set up a world government. Revelation 13 tells us of seven world-wide governments that are to reign over the whole known civilized world. According to this passage, five of the world empires had already fallen. The five are Egypt, Nineveh, Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece; that one was in existence at the time of the writing of the Book of Revelation, Rome and that one was still future also.
From the time of the writing of the Book of Revelation and the downfall of the Roman Empire, there has not been another world government. Many have tried to establish one but all have failed. Napoleon, the Kaiser, Hitler, Stalin, all have tried and all have failed. From the time of the fall of the Roman Empire till the end of this age, there is to be but one more worldwide empire. It will be the empire of Antichrist. Now some things about that empire:
First, it will be worldwide. All the nations will be involved.
Second, it will regulate all industry. No man can buy or sell without the Mark of the beast. Do you not see how the state is being set for the coming of Antichrist?
Third, it will be a persecuting kingdom. All who will not be regulated, who will not permit their lives to be completely regimented, will be put to death.
Fourth, it will be an anti-God government.
The stage is being set now for the coming of Antichrist. The whole world program is moving toward the establishment of a world dictatorship. When Antichrist comes upon the scene he will have at his disposal all the machinery necessary to immediately set up the Anti-God empire. There is but one hindrance. It is the Holy Spirit of God.
The Holy Spirit is holding back the tides of sin and lawlessness. He is holding back the tides of persecution, all because there are some whose names have been written in the Lamb’s Book of Life still to be saved. When the number is complete and the last man to be saved in this age is saved, the Holy Spirit will be withdrawn, the rapture of the saints will take place, the world will be left without a Christian, the Tribulation Period will begin, the Antichrist will be revealed, his kingdom set up. Then the judgment of the Lord upon a world that has not only rejected His Son, but received Satan, the Prince of this world, will begin.
It will be a fearful and dreadful time. Thank God I do not have to pass through. I am not waiting for the Antichrist but for Jesus Christ. My Lord is coming one of these days in the clouds for the rapture and all God’s children will be caught up in the air to be with the Lord. Will you be numbered with them? You can be if you will receive Him as your Lord and Saviour.