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Prayer – Lesson 9, The Rule of the Antichrist
Heavenly Father, as our classes study about the Antichrist today, help them to be encouraged by the fact that despite his power he is still subject to you, that his time will be short-lived, and Christ's reign will be eternal! In Jesus' name we pray this, Amen.
How should we apply John's vision of the end times to our lives?
In Doctrinal Discussion, Don Englund answers this question, writing:
First, we should release ourselves from any hope that mere human government will bring lasting peace in this world. Second, we must be aware that the forces of Antichrist that deny Christ and seek to delude us are present and active in our world. As Satan in his anti-God ruse demands worship of himself, let's pray that our worship will be wholly focused on Christ, the Incarnation of the Father.
Source: Christ, the Triumphant Lord: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 55.
What do we sometimes miss about the Antichrist?
In "God's Word for Today" Steve Oliver writes:
We are given a significant amount of information about Antichrist in this passage. He is a powerful world ruler, deriving his authority from Satan, the ruler of this world. The “name of blasphemy” (13:1) points to an ingrained contempt for the things of God, and in keeping with this, his words are full of blasphemy. His mimicry of Christ, seen in seeming resurrection, is not surprising since this beast is attempting to take the place of God himself. What is surprising is that Antichrist can “make war with the saints, and . . . overcome them.” Throughout history, persecution has resulted in the spread of the gospel and widespread conversions; but here the persecution by Antichrist is more or less successful in stamping out Christianity. In the midst of this description of nearly limitless power and blasphemy, it is easy to miss a minor but crucial part of the description: Antichrist is merely a pawn in the ongoing war of Satan against God. He is permitted to have authority and to persecute the saints. But ultimately, God is in control even in these terrible circumstances, and Antichrist can do no more than God allows.
Source: Christ, the Triumphant Lord: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 52.
Who is the Antichrist?
In "God's Word for Today" Steve Oliver writes:
Antichrist is a much-studied and much-debated topic. There are some schools of thought that see him as only symbolic of human rebellion against God, and others who view Antichrist as a movement or religion rather than a per-son. Among those who think he is an individual, some peo-ple speculate wildly in their search for this future world ruler. Six-six-six becomes the key to a secret code, which will enable them to identify him before he is revealed. Others equate his mark with some element of culture, such as VISA® credit cards or Monster Energy® drinks.
One of the effects of this search for Antichrist can be that we lose sight of the most important things about him — his evil and his futile rebellion against God. Rather than trying to figure out how quickly this prophesied individual will appear, we need to understand his character and guard against emulating that.
Discussion: How can we avoid "missing the forest for the trees" as we study Revelation (and even other scripture passages)?
Source: Christ, the Triumphant Lord: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 51.
The Character of Antichrist Depicted
“And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people” (v. 24).
“God is my Fuehrer!”
These words sprang from the lips of Martin Niemöller, pastor of one of the largest churches in Berlin when Adolf Hitler was chancellor of Germany. Well loved, articulate, and a faithful pastor, his congregation included many soldiers, government officials, and individuals of all kinds. However, when Pastor Niemöller stood up to Hitler by refusing to proclaim him as the head of the Christian church, he became a marked man. This statement finally resulted in his confinement to a concentration camp until the end of World War II.
We must remember that the spirit of an antichrist will always be exposed. Truly, his character will be revealed. In the last days another Antichrist, a world leader, will come who proclaims himself to be both Lord and Saviour. He will deceive many, yet he too shall fall when the King of Kings returns! (James Baker)
And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.
(Martin Luther; Public Doman)
*Are we strong enough to stand and say, “God is my Fuehrer”?*
This devotional is the Monday, July 25, 2016 entry of Opening the Word.
Image Credit: "Martin Niemöller (1952).jpg" by J.D. Noske / Anefo
from Nationaal Archief (CC BY-SA 3.0 NL). Image resized, cropped.
Visit the home of each student at least once.
There's an old saying that "a home-going pastor has a church-going people." Teachers, do you want to increase your class attendance? Do you want to increase the frequency that your students attend class?
This suggested best practice is the first of several yearly habits the teacher should follow. This particular practice is the bare minimum. If you really want to have a positive impact on your students, you probably will need to visit them multiple times throughout the year. However, this tip is written in mind of our modern culture in which many people do not want unannounced visitors on their doorstep. You should be sensitive to the comfort zone of your students.
- Should you schedule a visit or drop in without warning?
- Would it be better to invite them to meet you for a cup of joe at the coffee shop instead?
- Would meeting at the church throughout the week or before/after a service be more appropriate?
The point of this practice is to encourage you as the teacher to "pastor" your class. In order to shepherd them spiritually, you need to know them more deeply. What are you doing on a yearly basis to achieve this?