PROF. BEN ONYEUKWU (REV.)
NCE(Eng.) ND/HD
(Journalism); BA (Hons) MA, PhD.
ANTICHRIST AND THE GREAT TRIBULATION
Devotional Text: Matt.
24:21-22; Rev. 13
Introduction:
The period in-between the second coming of
Christ, phase one, which is referred to as “the Rapture” or His coming into the
air (I Thess. 4:16) and the phase two of His coming, which is His actual return
to the earth, (Rev. 1:7) marks a time of the visible activities of the
Anti-Christ on earth, which is pictured as the Great Tribulation. Some
theologians are of the view that the Great Tribulation will take a period of
three and half (3½) years (Rev. 13:5; Dan 7:25), while others are of the opinion
that it will take seven (7) years, (Rev. 11:2-3); Dan 12:5-7). This is because,
according to those who hold that the Great Tribulation will take seven years,
the first three and half years of the period, will witness the prevailing power
of the Anti-Christ (Rev. 11:2), whereas, in the last three and half years of
the tribulation, the power of God’s two witnesses, referred to as the Olive
trees” (vs. 3), which are believed to be Enoch(Gen. 5:24) and Elijah (I King
2:11), will prevail. Please recall, also, that the part two of the lesson on
the second coming of Christ cites that some scholars do not agree that the
period under review is the actual period of the Great Tribulation, but simply
describe it as tribulation period, but this lesson holds that it is the actual
period and that the Great Tribulation will last for seven years, as cited
above.
GENERAL REMARKS
(1)
The period
in-between the two phases of the return of Christ is the period of the Great
Tribulation, (Matt. 24:21).
(2)
The period
is also known as the time of Jacob’s trouble, (Jer. 30:7).
(3)
The Apostle
John sees the period as the Hour of testing, (Rev. 3:10; 7:14).
(4)
Prophet
Daniel calls the period a time of distress, (Dan. 12:1)
ANTI-CHRIST AND THE UNRAPTURED
BELIEVER
The period in-between the two phases of the
return of Christ is the period after the rapture of the saints. During this
time both the civil and religious governments of the world would come under the
administration of the anti-christ, who would exercise excessive powers on
earth, and the believer whom out of carelessness missed the rapture would then,
be in for real trouble. According to the Bible, such believers can only be
saved then, by giving their lives as martyrs (Rev. 13:15); if they would escape
the damnation of Hell, (Rev. 20:15). In other words, they would pay for their
salvation with their own blood, as they would be killed for refusing to worship
the anti-christ and the image of his beast, (Rev. 13:15). Based on the
aforestated, therefore, the careless believers are informed that;
(i)
they risk
the damaging sufferings of the Great Tribulation, (Matt. 24:21);
(ii)
those who
refuse to worship the beast of the anti-christ and his image, then, will
definitely be tortured and killed, (Rev. 13:15-17);
(iii)
anyone who
denies Christ and worships the beast of the anti-christ or receives his mark,
then, will be condemned forever, (Rev. 13:8; 20:15)
ANTI-CHRIST AND THE NUMBER 666
At the period of the Great Tribulation, the
beast of the anti-christ will exercise great authority that would force the
inhabitants of the earth to worship him. According to the Scripture, he will
deceive the people with miraculous signs, and all those who would refuse to
worship his image will definitely be killed, (Rev. 13:12-15). In furtherance,
he would force everyone to receive his mark (666) on their right hand or
forehead or they would not be allowed to buy or sell, (vs. 17-18). This would
be a horrible time for all the inhabitants of the earth, including the careless
believer who would miss the rapture. In this connection, this lesson re-echoes
that during the Great Tribulation, the Anti-Christ will;
(i)
perform
miraculous signs to deceive, (Rev. 13:12-14);
(ii)
not allow
people to buy or sell, without the number (666), (vs. 16-17);
(iii)
bring those
who would receive the number (666) to the point of eternal damnation, (vs.
8-10; 16-18).
ANTI-CHRIST AND THE ONLY WAY OF
ESCAPE
The only way to escape the Anti-Christ, now
and during the Great Tribulation, is to embrace the Lord Jesus for salvation,
for the spirit of anti-christ is already at work in the world, (I John 4:2-3.
According to the Apostle Paul,---- the secret power of lawlessness (Anti-Christ)
is already at work; but the one who now holds it back (the Holy Spirit), will
continue to do so till He is taken out of the way. And then, the lawless one (Anti-Christ)
will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of His
mouth and destroy by the splendor of His coming, (2 Thess. 2:7-8).
From the cited epistle, the Apostle, equally
indicates that the identity of the Anti-Christ is yet to be known. To this end,
some think, he would be a Jew, pretending to be the Messiah and ruling at
Jerusalem, while others consider the Pope, as the Anti-Christ, as there are
other different opinions with regards to where, the Anti-Christ would come
from, or his actual identity. But, in all, let it be re-stated that;
(i)
the spirit
of anti-Christ is already at work in the world, (vs. 7)
(ii)
his identity
will be made known by God at the proper time, (vs 6);
(iii)
only the
Lord Jesus has the power to save from Anti-christ now, and during the Great
Tribulation, (vs. 8)
In
conclusion, please,
note also that, “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, 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. For this reason
God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so
that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted
in wickedness, (vs. 9-12). PLEASE, BE
INFORMED
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