Hi there,
So I just wanted to flesh this out for a moment, so that I get a proper grip on the subject, myself. The anti-Christ does not merely weaken the faith - that is a misconception. The anti-Christ makes what he believes in "strong" (now there is a difference between "strong" and "righteous", but I won't go into that here) - and he is an Israelite, which is a strength. As such the anti-Christ is able to make all of Israel strong, but not merely strong for "strength's sake" rather, the anti-Christ is able to make Israel strong "in the Law". Now this is the trouble, if we surrender to the Law in faith, the faith is not a curse, but as we learn in Romans, surrendering to the Law in sin, is a curse. So it is that the anti-Christ will bring a curse to Israel, though it will seem like a blessing, because the Law is good. The point is, that it is supposed to bring conviction, which the anti-Christ being the anti-Christ, will resist.
What happens if the anti-Christ resists conviction? The Lord will harden his heart. This is the same motif we saw in Egypt, when God hardened Pharoah's heart (and not just once). The power of this, then, is that it provokes us to center our focus on a higher power. Some will be good at focusing on a higher power, others not - this is the difference between Rapture and Tribulation. In other words, even though the anti-Christ's heart will be hardened, the faith will maintain a tender heart, this in turn will draw nations away from the anti-Christ, before he falls. And fall he must! For an inordinate amount of strength is good to no-one. This is the Lord's test, of who on Earth will actually do His Will, when He comes. This means leaving behind something that you hold dear, for the greater good that you will able to do for God, without it. It may be a hope or an interest, it may be a practice or a thing. The point is that everyone will surrender something.
This giving up something, is where you get the tribulation and others struggling with it but not knowing how, is where you get the Rapture - you being caught up while others panic. Even then, God's power is needed, for surrendering in these things, the Devil will kick against Man changing his ways - openly declaring himself an enemy of Man, as he was afraid to do, before he saw the anti-Christ's pride. So God will step in, for Man's sake and the path out of Hell will be lodged, with an angel guarding the way, that evil not escape. This requires confession! So it will be that Man learns to dwell with the anticipation of God's coming and to keep praise ready for the meeting of Him. Holy Praise to God! This thing will be sublime, when the nations embrace it; it will be well worth the suffering under the anti-Christ to see the remnant of the faith saved. This is a true and faithful thing!
Though our paths be slow, yet let them tend toward God.
God bless.
So I just wanted to flesh this out for a moment, so that I get a proper grip on the subject, myself. The anti-Christ does not merely weaken the faith - that is a misconception. The anti-Christ makes what he believes in "strong" (now there is a difference between "strong" and "righteous", but I won't go into that here) - and he is an Israelite, which is a strength. As such the anti-Christ is able to make all of Israel strong, but not merely strong for "strength's sake" rather, the anti-Christ is able to make Israel strong "in the Law". Now this is the trouble, if we surrender to the Law in faith, the faith is not a curse, but as we learn in Romans, surrendering to the Law in sin, is a curse. So it is that the anti-Christ will bring a curse to Israel, though it will seem like a blessing, because the Law is good. The point is, that it is supposed to bring conviction, which the anti-Christ being the anti-Christ, will resist.
What happens if the anti-Christ resists conviction? The Lord will harden his heart. This is the same motif we saw in Egypt, when God hardened Pharoah's heart (and not just once). The power of this, then, is that it provokes us to center our focus on a higher power. Some will be good at focusing on a higher power, others not - this is the difference between Rapture and Tribulation. In other words, even though the anti-Christ's heart will be hardened, the faith will maintain a tender heart, this in turn will draw nations away from the anti-Christ, before he falls. And fall he must! For an inordinate amount of strength is good to no-one. This is the Lord's test, of who on Earth will actually do His Will, when He comes. This means leaving behind something that you hold dear, for the greater good that you will able to do for God, without it. It may be a hope or an interest, it may be a practice or a thing. The point is that everyone will surrender something.
This giving up something, is where you get the tribulation and others struggling with it but not knowing how, is where you get the Rapture - you being caught up while others panic. Even then, God's power is needed, for surrendering in these things, the Devil will kick against Man changing his ways - openly declaring himself an enemy of Man, as he was afraid to do, before he saw the anti-Christ's pride. So God will step in, for Man's sake and the path out of Hell will be lodged, with an angel guarding the way, that evil not escape. This requires confession! So it will be that Man learns to dwell with the anticipation of God's coming and to keep praise ready for the meeting of Him. Holy Praise to God! This thing will be sublime, when the nations embrace it; it will be well worth the suffering under the anti-Christ to see the remnant of the faith saved. This is a true and faithful thing!
Though our paths be slow, yet let them tend toward God.
God bless.
