Newsletter #395 - September 2011 - By Shepherds Chapel - http://www.shepherdschapel.com/

Jesus foretold us all thing (Mark 13:23). There really isn't any guesswork, if you are one of God's elect. If you are a student of God's Word, you know how to identify antichrist. Let's begin our study in Ephesians.

Ephesians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

Because of Jesus we are blessed.

Ephesians 1:4 According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,

The phrase "foundation of the world" in the Greek language is "katabole". "Katabole" means overthrow. Satan rebelled against God in the first earth age, and he was overthrown. The chosen, God's election, stood with God. They weren't deceived then, and they won't be deceived in the future. They know that antichrist is Satan. Let's continue our study in the Book of Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 28:12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, "Thus saith the Lord GOD; 'Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.

"Tyrus" means "rock". And as we learn in the Song of Moses our rock is not their rock. Their rock, the king of Tyrus is none other than Satan. God created Satan full of wisdom and beauty.

Ezekiel 28:13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.

Satan has never been, and never will be, born of woman. He was created. We are talking about Satan.

Ezekiel 28:14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

At one point in time, Satan was a cherub that protected the mercy seat. He had earned that position. Pride caused him to want to take that mercy seat, which is the seat of Jesus Christ. That makes Satan antichrist.

Ezekiel 28:15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.

What was his iniquity? Satan stopped loving God, and his pride caused him to love himself.

Ezekiel 28:16 By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.

Satan had earned the right to serve at the very altar of God. He won't be serving there anymore.

Ezekiel 28:17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.

Satan will be cast down onto earth. The kings, and everyone else for that matter, are ready to be deceived by him. They are going to think he is someone else.

Ezekiel 28:18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.

Satan is the only one sentenced to the second death by name. He is the son of perdition. He is the serpent, that old dragon, the Devil, the false prophet and the antichrist. All of these positions are roles he plays. He utilizes these positions to deceive people. If you won't take time to learn God's Word, God will allow you to be deceived by antichrist, as well.

Ezekiel 28:19 All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more."

Satan is a dead man walking. Many false teachers would have you believe antichrist will bring war and destruction to the world. They see him with a tail and a pitch fork. Quite the opposite, he wants you to think he is Jesus Christ. He will behave and act like Jesus would. Let's turn to the Book of Daniel as we continue.

Daniel 8:23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. 24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy People.

This is the antichrist. He is supernatural. Antichrist will deceive all of those that don't have the seal of God in their minds.

Daniel 8:25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.

The antichrist arrives at the sixth trump. He deceives and destroys with peace. The Prince of princes, that is Jesus Christ, returns at the seventh trump. It is all over for Satan, when Christ returns. Turn to Chapter eleven with me.

Daniel 11:21 And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.

God warns us over and over again. Antichrist comes in peaceably. He will fill you head with flateries. He will prosper all those that worship him.

Daniel 11:22 And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant.

Satan is going to take over throughout the sixth trump, sixth seal and sixth vial. His number is 666. Don't be deceived. Let's go to the New Testament.

Matthew 24:1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and His disciples came to Him for to shew Him the buildings of the temple. 2 And Jesus said unto them, "See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down."

Antichrist sets himself up in Jerusalem at the sixth trump. At the seventh trump not one stone will be left standing upon another. Jesus is going to clean house.

Matthew 24:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" 4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, "Take heed that no man deceive you.

The deception that destroys comes from the traditions of men and false doctrine. It will come from the mouth of antichrist. Do you believe them or the Word of God?

Matthew 24:5 For many shall come in My name, saying, 'I am Christ;' and shall deceive many. 6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

What is the opposite of war? Antichrist comes in peaceably. When you begin to hear of world peace, you want to get your head out of the sand and pay close attention. You are all familiar with the rest of this Chapter. Jesus goes on to lay out step by step the events that must come to pass, before His return. Skip ahead to verse twenty-two with me.

Matthew 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. 23 Then if any man shall say unto you, 'Lo, here is Christ,' or there;' believe it not.

Why? Because Jesus Christ doesn't return, until the seventh trump. If you worship anyone before then, you will be worshiping the antichrist. Jesus didn't say, "You don't need to worry about any of this, because you are going to be gone".

Matthew 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

Heed the warning of Jesus Christ. Don't allow them to deceive you. He's going to look like Jesus, but speak as the Devil. He will have supernatural power (Rev. 13:11-13). Don't allow him to deceive you.

Matthew 24:25 Behold, I have told you before. 26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, 'Behold, he is in the desert;' go not forth: 'behold, he is in the secret chambers;' believe it not. 27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Don't allow anyone to tell you Jesus Christ has returned, until the seventh trump sounds (1 Cor. 15:52). We will all be in our spiritual bodies at that time. It is that simple. In conclusion, let's turn to the Book of 2 Thessalonians.

2 Thessalonians 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him,

There is nothing complicated about this. Our subject is the return of Jesus and our gathering back to Him. Note nothing has been said, or will be said about flying away.

2 Thessalonians 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

Before Jesus returns, There will be a great apostasy. The world will abandon their previous religion to worship the son of perdition. There is only one son of perdition. Don't allow anyone to tell you it was Judas. Satan is the only entity judged to die the second death by name. Satan is the son of perdition, and he is the antichrist.

2 Thessalonians 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Satan will set his throne up in Jerusalem claiming to be Jesus Christ. Satan is the antichrist. The world will worship him. The world will be deceived by him (Rev. 13:18).

2 Thessalonians 2:5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.

Michael is holding Satan in heaven. He will continue to hold him, until he boots Satan out onto the earth (Rev. 12:7).

2 Thessalonians 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

The word "letteth" is a transitive verb. It refers one back to the previous verse. Michael is holding Satan in heaven, but he will kick Satan out onto earth. That is when you will shine, beloved. You know how to identify antichrist, and you won't worship him. The Holy Spirit will speak through you as you witness against the false christ and for the true Jesus Christ. You have a destiny!

In His service,
Arnold Murray