EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 11/24/2024 11:11 PM
My Worship Time Focus:
PT-2 “Introduction to Antichrists”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: 1 John 2:18
Message of the verse: “Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour.”
I
mentioned in my last “evening SD” that the term antichrist and antichrists are
only found in the book of 1 John, and in 2:18 we see the first New Testament
use of the term antichrist, however it is certainly not the first biblical
introduction to the concept. Remember
that John himself had already heard that antichrist is coming. So since they knew about the coming of the
Christ from the Old Testament prophecies, some may have known about antichrist
from the same sources. I have studied
the book of Daniel in the similar way that I study all the books of the Bible
and in the book of Daniel I saw that he foresaw a human leader, satanically
energized, who will come to Jerusalem, enforce his will, exalt himself above
all other people and gods, and will wreak havoc and slaughter and here are some
verse references from Daniel that speak of these things: Both chapters, 7-8 of
Daniel and also 9:26-27 and also chapter 11.
Let me help set the stage on how the tribulation period will begin which
comes from the ninth chapter of Daniel. 27 "’And
he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the
middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on
the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a
complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes
desolate.’” Now the prophecy in Daniel chapter nine is perhaps the
greatest prophecy in all of the Word of God as Daniel learns that 490 years are
given to do a number of things. The
reference for the beginning of this prophecy of 490 years begins in the second
chapter of Nehemiah where Nehemiah is give permission to go back to Jerusalem
to begin to build the walls around that city.
"’So you
are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem
until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks;
it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress’”
(Daniel 9:25). Now the highlighted part of
verse 25 is given in Nehemiah chapter two.
The rest of that verse speaks of the fact that their Messiah, (Jesus
Christ) will come which will end 483 years of this prophecy with seven years
left to fulfill, which haven’t been fulfilled yet. When Jesus came into Jerusalem on what is
called Psalm Sunday He offered Himself to be their Messiah and they turned Him
down, and that ends the first 483 years.
Then in verse 27 we saw when the last seven years of this prophecy would
begin, which speaks of the Antichrist making a covenant with Israel for seven
years. So the point is that the concept
of Antichrist is seen in different Old Testament books and passages without
naming him as Antichrist. John MacArthur
writes: “The final Antichrist will be an
imposing, intimidating figure of superior intellect and oratorical skills, possessing
advanced military and economic expertise, who becomes the leader of the world. He will be so convincing as an ally and
deliverer that Israel will sign a pact with him to be her protector. Then he will turn against the nation and will
occupy the throne in the sanctuary of the rebuilt temple, which for Israel will
still symbolize the presence of God, and blasphemously present himself to the
world as if he were God. (For additional
details of Antichrist’s actions, see Revelation 13, 17 and my commentary on
those passages in Revelation 12-22,
The MacArthur New Testament Commentary [Chicago: Moody, 2000], 35-65, 155-72;
see also Rev. 6:2; 16:P13; 19:20).”
Now
in my Spiritual Diaries I have SD’s of the book of Revelation two different
places as I studied and wrote my Spiritual Diaries on Revelation on two
different occasions.
MacArthur
also states “The prop[het Zechariah also foresaw the future Antichrist:
16 "For behold, I am going to raise up a shepherd
in the land who will not care for the perishing, seek the scattered, heal the
broken, or sustain the one standing, but will devour the flesh of the fat sheep
and tear off their hoofs. 17 "Woe
to the worthless shepherd Who leaves the flock! A sword will be on his arm And
on his right eye! His arm will be totally withered And his right eye will be
blind.’” (Zech. 11:16-17).
“At the end of the age God will permit
an evil shepherd (Antichrist) to arise, who will be the antithesis of the Good
Shepherd. This man will be a false
shepherd who does not love sheep but slaughters them to fill his insatiable
hunger. Zechariah portrays him as a son
of destruction devoted to violence and devastation. Though his arm represents his great strength
and his eye his intelligence, he is doomed.
God will destroy that Antichrist when His sword of vengeance falls on
him.”
Lord
willing I will continue to look at this section as there is more to look at, perhaps
two more SD’s will be needed to finish this section.
11/24/2024 11:47 PM
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