In Washington DC, President Antivon and advisers discuss what happened in Jordan as the Russian forces were destroyed. What happened to them? No one can explain it, but it is viewed as fortuitous. President Antivon praised the "Harmonic Convergence of the Universe" for the events. With the Russians suffering a great defeat, President Antivon sees it as a sign to him that he is the chosen one who has been given mystical powers and was sent to save the earth. His self-view of being a god is intensified by the events, which serves to embolden him to press forward with his grand plans for re-making the world order. President Antivon discusses his plans for uniting the various Western nations into a unified Western Alliance. Plans include first negotiating with the EU, but if not successful, attacking three of the larger European nations, then the rest will fall into line. President Antivon is in a hurry to get this done. And the recent Russian defeat has accelerated his schedule. President Antivon: "This is our chance to remake the world. Let us not waste it." He gives orders to move quickly to put in place a plan to take over Western Europe. Rumblings of opposition within the military ranks is met with the removal of several high ranking Generals, and some are imprisoned.
Along with the military strategy, President Antivon takes swift action to nationalize all social media in the US, making it his mouthpiece and a means to control the citizens. He declares a climate change emergency and uses it as the basis for further restrictions of individual freedoms. He tells his Chief of Staff to plan and implement an economic control system, some sort of "mark" which will require compliance with his dictates in order to engage in any economic activity, to buy or sell. Gun confiscation is put in place. Martial Law will be further enhanced in his upcoming speech to the nation, along with more Executive Orders and a Declaration of National Emergency. With those in place, who needs a Congress or Supreme Court?
Negotiations with European leaders to unite the Western nations prove fruitless and seem doomed to fail as European leaders resist his initiatives. President Antivon decides to move forward with the military option to take over the Western nations by force. He gives orders to take over three countries, including Germany, France and Italy, and the rest will have no option but to capitulate. This plan is set to begin in one week.
President Antivon appears at the UN annual meeting and announces that all Western Nations must join him in a military/economic coalition which will be the strongest in the world. Several European leaders push back on his aggressive approach. They call him "arrogant and foolish" which further inflames him. President Antivon declares that there will be a coalition one way or another. Several Western leaders walk out. Antivon is not impressed.
President Antivon meets with his senior military leaders and announces his plan:
"US forces in NATO will simultaneously take over the governments of Germany, France and Great Britain. The leaders of these three nations are to be taken captive and the government buildings taken over. The three nations will have no option but to yield and join as subordinate nations to a Western Alliance. Our plan is to get them to capitulate without invasion if possible, or by invasion if necessary, and then the others will join willingly. If the others do not join us, their countries will be invaded and taken over by force."
The plan shocks most in the room who hear it, but the example set by removing many of their fellow Generals made it clear there will be no dissension. The plan is put into motion. The power position of President Antivon will be firmly solidified by the formation of a Western Alliance under his command, and his plans for further world conquest can then be launched having the most powerful combined military force in the world. This is risky, but it is what Antivon does. He is in it to either win it all or lose it all.
Two weeks later the leaders of France, Germany and Great Britain are captured and held hostage by President Antivon's troops. The leaders protest but cannot overcome their dire situation. A US envoy from President Antivon contacts each one and tells them "We can do this together, or we can do this without you. Make your choice." Having no other option, the three leaders agree to join the Western Alliance under President Antivon's leadership.
The following day President Antivon addresses the nation: "For a very long time national leaders have talked about solving the world's problems. They just talked and talked but what was ever accomplished by it? Nothing. Climate change is ruining our planet. The enemies of the West are plotting against us. Internal enemies of the State engage in subterfuge, as new Christians emerge and apply their hatred for the progressive ideals we believe in. It is only a matter of time before the Middle East is engulfed in war. We can and must act now to solve these issues before they destroy us all. That is why I ordered our military forces stationed in Europe to seize the capitals of France, Germany and Great Britain. Our forces have already accomplished this first phase, and we are now negotiating the terms of our new world order with the European Union. The time has come. This is our chance to remake the world. We must not waste this opportunity."
The following day the remaining European nations capitulate and agree to submit to the leadership of President Antivon under a combined Western Alliance, which becomes the most powerful alliance in the world by far. News of the events catch the Russian and Chinese by surprise. They are shocked, but do not have the power to take on this huge new alliance. Both begin regional alliance negotiations with neighboring countries, even though some of those are their enemies.
China's leadership gathers in emergency session in Beijing to discuss the recently formed Western Alliance. Premier Zhou begins: "We have seen the aggression by the US which has greatly upset the balance of power in the world. We cannot stand by and watch as they take more and more power to themselves. They are already very powerful and will gain even more power, likely in areas where we have influence such as Africa. We must find new alliances for ourselves to offset the West. And with the recent disastrous defeat of the Russians and their Northern Alliance, they cannot provide any effective counter to the West. We must consolidate power here in the Eastern sphere to avoid being the next casualty of the West."
A similar emergency meeting is also in session among Middle East and North African countries, many of them long established enemies. The discussions were much the same as in the Eastern sphere. The power accumulation by the West has forced these countries to seek a Southern Alliance in an attempt to repel any attempts to take them over one by one. And the potential Southern Alliance members not only fear the West, but also the Northern and the Eastern Alliances. In these times of accumulation of power, no one could be trusted to leave the Middle East and North Africa alone, since the countries in those areas were viewed as a source of gaining power in the Mediterranean region close to several Western Alliance member countries. An agreement is quickly reached among Middle East and North African Muslim countries, and the Southern Alliance becomes a reality.
Around the world new believers are forming study groups to learn about their newly discovered faith. There are no Bible experts who remain on earth, so they must read online books and try to learn as fast as they can. But they find the task is not easy, since there are many books, but most books about the future were written by people who were not very accurate. So the task of finding useful information was difficult.
One group in Texas has been searching for answers and assembles almost daily for a group study. They have found that most of the detailed information about the Antichrist comes from Daniel Chapter 7, and the multiple heads, horns, and crowns on this Antichrist discussed in Revelation relate back to Daniel's prophecies.
The group leader James Coldwell tells those who are gathered:
"We are picking up where we left off last time with the Book of Daniel which describes four different beasts which look like various animals including a lion, a bear, a leopard, and a ten horned beast. The various beasts represent the four great empires of the ancient world, namely Chaldea (Nebuchadnezzar), Persia (Cyrus the Great), Macedonia (Alexander the Great), and Rome (the Caesars). We pick up the passage in Daniel at the discussion of the fourth beast, the Roman Empire. Let me read from Daniel Chapter 7":
Daniel 7:7 “After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns.”
Group Leader Coldwell continues: "Daniel prophesied about the coming of the Roman Empire 500 years before Julius Caesar. Daniel foresaw how Rome would become a great empire through conquests on a scale unequaled in human history. Daniel also foresaw that Rome would be made up of ten major nations/regions it would conquer, and these ten are part of what is now Western Europe, North Africa, Greece, and part of Asia Minor. So the fourth beast described by Daniel is ancient Rome during the Caesars. It conquered the world, devouring many nations and peoples. It had ten horns, meaning ten regions as defined in ancient times."
"Now Daniel's vision turns to the Tribulation, when an empire ruled by the Antichrist will come out of the nations which were part of the ancient Roman Empire. Now to the New Testament, we see there are numerous references to the Antichrist. Daniel describes how the Antichrist as ruler of this Revived Roman Empire will consolidate his power:
Daniel 7:8 “While I was thinking about the horns [ancient nations], there before me was another horn, a little one [Antichrist], which came up among them [nations during the Tribulation]; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a human being and a mouth that spoke boastfully.”
Daniel 7:23 “He gave me this explanation...24 The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom [ancient Rome]. After them another [11th] king will arise [Antichrist], different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings [European nations]. 25 He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people [Jews] and try to change the set times [prophecies about the Tribulation] and the laws [totally lawless]. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time [3 ½ years].”
Group Leader Coldwell: "This is describing the Antichrist. Let me read from the book "The Future Times" which we all have been reading which interprets these Bible passages:"
"This “little horn” is the Antichrist who during the first 3 ½ years of the Tribulation will conquer (“uproot”) three of the ten large “horns” (nations) and the other seven “horns” (nations) will submit to his rule as the King of the West during the Tribulation. He will come from an 11th nation which was apparently related to but possibly not part of the ancient Roman Empire. This confederation of nations under the Antichrist will become the Revived Roman Empire of the second half of the Tribulation, which is consolidated from ten separate nations by warfare and treaty during the first half of the Tribulation. This also relates back to the first Seal, the Rider on the White Horse (dictatorship), and the second Seal, the Fiery Red Horse (worldwide warfare). So the Antichrist consolidates power by warfare during the first half of the Tribulation setting up his evil tyrannical rule over a ten nation confederation made up of former Roman Empire countries and uses his accumulated power as a tool of Satan during the last part of the Tribulation. He will then attempt to conquer the rest of the world as his predecessors the Caesars had done. He will do Satan's work as he tries to destroy Israel and all Jews everywhere during the last 3 ½ years of the Tribulation (the meaning of “time, times, and half a time” – 1 year plus 2 years plus ½ year = 3 ½ years).
The passages from Daniel describe the Antichrist and his origins several thousand years before he actually arrives. Daniel says the Antichrist will rule western nations which were formerly part of the ancient Roman Empire, so his empire is not made up of Islamic nations or other regions. Those regions will have their own power spheres and will also be pulled together by Satan into his evil plans. More will be discussed about the origins of the Antichrist in Revelation Chapter 17."
A member of the study group asks: "How many here believe that President Antivon is the Antichrist?" Everyone talks at once, with most saying they believe he is, some saying they are not sure, and a few saying they do not believe he could come out of the US. But all agree that Antivon is anti-Christian. "He does not believe in God, but believes he is a god!" one member interjects. Another asks "How can we really know?"
Group Leader Coldwell tries to answer the questions: "The Antichrist has some of the traits of the various nations and rulers of the ancient world – a mixture of speed, strength and cunning -- but he will be different. Satan will empower him directly, making him one of the most powerful dictators in history. The Antichrist is discussed in a number of Bible passages and is referred to by several names. Although the term “antichrist” has stuck as the name commonly used for him, the Bible calls him “the Beast”, “the Beast out of the Sea”, “the antichrist”, “the man of sin”, “the little horn”, “the man of lawlessness”, “the man doomed to destruction”, and “the lawless one” as noted in the following representative passages:
2 Thessalonians 2:3 -- “Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, 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, proclaiming himself to be God.”
2 Thessalonians 2:8 -- “And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.”
1 John 2:18 -- “Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come.”
Revelation 13:2 “The beast I saw resembled a leopard”
Daniel 7:8 – “While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one...”
Then Group Leader Coldwell reads from "The Future Times":
"The rise of the Antichrist will be orchestrated by Satan with a dramatic flair which builds him up as a deity and therefore an object of worship in the eyes of the world. But his worshipers will actually be worshiping Satan.
Revelation 13:3 “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 filled with wonder and followed the beast. 4 People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?”
The Bible predicts that the Antichrist will survive a “fatal wound” received during an assassination attempt since a “sword” is used against him (Revelation 13:14). He will appear to actually die, but will be revived and live when everyone on earth thought he was dead. This near-death experience will cement his “deity” image and help promote him as head of the new religious order sponsored by Satan. People of all nations will see his Satan-induced power and will witness his “resurrection” from the dead, then will worship Satan through the Antichrist. The two will be practically indistinguishable. This worldwide adoration mixed with his presumed “miraculous resurrection” leads to the Antichrist setting up his own religion where he is the deity, and he places his own statue in the temple in Jerusalem to be worshiped as an idol (the Abomination of Desolation). Satan is such a copy-cat, and this becomes one reason why this man is called the antichrist, because Satan uses him to mimic and mock the true salvation work and person of Jesus Christ, including Christ's miracles, death and resurrection. As we noted earlier, when the Jewish believers in Israel see the Antichrist idol statue called the Abomination of Desolation put into the temple in Jerusalem they must flee to the high desert areas of Jordan where they will be protected, or they will be killed.
The Antichrist will be a genius, so we must give him his due. He will accomplish many things due to his combination of great intellect, communication skills, military genius, political skills, and even his use of false religion and idolatry to accomplish the will of his benefactor, Satan. Satan uses the man's innate skills, which will be numerous, and adds his own empowerment through demon possession and even Satan possession at times to make the Antichrist into a rock star level superhero world leader in the eyes of the degenerate unbelievers of the world. World events will also lure people into a desire for a strongman to solve the world's problems resulting from the “Four Horsemen” judgments of Revelation 6. He even uses false miracles to wow the masses, which will be discussed later. So his rise to power is swift and decisive, and he becomes the world's most famous and popular man and the public will literally worship him as a deity. But his precipitous fall 3 ½ years later will mirror his meteoric rise.
The following passages in the Bible describe the Antichrist's significant capabilities:
1) Political skill – pulls together many (Revelation 13:1; Daniel 7: 20-21); 2) Military skill (Revelation 13:1; Daniel 7: 20-21; Revelation 16), 3) Religious skill – sets up false religion which deceives the masses (Revelation 13:6-8, Revelation 17+18), 4) Power of miracles (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12), 5) eloquent communicator. Again, demon and Satan possession will enhance his innate skills to levels where people will see him as a god—but only for a short time.
The key to the success of the Antichrist is his ability to put in place a system of evil power which takes away individual freedom, especially freedom to worship anyone except himself, in exchange for the promise of security and economic benefit. The Tribulation will be a time of heightened insecurity for people due to the disruption of the Rapture, followed by extreme levels of disaster from the Four Horsemen and extreme natural disasters which we have already noted. Therefore, people will be ready to accept this dictator since he appears to have great power on several levels, and promises the masses he will keep them safe and secure. Of course, that will turn out to be a false promise of security, and they will lose their freedoms in exchange for nothing.
Revelation 13:5 “The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months.”
Satan gives the Antichrist supernatural communication ability to issue false promises in a manner which makes them widely accepted as truth. Add to that his arrogant and blasphemous tone, and the degenerate world will view him with awe and reverence, and will refuse to turn to the true Savior Jesus Christ. His short-lived power will last for 3 ½ years until the Second Advent of Christ.
Revelation 13:6 “It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven.”
The Antichrist sets himself up as a deity and continually blasphemes God and all associated with God, in Heaven and on earth. His taunting of God will make him a hero to the degenerate masses, who will adore him. He turns his statues into idols to be worshiped. He slanders God and the elect angels in Heaven because he cannot stand anyone having more power than he has, especially those beyond his reach to intimidate or harass. His absolute arrogance will further endear him to his adoring fans. They will think in their own arrogance that God must be powerless against him, since at first there does not appear to be any retribution against him. But God will only give him 3 ½ years, then it will all end. He will soon become the very first resident of the Lake of Fire, the eternal residence waiting for Satan, fallen angels, and unbelievers of all time.
Revelation 13:7 “It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.”
After reading from the book, Group Leader Coldwell continues:
"The Antichrist will make a treaty with Israel during the early part of the Tribulation, then will break that treaty and occupy Israel without much resistance and install a puppet ruler over Israel who supports him. By the middle of the Tribulation the Antichrist will have a significant military presence in Israel, setting up a military target for the other three Kings to come after him at the end of the Tribulation resulting in the final battle at Armageddon. In the meantime, the Antichrist will exert great power over Israel, including military power, and also power over economic life and even power over life and death, but these powers will not cause Jewish believers to renounce their faith in Christ. This will severely frustrate the Antichrist. God permits persecution of believers in Israel to show His power through believers in the face of absolute evil. The Antichrist will have extreme power over many of the people of the world, and he will be one of the most powerful people of all time, humanly speaking. But he cannot control God's faithful believers, even though he will kill many of them for their refusal to comply with his system of evil. It should be noted that all believers in Israel will have fled to the mountains of Jordan before the Antichrist takes firm control of Israel, so the Jewish believers who will be in Israel during the second half of the Tribulation are recent converts. When we see their faith and martyrdom, we must remember what very new believers they are, and how impressive their display of faith will be under the circumstances."
Revelation 13:8 “All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.”
A member of the study group asks: "Why would people chose to follow the Antichrist?"
Group Leader Coldwell:
Unbelievers on earth believe in the Antichrist instead of believing in Jesus Christ. They will prefer Satan's lie to the Truth. Worshiping the Antichrist will be satanic worship, since it is Satan's power they are seeing. This “hardness of heart” will be extreme among the degenerate masses during the Tribulation. The Antichrist will also make life difficult for those who refuse to follow him. He will institute a "Mark of the Beast" program which will prohibit anyone from buying or selling anything, including food, without accepting this Mark. But as believers we are told we must refuse the Mark. It will be difficult to refuse as we look at our families and others who depend on us. But refuse we must. The Bible says we must be faithful and endure patiently:"
Revelation 13:9 “Whoever has ears, let them hear. 10 “If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity they will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword they will be killed.” This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.”
"As noted, these will be new believers who become martyrs, none for more than a few years because the Rapture removed all believers before the Tribulation began. For Jewish believers in Israel it will be even more difficult. At mid-Tribulation all believers in Israel must flee to a safe hiding place in the mountains. After that flight, all new believers from that point on are required to remain and be prepared to fight when the time comes. Those who sacrifice for the Lord during this extreme time of evil will receive their reward in Heaven. God allows evil to have its way for short periods of time throughout history, but God never loses control. The Antichrist will kill many believers, either directly or indirectly by taking away their ability to buy basic necessities since they will refuse the Mark of the Beast. But the murderers are destined for much misery on earth during the Trumpet and Bowl Judgments followed by eternal condemnation."
After a prayer for guidance the study group members depart. They will be back again the next day seeking more wisdom from the Scriptures.