The Antichrist is Satan’s CEO. A CEO is a person who has a primary role in an organisation to take control and exercise authority. It is the most important management role in the company and takes responsibility for the failure or success of the company. Some of the worst CEOs have been found guilty of fraud, deceit, etc. Daniel is given a dream about this end time CEO. In 2 Thessalonians 2:7 it was apparent that the mystery of lawlessness was already happening. Satan gives this man great power and authority to rule. The Antichrist will be an attractive and charismatic figure. He will be a genius but a devil-controlled seducer of mankind who will be all things to all men. He will be a political statesman. He will be a social lion, a financial wizard, an intellectual giant, a religious deceiver, a masterful orator and a gifted organiser. He is Satan’s masterpiece of deception. The masses will follow him to their death.

1 – The Coming of the Antichrist (2 Thessalonians 2:1-7)

The Antichrist is going to imitate Jesus. He is going to be revealed as the “saviour” of the world. He will known by everyone. There are certain things that have to happen before he is revealed:-

• He cannot be revealed until after the rapture of the church – Nobody will know who he is until after this event. If you think you know who the Antichrist is then you have been left behind!
• He cannot be revealed until after the rejection of the truth – There need to be a falling away first. What is this? It is a great apostasy. The church will have left and those who remain will walk away from spiritual truth rather than from church. See Matthew 24:10-12. Many will grow spiritually cold. See 2 Timothy 4:3-4 & 2 Peter 3:3-4. In the End Times people will scoff more and more at future prophecy in the Bible. They scoff at the idea of Jesus coming back. Just because Jesus has not come back yet does not mean He is not coming back! God is not on our time schedule! Things will get worse and worse as we get closer to the Antichrist being revealed. See 2 Timothy 3:13. The church of Laodicea is how the church will be in the end times. See Revelation 3:15-17. It is an apostate church that makes Jesus sick! It is not exciting to see apostasy in the church but it is exciting to see Bible prophecy being fulfilled.
• He cannot be revealed until after the Holy Spirit is removed. (vs. 6-7) – The “He” mentioned here is the Holy Spirit. He is the “restrainer”. He exercises a distinct work in the world today. The Holy Spirit dwells within the believer. The Holy Spirit will leave when the Church leaves. The Holy Spirit will come upon people at moments but God’s people will be gone. Without the influence of God’s people then Satan can have control of this world. He will be allowed to have complete control through the Antichrist.

2 – The resume of the Antichrist

What criteria are required to be Satan’s CEO? The resume goes like this:-

• Dynamic leader – See Daniel 7:8, 25 and Revelation 13:2, 5. He will be the public voice of Satan at this time. He will be able to sway crowds with his great eloquence. He will likely be a great television communicator. People will naturally want to follow him. Great leaders can move large audiences with great words. They may be good or they may be evil. The rhetoric of the Antichrist will surpass all these great human leaders. He has the mouth of a lion. His voice will be majestic and leave people in awe.
• Defiant leader- He will be the most proud, arrogant, self-centred person you can imagine. He will reject all traditional views of deity and will magnify himself above every god. He will speak blasphemes against the Lord God. He will not tolerate any god. See Daniel 11:36-37. He wants to exalt himself above all others. See 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4. The Antichrist will sit in the temple of God and claim to be God. This is one reason why the temple has to be rebuilt in Jerusalem. He will offer sacrifices of desecration on the altar (e.g. Swine) to mock the Lord God. See Mark 13:14 and Revelation 13:8.
• Deceitful leader – See 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12. The Antichrists miracles will all be “lying” miracles. The miracles are promoting a lie. People can be saved after the rapture of the Church. Those who have rejected Christ before the rapture will believe the lie rather than the truth. There is a deliberate rejection of the truth and they are handed over to the lie. Those who rejected the Holy Spirit will be possessed by evil spirits. There is the danger of a strong delusion. Do not mess with eternity and believe now.
• Diabolical leader – As soon as the Antichrist has the world under his control, he will spring his trap and initiate his murderous deeds. He will persecute the saints, he will kill the two witnesses, and he will lead all the nations against Jerusalem and kill all those who believe in the Lord God.
• Dramatic leader – See Revelation 13:3-4. He receives a deadly wound and he is healed. He is imitating the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He is going to fake it but people will believe it.
• Demanding leader – If you do not have his mark on your hand or forehead then you cannot buy food nor do business. He will demand everyone to worship him. Those who defy him will be starved to death or killed.
• Defeated leader – The Lord is going to consume him with the breath of His mouth! The armies of God will destroy the armies of the Antichrist and Satan.
• Doomed leader – The Antichrist and the false prophet will be cast into the Lake of Fire. See Daniel 7:11 & Revelation 19:20. We know how it all ends!

Categories: Daniel