Who is the antichrist?  What will he be like?  Well, that all depends on how you read the Book.  It could be that it turns out to be one of the larger non-events of history.  Kind of like Santa, the tooth fairy, and the Asthoreth bunny.  When it really comes down to it, if most of the prophecies of Revelation and Daniel have been fulfilled, then there really isn’t much left said.  And, that leaves the rest of the debate outside of the realm of scripture, and merely in speculation, which isn’t for theologians, but for arguments only.  Of course, this doesn’t meant there wont be evil men who submit themselves to the adversary, just has there have been throughout history, but are we expecting, Biblically, a great one-world ruler who will be a super-evil?  Not that I can find.

And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.

Mark 8:15

Jesus gives a two-fold warning, to beware of two types of teaching.  While many have speculated as to what these are, Jesus says plainly what the leaven, or yeast, of the Pharisees is.

Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

Luke 12:1 (portion)

This warning is like a warning to watch out for the “ditch on either side of the road”.  We have clearly identified the one error (which is an error in teaching or doctrine), which is hypocrisy.  This religious error stems from pride.  The Pharisees claimed to keep the law, to be righteous legalists, but as the encounter with the woman caught in adultery proved (John 8:1-11), none of them truly were.  For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  Romans 3:23.  In claiming to be righteous, even though each one of them knew themselves not to be, they were “actors” (the real meaning of hypocrite).  While pretending to be righteous, they were each one of them filled with “dead men’s bones” (Matthew 23:27), just as we all are without Christ.

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The identity of the “great whore” of Revelation 17 is of great interest to students of Eschatology.  Some have suggested the city of Rome for this, while others sometimes suggest Jerusalem or a future, rebuilt Babylon.  Looking historically in the lens of Biblical prophecy, it apperas as if Babylon the Great is referring specfically to the city of Rome.  The identity of the harlot, then, is Roma, the goddess that personifies this city.  This video looks at the prophetic and historical reasons for this interpretation as well as other issues.  Enjoy the video.

He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.

John 3:36 NASB

Martin Luther restored to the church at large the understanding of justification by faith alone with the divine inspiration of the verse, “the just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17).  Man was broken, and completely incapable of pleasing a perfect God, and needed the divine to descend and make a demarkation, an end of man’s corruption, and remake him anew.

It was faith, and faith alone, that Paul wrote about, that connected us to the saving Grace made available by Christ.  By faith Abel had made a better offering, and by faith, Abraham was counted righteous when he believed, not wavering with unbelief.

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Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?”

Matthew 24:1-3 (emphasis mine)

When we consider Bible prophecy of the end, we must look at Jesus’ words in the Olivet Discourse.  In this discussion with His disciples, Jesus answer the disciples questions about the coming destruction of the temple and it’s buildings.  The late teacher Derek Prince likened the interpreting Bible prophecy in terms of reassembling a skeleton.  He said that the thing you have to start with is the spine.  For Bible prophecy of the end, he claimed that Matthew 24 and the parallel passages (Luke 21 and Mark 13) were the spine of Biblical Eschatology.

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And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

Genesis 4:1-7

Hebrews 11:4 tells us that it was by faith that Abel offered a better offering than Cain.

Cain’s offering was not regarded by the Lord, as it is written, without blood there is no remission of sins (Hebrews 9:22).  It required blood, in which the Lord said the life of a thing was, in order to atone for the sin of another.  And, it was through the eyes of faith that Abel could perceive this.  And, for whatever reason, Cain’s lack of faith, or lack of using his faith, was his failure to see.

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Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Galatians 6:7

The secret to the spiritual life is not in and of itself warfare, but rather in the Spirit Himself.  Yes, we can learn the principles of warfare, and learn to bind and loose forces, yet if the reason that they are there, if there is some, is not dealt with, they will simply return, and often larger.

Consider for a moment Jesus’ life and ministry.  He did have to confront satan in the wilderness, but, finding nothing in him, the devil left him for a more opportune time (Luke 4:13).  The next time we read about the adversary directly opposing Jesus was at the end of his ministry, first speaking through Peter and then at the crucifixion, three and a half some years later.

What does this mean?  It means that, unless there were other times in Jesus’ ministry where the enemy came to Him to test Him, Jesus spent most of ministry with the enemy driven back, not in open conflict with Jesus during His ministry.

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