The Spirit of Antichrist--Cultural Cleansing

And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

Daniel 7:25

Daniel 7 is such a rich source of biblical prophecy that it would be impossible to touch on it in one post.  Just verse 25 is so deep that it would take weeks to discuss all of the ramifications.  Yet, we get a brief snapshot of the work of the godless one in this prophecy.  The antichrist will seek to eradicate distinctive culture in order to unify the world under one universal order, and for 3.5 years during the Tribulation (to which this verse pertains) he will succeed.  The spirit of antichrist always seeks to erase any national identity or ethnicity and replace it with another using chaos and conflict.  Let’s explore a few shadows of what is coming now and what will come in the near future.

Though many wish to rewrite history and deny the truth, Antiochus IV desperately tried to replace the culture of his empire and replace it with his own—Hellenism.  In the last post, The Spirit of Antichrist--Destroy the Bible, we found that this evil man worked tirelessly to destroy the Tanakh of the Jewish people (aka. the Old Testament).  He outlawed Jewish religious rites and traditions that made them a distinct people.  Sadly, he was even assisted by many Hellenized Jews who promoted vigorously the popular cultural ideas of the day.  Before his terror was stopped in it tracks by people who would not allow the Word of God to be desecrated and their culture erased, thousands were dead throughout the region.  The erasing of culture nearly always ends with the persecution of the people whose culture was targeted (more on persecution of believers and anti-Semitism another day).    Had the LORD not called up resisters we may well have lost the Old Testament; however, He always defends His word and His people.  The LORD and His Word never fail.

Another good example of culture cleansing came during the French Revolution.  This was the birthplace of the guillotine where nearly 16,500 were decapitated during the debacle and many thousands more were killed by other forms of execution (the guillotine will more than likely be used again extensively soon!).  Radical groups were pitted against one another on purpose for the sole reason of creating a new world order out of the ensuing chaos.  Even times and laws were to be challenged.  The French Revolutionary Calendar was created which declared that 1792 was the new year 1.  It also called for a changed “week” by proposing a 10 day work week.  This experiment of cultural sterilization left thousands dead.  Death and hell are always on the heels of the antichrist. 

“Think of the press as a great keyboard on which the government can play.”  Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi Reich Minister of Propaganda just quoted, played the media with satanic expertise.  This time period should be one of the greatest warnings to modern man, but the lessons learned are being tragically ignored.  Talk about the cleansing of culture to replace it with another one, just what was the Aryan race anyway?  It was the brainchild of another shadow of the antichrist—Adolph Hitler.  The work to eradicate distinction started from cradle to the grave in Nazi Germany.  The demonically ran media reminded one daily of what they should think, what they should wear, where they should shop, and what they should hold sacred.  However, if you were different…need more be said? Using the lies of social Darwinism and eugenics, multiple millions were victimized and then destroyed to a tune of over 11 million for failing to be like the government’s ideal person.  Sadly, most groups were for destroying another group until their culture was next on the list. Just ask the Jews, the Gypsies, those with special needs, the…    Need we look at Stalin, and Mao and Pol Pot, and… 

The Ideal Family

There is more at stake here than a few old flags, stone monuments, public prayer, selling cakes, changing park names, and the digging up of Confederate generals.  What is happening is the isolation of a specific group starting with the most vulnerable to criticism by the media and the sterilization of distinctive culture.  It is a purposeful destruction of America as we know it so that a new one world agenda can be put in place. It is the sure sign the nation is given over to an antichrist spirit. America and our Constitutional rights are being swept away right under our noses, and this same scenario is being played out in countries around the world. What begins with a national media fueled outrage against some specific target will eventually end in the killing of millions. People are literally being told what is and what is not acceptable by the media without anyone questioning why now?  Institutions that were a part of the fabric of American society for many decades are now being challenged and removed daily. Isn’t it strange to anyone that the eternal laws of God seemed to be the first major object of hate?

First, this group will be targeted, and then that group. Sooner or later they will get around to you and your group unless you bow to the wishes of the global agenda, the spirit of antichrist.  Another chapter of Daniel is being played out now—Daniel 3.  Will you bow?  All of the world will be called to unite under one universal culture; one world, one government, one economy, one religion.  The signs of universal sterilization are all around—signs the Bible warned would come.  Soon the evil one will appear and it will get much worse.  By the end of the Tribulation less than 1 in 6 who enter that fateful seven year period will be left.  Were the days not shortened no one would survive.

But the end of the story was written in eternity.  Jesus Christ wins—He is truly Soon2Come!

The Spirit of Antichrist--Destroy the Bible

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away…Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

2 Timothy 3:1-5, 7

God manifest!  That was the name Antiochus IV gave himself when he added the surname “Ephipanes”.  He was the deluded Seleucid ruler who tried in vain to Hellenize the Jewish people until he was stopped by the Maccabean Revolt.  Many people in that day changed his title from Ephiphanes to Epimanes; madman.  He really thought he was a physical manifestation of the god Zeus (or Jupiter).  In Revelation 2:13 we are introduced to an altar that was dedicated to Zeus and Athena.  Jesus called it the seat of satan. It is certain that this man, who was a shadow of the antichrist, also hated the teachings of the LORD. With satanic zeal he tried to destroy the Torah scrolls of the Jews during his fateful reign. 

Surely everyone knows that satan, the fallen cherub behind the mask of the antichrist, hates the Word of God…or do they?  No! Not everyone understands that the liar hates truth, so they do not notice that an outbreak of the spirit of antichrist is always associated with hatred and contempt for the word of God.  It eventually leads to the Word of God being slandered, banned, and destroyed.

Another sad type of the antichrist is the Roman Emperor Hadrian.  Hadrian, whose name means “Dark One”, also tried to rid the world of God’s word.  He built a temple dedicated to Jupiter (Zeus) on the very site of the first and second temples (It is an established fact that foundation stones of the Roman temple to Jupiter were seen as a blueprint for the construction of the Dome of the Rock and that these very stones were used in its construction).  This led to a rebellion by the Jews known today as the Bar Kokhbah’s Revolt (132-136 AD).  After the bloodshed was over he banished the Jewish people from the land and spitefully renamed it Palestina after learning that one of the names of Israel’s ancient enemies was the Philistines.  The name, Palestine, is still used by many who probably don’t even know of its Roman origins.  Finally, Hadrian rounded up all of the scripture scrolls he could find and held public burning parties.

So what is going on in America?  Why is the 10 Commandments so controversial that it needs to be removed from the public arena?  Are we going to eventually erase scripture from all of our national monuments such as the Lincoln Memorial?  Is it normal for courts to rewrite or redefine the teachings of scripture, or for judges to say there is merit in believing that the Bible causes one emotional harm? Why in the last week have many people came forward to claim that the Bible is not inerrant nor inspired?  Is it true that the Bible is hate speech? What spirit is behind the suing of Bible publishing companies because there are verses directed against homosexuality?  Why are some people calling Bible believers idol worshipers?

The enemy always starts with questioning the Bible's teaching.  From there the Word of God is mocked and slandered. This sort of hatred will soon lead to the public destruction of Bibles.  Don’t think it will not happen!  Hatred of the Word of God always surfaces when the word of God is preached or printed.  Just ask those who have recently been beaten for sharing its truth. Ask the thousands of martyrs who gave their lives just so we can have a Bible to read.

Jesus said emphatically, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”  Matthew 23:45.  Though the WORD is being attacked worldwide as the spirit of antichrist runs amok it is just another sign that Jesus Christ is Soon2Come!

The Spirit of Antichrist--Shedding Innocent Blood

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
1 John 1:1

There is no doubt that Jesus is life. The Apostle John was an eyewitness who saw Jesus heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, heal blinded eyes, and perform miracles too numerous to mention.  Among those miracles there were several who were brought back from the dead.  The greatest miracle of all came three days after He, Himself, was laid in a grave.  Jesus Christ arose.  “All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men (John 1:3-4).”  He is the resurrection and the life. 

John also warned us about the rise of the antichrist spirit and the eventual rise of the Antichrist, a godless man who will seek to convince a willing world that he is god.  Death will follow at numbers so huge that all of the bodies can't be buried quick enough. This satanically inspired man is against Christ and is Jesus’ ultimate antonym.  One of the meanings of the prefix anti- is “that which is opposite.”  If Christ is life, then the antichrist spirit and the man later bearing that moniker are involved with death.  As Jesus is life, the antichrist spirit brings death when it permeates a land.

In the last post, The Spirit of Antichrist—Unbridled Lust, it was mentioned that idol worship involved perverse sex rituals performed as an act of wicked worship.  The children of these unions were later often offered as sacrifices to these gods.  This is a well know and established fact.  Jeremiah addressed this in his warnings to Judah who was in the midst of national judgment for this very sin.  “They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind:…(Jeremiah 19:5).”  The LORD also addressed this in Leviticus specifically naming the idol worship of Moloch (another bull god).  “And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD (Leviticus 18:2).”

The Apostle, surely, was quite accustomed to seeing infanticide while living in the Roman Empire.  The murder of children for convenience or deluded worship was quite common in that time period.  Take a moment to read this Discovery article, “Infanticide Common in Roman Empire”.  Here is another quote to consider from a Roman man away from home.  "I am still in Alexandria. ... I beg and plead with you to take care of our little child, and as soon as we receive wages, I will send them to you. In the meantime, if (good fortune to you!) you give birth, if it is a boy, let it live; if it is a girl, expose it." Many more articles and quotes could be attached but the picture is clear.  Killing children always accompanies an outbreak of the spirit of antichrist.  Why wouldn’t it?  Satan is the being behind the mask of the murder of children, including the murder of infants in the womb.  He hates humanity simply because mankind is created in the image of God.  This evil practice, however, carries with it grave consequences. Any nation sanctioning the murder of innocent lives is under the curse of God’s eventual justice.  

One of the Kings of Judah led the nation into a very dark time in their history.  It was King Manasseh.  This man worshipped about all of the perverse idols around in his day.  Sacrifices to Baal and Moloch were common and the land was filled with brothels.  He even offered his own son, a possible heir to the throne.  “And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger (2 Kings 21:6).”

And was the LORD mad!  He sent terrible judgment on Manasseh.  The LORD sent immediate punishment through the Assyrians and a prophetic warning of the later Babylonian deportation.  Manasseh was terribly tortured by the hands of the Assyrians (all of God’s judgments have redemption in mind).  This brought the erring king to repentance.  End of story... not quite.  God did not revoke the curse on the land for the sin of shedding innocent blood.  Even though the sin of Manasseh was forgiven—the consequences of it followed.  Hear the word of the LORD.  “Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did; And also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the LORD would not pardon (2 Kings 24:3-4).”   Did you see the last phrase?  “…which the LORD would not pardon.”  Though personal sin was atoned for and forgiven, the nation was punished for allowing such an evil thing to happen in the land.

“Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said "the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether."  These prophetic words are from the next to the last paragraph of President Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address nearing the close of the Civil War.  Little did he know that there would be an uncanny ratio between the deaths of American soldiers and innocent lives destroyed by the slave trade?  Here is a prior example taken directly from American history. Let this resound, America, as we approach the murder of 58,000,000 babies murdered in the womb.  Let this resound, world, for untold millions have been murdered on the altars of convenience.  It is a sure sign that the spirit of antichrist is running rampant and that the man of sin is soon to be revealed.  It is also a sure sign that judgment will soon hit America and the world.

Manasseh was forgiven, and your sin too may be forgiven as well.  Thank God for Jesus Christ and the innocent blood He shed to make all who cast their faith on him to be seen as innocent in the sight of the Father.  He is calling for you to turn.  However, the national sin will be accounted for…and soon.  Turn to Christ personally today as you feel His call on your heart.  Do it now because He is truly Soon2Come!