Prophecy and History

[Brakelite]

It's pretty easy to look back on the history of Christendom to see what Antichrists have been there, from pagan Rome to barbarian invasions to Islam, to cult groups, to corrupt Popes, to brutal political leaders--all these were various forms of "Antichrist."

However, in our day we're seeing Christendom being de-Christianized from within, a corruption brought on by internal sin and compromise with paganism. We've had theological liberalism, which has had a form of Christian "appearance" with a corrupt theology. In effect it is glossing over a return to paganism, making it appear to be moral and "biblical."

But liberal theologians have never owned the evangelical church, nor even Catholicism until relatively recently. The real problem, I think, is in the culture itself, where Christianity used to reign supreme. This has been a long slow centuries-old slide towards Humanism, without any essential biblical dogmatism or even religion. Antichrist will be, I think, not an effort to appear "Christian," but rather, an adversary of religion, claiming himself to be his own exclusive source of authority, ie a "god."

Quote....But liberal theologians have never owned the evangelical church, nor even Catholicism until relatively recently. The real problem, I think, is in the culture itself, where Christianity used to reign supreme. This has been a long slow centuries-old slide towards Humanism, without any essential biblical dogmatism or even religion. Antichrist will be, I think, not an effort to appear "Christian," but rather, an adversary of religion, claiming himself to be his own exclusive source of authority, ie a "god."

I think you are very close to the truth here. There has definitely been a swing away from conservative values, and what we have traditionally called the "Judeo/Christian ethic". The Bible and it's teachings is to a great extent vilified, despised, and mocked in many circles, particularly in the educational institutions of our lands. Not that there hasn't always been such opposition, but today such criticism and reinterpretation of scripture is so much more widespread, commonly accepted, and spoken of as an alternate 'truth'.
I would however suggest a different conclusion in the near future to what we are currently witnessing.
I don't think there are many Bible scholars and students of history and society in the Christian right who do not appreciate that the world is being run by a small group of elite powerful individuals who got some time has been playing one side off against the other. Hence why we have in nearly all countries, a left and right... Liberal and conservative... Socialist and capitalist etc etc. We have, over the last 200 or more years, witnessed swings that with each successive change in government or political movement, have gone to greater and greater extremes. Today, the swing to the left seems impossible to curtail, let alone understand. But if both sides are controlled by the one single power with its own agenda, and following the old Hegelian dialectic by supporting both thesis and antithesis, and deliberately controlling events and circumstances to foment conflict and division, and if the extremes are stretched sufficiently, the populace will cry out for relief. They will cry out for a new leader who will promise "peace and safety". The elites in control as I said, have an agenda for the world. This agenda however would never, under ordinary circumstances, be accepted by many. But in times of desperation and crisis, which is where the present global movements and trending, then the world will accept anything to bring relief. Even a tyrant.
One thing I will stress. This who hold the real power and pulling the strings, they are not secularists. Not by any stretch of the imagination. They are religious to the core, and their agenda is religious in all its intentions. They will certainly take on the guise of secular humanists, out even Protestant evangelical spirit filled Pentecostals if it suits them. But the end game, at least as far as their intention is concerned, is as you read in revelation 13. It's all about worship. And ultimately, the worship of Satan. But it comes with great deception. Nothing is as it seems. Look deeper.

 

[Brakelite]

It also can mean against. I say the AC is both against Christ and a counterfeit of Christ.

Correct. He, or it as I believe the Antichrist is.... Institution... Is against Christ by means of replacing Him.

 

[Randy Kluth]

Quote....But liberal theologians have never owned the evangelical church, nor even Catholicism until relatively recently. The real problem, I think, is in the culture itself, where Christianity used to reign supreme. This has been a long slow centuries-old slide towards Humanism, without any essential biblical dogmatism or even religion. Antichrist will be, I think, not an effort to appear "Christian," but rather, an adversary of religion, claiming himself to be his own exclusive source of authority, ie a "god."

I think you are very close to the truth here. There has definitely been a swing away from conservative values, and what we have traditionally called the "Judeo/Christian ethic". The Bible and it's teachings is to a great extent vilified, despised, and mocked in many circles, particularly in the educational institutions of our lands. Not that there hasn't always been such opposition, but today such criticism and reinterpretation of scripture is so much more widespread, commonly accepted, and spoken of as an alternate 'truth'.

Right, exactly. In the past, the battle was between Christians who were seemingly "intolerant" and Christians who were more "tolerant." But the goal, in the liberal camp, was always to divide and conquer, to gain allowance after allowance until Christianity is competing on a seemingly equal footing. The trouble is, there is no "equal playing field" in matters of religion. Once Satan is allowed to be one of the "players," his influence with sin-infected people can be overwhelming, and wins the battle of attrition.

Today, the battle is between Christianity and Paganism, and as you suggest Christianity is being belittled and marginalized--even discriminated against or demonized. That is where we are today in former Christian countries.

God warned His people not to be too soft with pagans. And now we're paying a price for doing just that. Our democracy was originally freedom between different Christian groups--never toleration of corruption and paganism. But now we have full-scale acceptance of paganism or non-religion like atheistic Communism.

"Secular" used to refer to the political sphere, which was Christian, as opposed to the ecclesiastical sphere, the Church leadership. But now Secularism refers to Secular Humanism, which is a de-Christianized form of political rule.

I would however suggest a different conclusion in the near future to what we are currently witnessing.
I don't think there are many Bible scholars and students of history and society in the Christian right who do not appreciate that the world is being run by a small group of elite powerful individuals who got some time has been playing one side off against the other. Hence why we have in nearly all countries, a left and right... Liberal and conservative... Socialist and capitalist etc etc. We have, over the last 200 or more years, witnessed swings that with each successive change in government or political movement, have gone to greater and greater extremes. Today, the swing to the left seems impossible to curtail, let alone understand. But if both sides are controlled by the one single power with its own agenda, and following the old Hegelian dialectic by supporting both thesis and antithesis, and deliberately controlling events and circumstances to foment conflict and division, and if the extremes are stretched sufficiently, the populace will cry out for relief. They will cry out for a new leader who will promise "peace and safety". The elites in control as I said, have an agenda for the world. This agenda however would never, under ordinary circumstances, be accepted by many. But in times of desperation and crisis, which is where the present global movements and trending, then the world will accept anything to bring relief. Even a tyrant.

I suggest that instead of this being sort of a controlled movement in world society towards acceptance of Antichrist, the prophecy of Antichrist is merely a conclusion drawn from human nature that politics will ultimately end up being controlled not by conscience but by political power. I agree that certain elites across the world have similar or common goals, which is to stir up division so that dogmatism cannot steal away their political control. There is no stronger challenge to political power than religion or constitutionalism, or idealism. People who want to rule in perpetuity must foment division to make themselves the "answer."

One thing I will stress. This who hold the real power and pulling the strings, they are not secularists. Not by any stretch of the imagination. They are religious to the core, and their agenda is religious in all its intentions. They will certainly take on the guise of secular humanists, out even Protestant evangelical spirit filled Pentecostals if it suits them. But the end game, at least as far as their intention is concerned, is as you read in revelation 13. It's all about worship. And ultimately, the worship of Satan. But it comes with great deception. Nothing is as it seems. Look deeper.

I don't think worshiping the Devil will ever be conscious Satan worship. I think it will be an indirect form of "worship," consisting of a conscious choice to prefer Pagan freedoms, as opposed to religious idealism. In opposing Religion, we get, by default, "Devil Worship."

The thing worshiped is more a worship of one's self than the worship of an invisible, spiritual being. But in preferring independence from God in terms of morality, people are by default worshiping what Satan represents--freedom from God.

When we hear shouts of "freedom" in our age, we need to watch out. This isn't necessarily democratic freedoms, but just as likely, a call to liberal progressivism, a change from religious values to self values, or the values of the masses, as determined in each society. And the political leadership will take full advantage of the lack of a moral consensus to impose order by force.