
Revelation 1:3 Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.
Matthew 24:3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you.”
I. The Antichrist Deceives, Offering
Daniel 8:23 “… a master of intrigue [riddles, difficult to know], will arise [the antichrist]. 24 He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy the mighty men and the holy people. 25 He will cause deceit [deliberate misleading] to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes [Jesus]. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power.”
Daniel 9:27 “He [antichrist, a man fully inhabited by Satan] will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven’ [7 years]. In the middle of the ‘seven’ [3.5 years] he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination [vile idol] that causes desolation [destruction beyond help], until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.”
II. The Antichrist Deceives, Performing Counterfeit
2 Thessalonians 2:9 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.
Revelation 13:12 He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. 13 And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. 14 Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded the sword and yet lived.
III. The Antichrist Deceives, Proclaiming to be
2 Thessalonians 2: 3 … 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 [Daniel prophecy], proclaiming himself to be God.
IV. The Antichrist Deceives, Marking Those Who
Revelation 13:15 He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. 16 He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, 17 so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. 18 … His number is 666 [man who claims to be God]. 14:1 Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb … and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.
Revelation 13:2 … The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. 3 One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast. 4 Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast 5 The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months [3.5 years] … 8 All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb …
Revelation 14:9 …“If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, 10 he, too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name.”
Who we worship determines our mark!
Comforting Words:
The mark of the beast is not taken unknowingly, unwillingly, or accidently. It is only received when someone willingly worships the person who comes to power as the beast after the rapture of the church. Therefore, believers today can be 100-percent sure they are not going to take this mark, because we will not be on the earth but be spared God’s wrath by Him rapturing us away.