THE ANTICHRIST AND THE TRIBULATION

1. THE FIRST BEAST OF REVELATION 13 ATTACKS ISRAEL :
• The apostle John gives us a snapshot of the appearing of the Antichrist — the first beast !
  • “Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name…The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. ” Revelation 13:1-2
• The beast, the antichrist, was given permission to come against God’s people:
  • “It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them.” Revelation 13:7
  • “I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them…He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High” Daniel 7:21, 25
• The prophet Zechariah prophesized about the attack :
• “For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.” Zechariah 14:2
• The prophet Daniel described what is going to happen at the moment of the attack :
• “Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering…And some of those of understanding shall fall, to refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time.” Daniel 11:32-35 [Daniel explains that a group in Israel will accept the antichrist as their Messiah, but the group that will not accept him will be persecuted and killed. But a group will be able to make to the mountains where they will be protected from the wrath of the beast]
• But the woman [Israel] was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. Revelation 12:14 [The ones who will escape will be protected for 3 ½ years]


2. JESUS WARNED ISRAEL ABOUT THE GREAT TRIBULATION COMING THEIR WAY FROM THE ANTICHRIST :
• Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains…For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be.”
• Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house.
• And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! Mark 13:14-19


• For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.
• And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. Lu. 21:20-24

THE TIMES OF THE GENTILES :
• But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two month. Rev. 11:2
• The Gentile army that will come against the city will be there for 42 months or 3 ½ years
• And swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time [3 ½ years]; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished. Daniel 12:7


• ➤ IMPORTANT: It was given to the prophet Daniel the revelation of what would be happening in Israel when the wrath of Satan through the Antichrist would come against God’s Chosen People. [Daniel 11:32-35] There will be a group in Israel that will accept the Antichrist as their Messiah, but there will be another group that will see that he is an imposter and will warn the people to flee from his attack. This is what Jesus is referring to when he says that when they see the abomination of desolation in the temple to run for their lives [Mat. 24:15-16] because the attack against this group will be ferocious and they need to go to the mountains where there will be a place of refuge for them [Rev. 12:13-14] — but most will die in the process like Jesus warned as the great tribulation will come against God’s Chosen People of Israel. [Matthew 24:16-22]
  
  
• ➤ IMPORTANT: When the remainder of Israel escapes to the mountain, the rage of the Antichrist turns then to the rest of God’s people — believers in Christ: And the dragon was enraged with the woman [Israel], and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. [Revelation 12:17]

  ➤ It will be at this time that Satan will use the second beast , the false prophet , to come against believers. [Revelation 13:11-18]

* All biblical references are from New King James Version

Print Lesson