Seemingly, the evidence of each person’s submission to the worship of the beast will be some kind of mark. This mark comes in three varieties. It can be the beast’s name, his number, or the number of his name (Rev 13:17). Without this mark, no one can buy or sell. Having this mark will be necessary to continue to participate in any and all commercial transactions.
Why is it that the antichrist will demand the use of this mark? We must remember here that his main purpose is religious. His goal is that all the world would worship him, his image and the dragon. So, how could he go about accomplishing his end? How could he get everyone to participate in this worship? How could he have so many instant converts?
It is probable that, outside the Muslim world, many people would be resistant to this religion. Of course there will be a lot of spiritual power behind it, but nevertheless, many people of the world today are atheist, agnostic and/or just plain opposed to the thought of worshiping a superior being. Also, anyone who today is not a Muslim would no doubt object to the idea of being converted.
Persuading people to change their religion is not an easy thing, as many missionaries know. Such changes do not come quickly. Even with the devil’s anointing on it, it is not likely that the whole world will instantly embrace the image of the antichrist. As persuasive as the antichrist might seem to be, he will still have a lot of trouble convincing everyone. In fact, it would seem that there would be quite a bit of resistance to him.
Consequently, the antichrist will have to apply some pressure to people to impel them toward his goal. We must remember here that he is not going to have huge armies with which to conquer the world. So, applying direct, physical pressure would be very difficult. But, one way to control people is to control their money. If you can get hold of their pocketbook, you then have power over them. Securing control over their ability to buy and sell would seem an ideal way to have dominion over anyone.
How might such a thing work? Here we will again indulge ourselves in a little speculation. We have hypothesized that the antichrist will control much of the world’s oil. Using this control, he could then pressure the various governments of the world to do his will in order to receive their oil. One tactic he could use would be to demand that the various governments pass a few new laws regarding banking. These new rules would affect all the financial institutions.
These regulations could work something like this. In order to continue to use the services of any financial institution, each person would be required to supply proof of their conversion to the beast religion. They would have to show through documentation or actual, physical examination that they had received the mark, whatever this mark proves to be. If anyone does not submit the required proof within a certain time limit, then he or she will no longer be able to use the services of any financial institution.
Let us say that you refused to cooperate. This would then mean that your bank account would be frozen. You could no longer write checks to pay for what you wanted to buy, including food, clothing and gasoline. You would no longer be able to pay your bills simply by writing checks and sending them through the mail. You could not transfer your money anywhere, including to another country. Also, you would have difficulty liquidating your assets, especially if they had a mortgage or loan on them. No financial institution would be able to do business with you.
Next, your credit cards would be canceled. You could not simply call up some company or store and order what you needed. Your credit card would no longer be valid. This would then put anyone who had this happen to him in a very difficult position. Their mortgage would not get paid. If they had no mortgage, they still could not pay their taxes or utility bills. Soon, they would have no place to live. They could not buy food, so their family would begin to go hungry. They could not travel, so they could not easily escape to some place else where the influence of the antichrist would have less impact.
Then, more laws could be passed regarding businesses or individuals buying or selling to those who did not have this mark. They would be prohibited from doing business with anyone unregistered. Even if you had cash, officially stores would be reluctant or unable to sell you anything. The results would be catastrophic.
In this way, tremendous pressure, unbelievable pressure would be brought to bear on anyone who did not conform. Those who refused to worship would be subjected to the most extreme circumstances and difficulties. Even more than this, those who continued to refuse to cooperate could be put to death. Eventually, it is very possible that the governments would be required to round up the hold-outs and turn them over for execution or execute them themselves.
It is probable that in such circumstances, a sort of black market would suddenly appear. There will always be those who are ready and willing to profit from the misfortune of others. So, profiteers and gougers would materialize out of the woodwork. These would be people who would buy for you what you need and resell it to you at an exorbitant price. If you refused to receive the mark, but had various valuables in your home, you might survive for a while. Cash, gold coins, jewelry, antiques, tools and other items of intrinsic value might be traded at a fraction of their true worth for food, gasoline and other things which you might need. Yet such trade would only last so long or take you so far.
Such circumstances would certainly try your faith. Your commitment to Jesus would be severely tested. If you found yourself in such a bind, what would you do? Are you ready and willing to sacrifice your life and even the lives of your family to remain faithful to Christ? Is your love for Him such that it would withstand such tremendous pressure? Have you settled in your heart that you are ready to suffer and die, rather than deny Him? No doubt, believers in countries where there is or has been severe persecution have dealt with these issues already. They have been forced to do so. But how about you? Where is your heart today?
There is no doubt that the antichrist will make it as easy as possible for people to accept his way. He will certainly propagate many lies to make his religion seem palatable. He may even insist that his way is just a form of Christianity with a few, slight adjustments. Not only will the pressure to conform be enormous, but the lie which the antichrist puts forth will seem very attractive. It may seem to be a fairly innocuous, small thing to do to conform to his way. Remember, all of the devil’s deceptive power will be thrown behind this new religion.

Many, many Christians have spoken to me about the possibility of a microchip being implanted under their skin. This they think this will be the “mark” of the beast. They imagine when they make any financial transaction that this chip will be scanned and then the information transferred to a computer in the possession of the beast or which might even called “the beast.” Then, they suppose the antichrist will be able to keep track of all their transactions. Please bear with me as we examine this idea together.
There is nothing in the Bible which indicates a microchip. There is simply no verse which demands or even points to this conclusion. This is merely modern fiction and imagination. The fact that bar codes have three sixes on them (if indeed they do) is not scriptural proof of anything.
Not only this, but there are many problems with this idea. First, the logistics of the implementation of such a scheme are complicated. Secondly, it would be enormously expensive to achieve. You would have to manufacture billions of chips for everyone in the world. Then you would have to individually program each one of them to identify the wearer. Then you would have to surgically implant billions of these chips. Next you would have to make and install special scanners to read these chips in every point of sale in the world, costing billions of dollars and involving millions of hours of work. If you stop and think about this sanely, this method is not practical.
No world ruler would invest so much time and money in this project. It simply is not necessary. There is no compelling reason for the coming antichrist to set up such a scheme. It is impractical, expensive and unnecessary. Also, we must remember that he will not have this power over the world for very many years. Therefore, it is a good bet he will not do it.
The truth is that this method would not function in about half of the world today. In many places, if you would tell them that in order to make a purchase, they would have to have their chip scanned at the store, that this information would travel over the telephone lines and then money would be deducted from their bank account, they might die laughing.
Their stores have no scanners. There are few, if any, telephone lines. If there were, they have no bank account from which the money could be withdrawn. Such a system would be impossible for them. This situation is true for much of the world. For example, there are places today where just a few people in a town have phones. These are cell phones. The others come from miles around and pay to use these few phones. I have seen entire cities of thousands of people with only one bank of telephones at one location to serve them.
Many people have not traveled much and so are not familiar with a good part of the world. They think only in terms of where they live, which may be modern and convenient. But there is a large portion of the world where such things simply would not work. To modernize all nations to the point where such transactions were feasible would take decades or even centuries, if it were possible at all. Not a few countries are not only not developing, they are going backwards. In some places the infrastructure which once existed is falling apart.
A microchip simply is not necessary. The antichrist will have no need to track all your purchases as if he were your credit card company. There will be no necessity for you to be continually tracked anywhere. All he will require is for you to show up once to try to buy one item without a mark. From then on, you won’t be thinking about spending any more money. If you submit, well and good. If you don’t, they won’t need to track you. They will know where you are. You will probably either be in their custody or dead.
When the situation becomes very critical, whenever you try to buy or sell, whoever is responsible will check to see if you are qualified by examining your mark. This might work much like the clerk checking your driver’s license to verify your signature. If you don’t have a mark, then you might be carried away to another place and awaiting another fate.
Huge computers also are not necessary to carry out this scheme. The antichrist will not be like “big brother” watching your every move. He will have no desire to see into your livingroom or bedroom. He will have other things to do. The only thing that interests him is if you have submitted to his worship. If so, you will have a mark to prove it. If not, then you will either take one or face the consequences. This will only need to be done once. After that, there will be no need to track you or your purchases.
This mark or sign of your allegiance does not need to be a complicated affair. It has no need to require special electronics. Any sort of identifying mark might work. But it seems logical that something readily visible would serve the antichrist’s purposes the best.
The necessity for a mark in order to buy or sell, is simply the easiest way to check people for their submission. For example, instead of going house to house, checking to see if everyone has their required mark, the authorities responsible can simply monitor the points of sale where people buy their goods. Then the clerks who are running the register would have to verify a person’s mark before completing the sale. If someone does not have the mark, then they would summon the store security or some kind of officer to take care of the situation.
Also, a visible mark would work better in other situations. For example, officials could monitor public places such as malls or grocery stores to see if those entering and leaving were marked. Also, friends and neighbors could much more easily tell if you had a mark or not if it were visible.
No doubt the antichrist would have to have his minions in every country verifying compliance. Since many governments and even the populations might resist such efforts against believers, the antichrist would be required to send some of his representatives to check on things. They would need to verify that no non-worshipper was getting away.
Fortunately for the antichrist, many countries of the world have a substantial population of Muslims who might gladly volunteer for these positions. They have immigrated in large numbers to many of the world’s nations. Perhaps they would be grateful for the employment and the opportunity to spread their religion. In any case, a plainly visible mark would be much faster and easier to show and to verify.
I know that many, many people will argue with me about this microchip. It has been taught so much that it has become holy. To deny the microchip has almost become equal to denying Christ. Nevertheless, it has not one verse to substantiate it. Also, it is not necessary. Think about this a minute. If you were in charge of a world-wide crackdown on believers, how would you do it? What would be the simplest, cheapest way? Technology is expensive. Simple marks could be very cheap.
If our Lord tarries for many decades or even centuries, perhaps the world will reach a point where the microchip idea will become feasible. This is not impossible. My point here is that it is not necessary or demanded by the scriptures. Therefore, it is not a good idea to be focusing on it as a means to identify the antichrist or his schemes. What I am trying to convey is that there are others ways – more convenient, less expensive and easier ways – for the antichrist to make his mark.
The antichrist will rule ten nations in a part of the world that is less developed. He will have little interest in where you go or what you do after work. His one goal is to make worshipers of all inhabitants of the planet. How can he do this in the quickest, easiest way? I do not insist that his system will be foolproof or even that it will be universal. I would only care to point out that Christianity today has been taught many things about the last days which are composed largely of speculation and imagination and have very little, if any biblical basis.

Perhaps you remember the scandalous “oil for food program” made for Saddam Hussein and administered by the U.N. Well, it could be that the antichrist will initiate something similar. I call it the “oil for Christians” program. He may say something like this to the nations: “You hand over those who will not worship and you will get your monthly quota of oil. If you don’t give them or their heads to me, you get no oil.” This then would leave the government of each nation responsible for rounding up and handing over to death anyone who resisted this new faith. No doubt a large number of these would be Christians.
You see, the antichrist will have no need to invade your country. He won’t have to send his armies to come and get you, where you live. He can simply force your government to do it for him. They then will have to use whatever means are at their disposal to do his will so that they can get their oil and continue to function. Naturally, the more developed the country, the better the officials will be at tracking you down and handing you over. The “first world” nations will have many sophisticated gadgets and techniques to do this job.
It may be that as part of this program, he could assign quotas to various governments. Adolf Hitler used this method. He would assign some number of Jews to be rounded up to each of the conquered areas under his control. He would give the local governments a time limit in which to search out and hand over that number. No doubt, he had some informants or officials to give him an idea of what that quota should be. This system could work very well for the antichrist.
At first it is probable that in countries where Christians are numerous, they would stiffly resist such action. They could become vocal and visible, marching and protesting against the antichrist religion and eventually against making concessions and, of course, against being traded for oil. But, without petroleum, the economies of these countries would begin to suffer. The non-believers would soon begin to feel the impact. When the lack of fuel began to touch their lives, i.e. their jobs, their prosperity and even the feeding of their family, they will begin to hate anyone who seems to be standing in their way. They would begin to riot and protest. They would insist that their government do whatever was necessary to restore the status quo.
If there are some vocal citizens who are opposing the capitulation of their government, then these will be blamed for any shortages of oil. When the people of the world begin to suffer because a few Christians won’t go along with the program, then the believers will become a target of wrath. Anyone who stands in the way of people continuing on with their usual, prosperous lifestyle will become expendable.
Naturally, this sentiment will take some time to grow. These things will not happen overnight. But, when the choice becomes choosing between individual survival and those “religious fanatics” who are simply too stubborn to bend a little or give in, well...who knows? As the pressure grows due to a collapsing economy, unemployment and even starvation the thoughts and feelings of many will change. They will turn against those who are keeping them from what they want and need.
Soon, betrayal will become common. Folks will begin to report on others whom they suspect of not cooperating. After a while they will turn in their friends and even their family to the government. We read: “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another” (Mt 24:9,10). Also: “Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all men for my name’s sake” (Mk 13:12).
During this time, anyone who is getting in the way of people getting their oil and therefore their survival and comfort will be hated, persecuted and betrayed. They will be tortured and killed. The hatred toward God which many people of the world have hidden away within them will come out toward you. If you are standing in the way of what they want and what they believe they need, they will kill you. Your friends will turn you in. Even other Christians will not be reliable.
This will be the hour of trial for many Christians. It is probable that millions will be killed. The Holy Spirit who is now restraining this flood of wickedness will be taken out of the way (II Thess 2:7). The protection from God which we enjoy will also be much less. The antichrist is “granted [by God] to make war with the saints and to overcome them” (Rev 12:7). This will be our Lord’s way of testing and purifying many believers who today are lukewarm and have little commitment to Him or His work.
These will certainly be “perilous times.” This will be an hour for which Nazi Germany and the Communist Soviet Union were just a dress rehearsal. This will be a time of great turmoil and confusion. Many people will just not know which way to turn. They will be under tremendous pressure. There will be pressure to conform, pressure to feed their families, pressure to follow what other Christians are doing (or not doing). These pressures will generate many conflicting thoughts, emotions opinions and directions. No doubt, others who are also in confusion will offer their insights and ideas as well.
It is impossible to predict or imagine all the different things which will happen. What the antichrist will do, how people will react, how each different nation might try to implement his demands, all these things are far beyond our speculation at this time. What has been written here is but a feeble attempt to give an impression of what those times will be like. But we do know some things for sure. It will be a time of “great tribulation,” confusion and trouble. It will be a time of testing for all believers. All Christians will have to get in intimate touch with Jesus for themselves and learn to follow Him.
Please do not make the mistake to think that the word “tribulation” here refers to the judgments of God which He will pour out on the world. This is not the meaning of the word. Instead, it refers to what will happen to believers. Remember where we read that “...they will deliver YOU up to tribulation and kill you” (Mt 24:9). You see, judgment is for the unbelievers, but the tribulation refers to what will happen to Christians through the actions of the antichrist and the people of the world.

Just at this critical time when everything is in turmoil and disorder, many individuals will rise up claiming to have a word from the Lord. They are called by Jesus “false prophets.” Incredibly, they will be performing “great signs and wonders” to prove that their messages are from God. It is possible that many of these will claim to be manifestations of ancient prophets or well known men of God.
The false prophet’s words and emphases may be different from one another, but they will all have one thing in common. They will be trying to promote themselves. They will be the ones ultimately gaining from their “revelations.” It may be that they will garner prestige, followers, money or some other thing. But their motives will not be the humble service of God and others. Instead, they will really be serving themselves.
Additionally, also at this crucial hour, false christs will proliferate. Due to the pressure on believers to find an answer to their dilemmas, the second coming of Jesus will seem to be the ultimate solution. So, many christs will appear in many different parts of the globe. Rumors of their appearing will spread like wildfire. Where they have shown up and who they are will be a topic of much conversation in Christian circles. Many will waste their time and money flocking to these false messiahs in desperation, looking for help and direction.
We read: “Then [precisely during that time of trouble] if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Mt 24:23-27).
So we see that at this time there will be many conflicting voices. Many will be claiming to have or even be the answer. How will Christians know what to do in such an hour? The answer is that we must cultivate an intimacy with Jesus today. Don’t wait until later. Don’t put your confidence in some human leader to make your decisions for you. Every believer right now today must get to know his Savior personally and intimately. It is only by following His instructions that we will either survive what is coming or glorify Him in our death.

No doubt reading through this book, many Christians are thinking: “But what about the rapture? All these horrors couldn’t happen to Christians. They will already have been raptured by the time all these things take place. Therefore, we don’t have to worry about them.” Well, God bless you my brother or sister, may it happen just as you say. But if it doesn’t, then you may find yourself in a very difficult situation without having made any preparation.
Truthfully, the Bible is very specific about the timing of what is called the “rapture.” There is really no mystery. The word of God leaves us little room for doubt. The secret here has to do with a trumpet, a very specific trumpet called the “last trumpet.” When this last trumpet sounds, “...the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (I Cor 15:52). This very same trumpet is found again in I Thessalonians 4:16,17 where we read: “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.”
So this “last trumpet” is the signal for the rapture (I Cor 15:52). This is easy to understand. No last trumpet, no rapture. But when is this final trumpet? By definition, it must be: 1) the same as the seventh trumpet which sounds almost at the end of the tribulation (Rev 10:7) or: 2) a later “last trumpet” which sounds at the very end of the tribulation. Supporting the idea of a later “last” trumpet after the tribulation we read: “Immediately after the tribulation of those days...he will send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Mt 24:29-31).
In order for the word “last” to have any meaning, it cannot be before the other tribulation trumpets. It must be a later one. Therefore, the rapture must come literally “after the tribulation” just as the word of God says. Some Bible teachers have engaged in some rather fantastic theological gymnastics to try to counteract this obvious truth. Suddenly, for them, the “elect” are not believers any more as they are in other parts of the New Testament (Mt 24:24; Lk 18:7; Rm 8:33; Col 3:12; Tit 1:1; I Pet 1:2) but Jews. Then this trumpet becomes merely part of some feast of Israel and is disassociated from the other trumpets of the gospels and Revelation. These arguments are tricky and convoluted. Needless to say, they will only convince those who want to be convinced.
One major argument some teachers use to argue against the possibility of Christians experiencing the tribulation goes something like this. “During the tribulation, God pours out His wrath. But He would never pour out His wrath upon His own children.” Well, let us think about this for a minute. Could God not judge the unrighteous and still protect His own people while He is doing it, even if they were still on the earth?
When God’s judgments were executed on the land of Egypt, God protected His people who lived in that land from some of the plagues (Ex 8:22). Before the opening of the seventh seal, when the judgments of God begin to fall heavily on the earth, some servants of God are sealed on their foreheads (Rev 7:3). It is obvious from the context that they are sealed so that the judgments which come upon the others do not fall upon them. Whether these servants are only Jews or symbolic of Christians does not really matter. The fact is that God is able to and is protecting His people in the middle of His judgments. Therefore, it is not necessary for Him to whisk His children off the earth before the tribulation.
As a young Christian I remember watching a film about the end-times. It was a movie about the tribulation. In the beginning of the movie, before the real action started, a Bible teacher came on the screen to explain that no Christians would be in the tribulation because God would not allow His children to suffer. Then they went on to show the film which was about some of God’s children suffering through the tribulation.
The only difference between those who suffered and those who didn’t was that the suffering ones were unlucky enough to have received Christ after the rapture. Evidently, God will love those children less and so allow them to suffer what the others did not. This kind of thinking is completely illogical. Please don’t be fooled by those who are preaching “peace and safety” (I Thess 5:3).
It is my impression that many Christians do not really want to hear this message. They don’t want to be told anything which might disrupt their prosperous, easy lives. They would like to shut their eyes and their ears so that nothing could enter which might challenge them to change their relationship with the Lord, their lifestyle or their place of residence. What most are concerned about is just peace and a safety. Anything which disrupts this is rejected and discarded. Yet, it is precisely at a time of seeming peace and safety that all these things will begin to take place. If we are forewarned, then we also can be ready. This readiness might involve both spiritual and physical preparation.

I believe it would be a mistake to think that there will be no places of refuge or safety to which believers can flee before or during the tribulation. It would be wrong to think that there is nothing which we can do, now or in the future to survive what is coming. Obviously, some believers do make it through to the end of this tribulation. Speaking about the coming rapture, Paul writes about “...we who are alive and remain” (I Thess 4:15) thus indicating that at Jesus’ coming there are still living believers. The antichrist, in spite of his best efforts will not get everyone.
In Revelation 12, we read about a holy woman who gives birth to the man-child. The dragon persecutes this end-times woman. He spews “water” like a flood out of his mouth (vs 15) trying to destroy her. But the earth “helped the woman and swallowed up the flood” (vs 16). This may mean that the antichrist puts a great effort into extinguishing the church. He will give it his best shot. But the earth is so big that the antichrist just cannot reach into all the corners and kill everyone. His biggest efforts are not enough to span the globe. The sheer size of the earth “swallows up” his attemps. He has too many other issues to deal with and too many other things on his mind.
Consequently, it may be realistic to conclude that there are some countries or places on the earth where Christians will be relatively safe. There may exist places where the power and influence of the antichrist will be less. I am not talking here about some kind of total immunity from persecution, but about places which will be impacted less by the agenda of the antichrist. According to the Bible, there must exist “a place prepared by God” to which this woman is able to flee (vs 6). This place (singular) in the Word, could in practice be many different places around the world. Or, it could be a continent or some larger area which includes many different countries. (The “wings of a great eagle” in verse 14 could possibly refer to airplanes.)
Logically, these localities would be in countries which are energy self-sufficient. They would be places that do not depend on foreign oil. They would either produce enough of their own oil or have other alternatives to use for fuel. They might be areas with a large Christian populations which would resist pressure to kill believers and Jews. They would be remote, that is, isolated from other parts of the world.
They would probably be countries which are not considered to be “key” in the global economies. It would be helpful if they had monetary and/or banking systems which are not completely dependent on the rest of the world. Also, these countries would likely be less developed. These could be the places (or the “place”) which today are (is) being prepared by God to shelter some of His own from what is coming.
Such nations or areas of safety would probably have plenty of local agriculture. They might have a system of food production and distribution which does not rely heavily on transportation over long distances. They would likely generate their own electricity. In short, they would be places which are less dependent on the rest of the world for their day to day living. These would be good places to flee.
One area of the world which historically has been an area of refuge is Central and South America. Some of these nations produce oil. Many grow their own food and manufacture a large part of other necessary goods. This area is not central to the world economy and is somewhat isolated in terms of distance. Politically and militarily, it is not central to the present world order. I certainly don’t mean to offend the citizens of these countries by saying this. It is only that this may be a good place for believers who must flee to consider.
Interestingly, this location of safety is a place “prepared by God.” This means that He has arranged everything in terms of geographic position, oil self-sufficiency, food production, etc. to work to protect His people who flee there. The overall strategy here is not something that a man or a group of men has planned out, but some place which God has prepared. It is not the result of human preparation such as hoarding of food, but somewhere which our Lord has arranged for things to work.
I believe it extremely unwise to think of the United States as a place of refuge. It is already the focus of hatred for the Middle East nations. Following the reasoning in the previous book of this series entitled Babylon, it will probably be attacked by nuclear weapons and largely destroyed. The aftermath of such an attack would produce death by fallout, famine and widespread lawlessness and confusion. This would not be safe. It could not be thought of as a “place prepared by God.”
Further, it is even possible that after a nuclear attack, other nations which are hungry for land could invade. Some, such as China might not even give much thought to the safety of their troops in regard to residual radiation, but merely be motivated by the thought of grabbing a huge chunk of arable land. China and others are very short on agricultural areas and could decide that they should take advantage of the situation. It might sound absurd to you, but it is very possible that with the U.S. brought to her knees, other countries would send troops to gobble up land and/or to “restore order.” This would provoke even more confusion and probably guerrilla warfare. Certainly this is would not be a place of refuge “prepared by God.”

We have been speaking about the antichrist and his rise to power. But what are the signs for which we should look? How can we identify such a person when he arrives on the world scene? One of the main clues is that this man takes over three countries. When the “little horn” arises, three of the other ten horns fall before him (Dan 7:8). We have seen clearly from what part of the world the antichrist will arise. We have also been shown where his ten nations will be. Now what we have to look for is some relatively unknown individual rising up to seize power in three nations of this region. This is a very important sign.
Next we would expect to see seven other countries joining with him to form an alliance to make a total of ten. These countries will probably include Libya and Ethiopia. We read: “...the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels” (Dan 11:43). These nations may also include a good part of the oil producing regions of that area of the world. These would be Muslim nations and probably some of them would have nuclear capabilities. When you see these things come together, it is a sure sign that the end is upon us.
We should expect this ten nation confederacy to be somewhat shaky. Although all these countries are Muslim, not all Muslims agree with one another. There are many different Islamic sects and factions. These would include the Shiites and the Sunnis. In fact, some hate the others and even have fought wars against each other. Although it seems that the antichrist will be able, through his popularity and Satanic anointing, to unite these countries and groups, it will be an uneasy alliance.
We read: “ Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. As you saw iron mixed with the ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay” (Dan 2:41-43).
This section which mentions mingling with the “seed of men” could refer to the fact that although many nations will ultimately submit to the antichrist’s rule, they will not really like him. So we see that, through the power of the devil, the antichrist succeeds in bringing together ten nations and eventually subduing the world. But his kingdom will be fragile and not very unified.
Another clue is that the antichrist will not take control of these first three nations by force. He will probably “...come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue” (Dan 11:21). Somehow, he will be able to assume power without a fight. This future world event should be an important signal for us. This is an occurrence for which we should watch carefully. The taking control of three Middle East nations by one individual is a crucial sign. When the antichrist finally comes to power, we should then put into action any plans which we feel God has given us.
Still another identifying fact which we should consider is that, after taking over the ten nation confederacy, the antichrist will have conflicts or wars with Egypt. Egypt will not join in with the antichrist. She will not be part of the ten nations. In fact, it seems that Egypt attacks the antichrist and is defeated. We read: “At the time of the end the king of the South [Egypt] shall attack him; and the king of the North [antichrist] shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through” (Dan 11:40).
It may be that the antichrist’s victory over Egypt will involve nuclear weapons. This conjecture is based upon the fact that Egypt will be uninhabited for 40 years after this time. This could be the result of nuclear fallout and contamination. In Ezekiel we read: “And the land of Egypt shall become desolate and waste...and I will make the land of Egypt utter waste and desolate, from Migdol to Syene, as far as the border of Ethiopia. Neither foot of man shall pass through it nor foot of beast pass through it, and it shall be uninhabited forty years” (Ezek 29:9-11).
Not only does the antichrist fight a war with Egypt at the end, but it seems that he has some previous conflicts with Egypt. It should be remembered that Egypt today is one of the nations of the Arab world which is most friendly toward Israel. This is not to say that they are friends, but at least they are not as hostile as the others. Also, Egypt has cracked down on and persecuted those involved in the recent radical Muslim “revival.” They have imprisoned and/or expelled many of those involved. So, it is very easy to believe that the antichrist could try to punish them for these positions and actions. Daniel 11:25-27 describes some events surrounding this previous war if you are interested.
Returning from his first defeat of Egypt, the antichrist also seems to attack Israel. He is puffed up by his conquest and tries to defeat the Jews as well (Dan 11:28). Perhaps it is after this conflict that he will make some kind of agreement with Israel which he later breaks (Dan 9:27). Another interesting fact is that on still another expedition against Egypt, “...ships from ‘Kittim’ [this means western lands] come against him; therefore he shall be grieved and return in rage against the holy covenant” (Dan 11:30). These ships could be from almost anywhere “west” of the Middle East including the U.S. or parts of Europe.
The attack on the antichrist by ships from the west, along with the fact that he fights wars with Egypt, indicate that his rule is not as “one world” as many have thought. His direct government is over only ten nations. The rest of the world will cooperate with him only by being forced into subjugation. Even so, his domination of the world is not total. Returning from his final war with Egypt which is “at the time of the end,” “...news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with a great fury to destroy and annihilate many” (Dan 11:44).
One explanation for this passage here is that Russia, which because she produces enough oil to meet her needs, will not be completely subject to the antichrist. Also, Russia has plenty of nuclear weapons and would not be easily cowed into submission to any Middle Eastern figure. It could be that Russia becomes troubled by the situation and begins threatening some kind of action. This could be the “news from the east and north.” Of course from this distance, we cannot know exactly what will occur. This is only being mentioned to show that the antichrist is not the absolute ruler of the entire world and that he too has his troubles.
At one point, it appears that the antichrist enters the Jewish temple and proclaims himself God. In II Thessalonians 2:4 we read that he “...sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” This verse has been the subject of much speculation. At this writing, there is no Jewish temple in Jerusalem. Since there is no temple, people have created many fantastic interpretations to explain the meaning of this verse. However, it seems quite possible that before the end-times scenarios which we have been discussing take place, the nation of Israel will build a temple.
Where this temple would be built and how this might work is impossible to predict. The problem of having a Muslim shrine at what seems to be the site of the ancient temple seems insurmountable. However, God has His own means and ways. If this is His will, it will come to pass. It is very possible for this scripture to have a literal fulfillment. The actual construction of a temple could take place very quickly. This would be especially true if materials are already being stockpiled as so many Christian rumors insist.

Eventually, the antichrist will make a final effort to wipe Israel off the map. To do this, it seems that he will enlist the aid of many different nations. Perhaps he persuades them that Israel is really the cause of all the trouble over oil. If only they were out of the way, the “black gold” could flow freely again. So he convinces many countries, possibly including China and India to join him in attacking Israel.
He is helped in recruiting these other armies by three evil spirits “...like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty” (Rev 16:13,14).
After crossing the Euphrates river (Rev 16:12) which will be dried up especially for this event, this tremendous army of several millions arrives at a place called Megiddo. This place is called Armageddon in the New Testament. This seems to be large flat area near some hills upon one of which stands the ruins of a city called Megiddo. It is a place also called “the wine press of the wrath of God” (Rev 14:19). It is here that God will execute his judgment against those to have come to attack Israel. Probably this very place was prepared by God for this event when He made the world (Mt 21:33).
When this enormous army arrives there, we can imagine they are tired, thirsty and just longing to set their up tents and rest a little. We don’t know how long they are camped there, but sometime after their arrival it begins to rain. Much to their disgust, they have to live in mud and water. But the situation gets worse and worse. The rain becomes stronger. Soon it begins to hail. The lightening is terrible and frightening. It almost seems as if it runs along the ground. Finally, the size of the hail increases until each hailstone weighs about 200 pounds.
It is with these hailstones that God “treads the wine press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God” (Rev 19:15).). The “grapes” in this case are human beings who are squashed and the blood runs out in such great quantities that it reaches the incredible depth of “the horses’ bridles” and flows for a great distance (Rev 14:20).
The antichrist himself and the false prophet are captured alive. Then they are thrown into the lake of fire which God has prepared for the devil and his angels (Rev 19:20). So the beast will end his reign ignominiously, being defeated and judged at the coming of Christ. His armies are destroyed and he is finished. All his proud boasting against the Lord Jesus is ended. His rebellion is over. His error regarding who is really the God of the universe has been exposed as a great lie. Those who sided with him will also be ashamed.

What we have been discussing is both sobering and somewhat frightening. Here in this book we have a word of warning. We see that our time is short. Therefore, “...what manner of persons ought [we] to be in holy conduct and godliness?” (II Pet 3:11). Since our Lord is going to return to this earth, very probably in “this generation” how should this knowledge affect our living?
I believe it would be valuable for all of us to take a moment and consider the following questions. What are our priorities? What are our goals? What are we pursuing with our time, energy and money? How are we using the gifts which God has given us? Are we, as faithful servants, investing in a way which will please our Master when He comes? Or are we mainly serving ourselves and pursuing our own interests while putting seeking and serving God in second place in our lives?
If we cannot honestly say that God is our number one priority, then it is time to repent – His kingdom is at hand. Very shortly, our faith and our commitment to Him and His people is going to be tested – severely tested. This test will be based on our love for God and our love for one another. It will show whether or not we are willing to die for Him and/or for other believers. Will we deny Christ and betray our brothers and sisters or will be be faithful even unto death? Will be go along with the antichrist program to preseve our present lifestyle? Will we turn in others to save our own skin? Will we be willing to suffer and even die?
It will be much better for you if you settle these issues in your heart today. This writer is convinced that what the future holds will not be pleasant or easy. Perhaps we have just a few more years of relative peace to get our hearts right with God, to do His will and to accomplish the purposes for which He created us.
There is absolutely no time to waste! Perhaps we have squandered some of God’s precious time already. Possibly we have become “weary in well-doing” (Gal 6:9), being discouraged by the apathy of others, lack of “success” or the difficulties which we have encountered. God will certainly forgive us for what is past, yet the future is before us. Definitely, it is time to: “...strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed” (Heb 12:12,13).
One thing to do immediately is to stop our involvement with anything and everything we know that is not God’s will. No one will have to tell you what this is. You no doubt already know in your heart what it is that you have in your life which doesn’t please Him. You know what it is that will make you ashamed if He were to come today. As you repent of these things, you will find His forgiveness. The next thing to do is recommit your life to Him. Firmly decide and then declare to Him that you will dedicate the rest of your life to Him and to doing His will. It is not yet too late. While it is still called “today” (Heb 3:7) do what you know you should to renew your relationship with Him and begin from today onward to do His will.
Today, there is still time. There is time to serve Jesus by laying down our lives to serve others in His name. There is still enough daylight to work the works of God (Jn 9:4). Take full advantage of it! When the persecution starts, it will be very difficult to travel, preach, teach and evangelize. The work of the Lord will be complicated by many barriers and difficulties. Wars and turmoil will make it very tough to complete what God has given you to do. So, get going now! Use the time which is still available to us and make the most out of it! We should be “redeeming the time because the days are (and will be even more) evil” (Eph 5:16).
It is not God’s will for His children to be in darkness. Paul teaches us that “...you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this day shoud overtake you as a thief” (I Thess 5:4). Therefore, believers who are intimate with Jesus will see what is coming. He will show it to us. It should be no surprise to any believer. God’s children should not be in a position of being weighed down with the “cares of this life,” and then having that day “...come upon [them] unexpectedly” (Lk 21:34). Rather, walking in intimacy with Him, we should be keenly aware of the signs of the times which are unfolding before us (Mt 16:3). As we understand the times, we can then adjust our life to more perfectly align with the will of God in these last days.
The events which are coming upon this earth should not be a discouragement for us but an encouragement. Jesus, after teaching His disciples about the signs of the times and the coming end of the age says: “Now when you see these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near” (Lk 21:28). These things should be an encouragement for us to know that our life of struggle and travail, our labor, our frustrations and our pains are soon to end. So, just as a long-distance runner sees the finish line and so increases his pace to finish strongly, so we too have the opportunity to see the end coming and make a last push toward the goal.
Naturally, no one wants to suffer. It is simply our human tendency to want to avoid any pain and difficulty if we can. Our heavenly Father does not like to see His children suffer either. Yet, the “perilous times” which are coming upon the earth will serve two purposes for God. One purpose is that by sending His judgments upon the ungodly, through their suffering some of them will turn to Him. A proof that His love still exists for the ungodly is, that in the middle of the tribulation period, He will send an angel to preach the gospel to them from the midst of heaven (Rev 14:6).
The second purpose is to purify His own children by allowing them to suffer persecution. It is sad but true that the church of our day is not perfect. She is not “without spot or wrinkle” (Eph 5:27). In fact, the situation is honestly lamentable. The more you look, the more problems you can see. The number of believers involved in selfishness and sin is beyond count. So, God will use the coming time of trial to test, refine and purify His sons and daughters. It will be a time of trial which will benefit those believers who turn their hearts back to God in the midst of it. Through the funace of affliction, believers will be purified during the tribulation period.
Those who did not seek God before this time, will have an opportunity. Any believers who did not take advantage of their time to become ever more like Jesus, will need a little heat and pressure to refine them to perfection. The coming tribulation period will be one of God’s ways to accomplish His purposes in His people. He will use all these things for our good and to further His eternal plan as we turn to Him in the the hours of trial.

But it may be that this intense purification will not be the same for all Christians. Depending upon where believers live and what their relationship with Jesus is, the intensity of this persecution may vary. It is possible that for some there may even be a way of escape. We find a hint of this in the gospel of Luke where we read: “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Lk 21:36). This “escape” could be effected in several different ways.
It seems as if there are some whose lives are pleasing to God who will not need the coming testing and refinement. Some are already living righteously. Their lives are already purified and ready. Therefore, God will not need to allow them to go through the time of trial. If you are ready to meet the bridegroom, having your robes spotless and white, then perhaps no further fiery trials and testings are necessary.
One verse which supports this idea is found in Revelation 3:10. Here Jesus says to some faithful believers: “Because you have kept my command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” So we see that one good way to avoid the coming persecution and tribulation period is to allow God to purify your life today. If God considers that you are ripe – that your life is wholly pleasing to Him – you have His promise that He will protect you from what is coming.
Does this mean that there will be a partial rapture before the tribulation? I cannot say. However, such a “rapture” is not really necesary to fulfill this verse. It seems very clear that God will find a way to remove and/or protect His faithful followers from danger. How He will do this is not explained.
One possibility is that it could be through death. Although many fear death and look upon it negatively, this is not God’s viewpoint. We read: “The righteous perishes, and no man takes it to heart; merciful men are taken away, while no one considers that the righteous is taken away from evil (that is to come KJV)” (Is 57:1). You see, God can and will arrange to take some of His children home before the future events become intense.
There is also another possiblity. It could be that some of the righteous will have the foresight and wisdom to flee to that “place” of refuge which God has prepared before things get really bad. This is the “place” which we have spoken about before. One translation of Luke 21:36 cited above, hints at such a possibility. Intead of being “counted worthy” to escape, some ancient biblical texts read: “may have strength to escape.” This translation hints at the prospect that some will have the spiritual foresight and divine guidance to get themselves out of harm’s way.
This understanding would also coincide with the verses in Proverbs which read: “A prudent man forsees evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished” (Pr 22:3; 27:12). These passages reveal the possibility of God guiding His servants in the last days to take steps which would protect themselves and their families from the worst of the persecution which is coming. This would qualify that person as “prudent.”
However, God’s ways are always far above ours and it is difficult to imagine how He might lead His children. It is quite possible that He might use all of the above means (along with others which we have never imagined) to protect those who love Him supremely from the evil days ahead.
This book has not been intended as a complete dissertation on end-times prophecy. Our object here was to look closely at the antichrist, the events leading up to his arising and the things which will take place afterward. Knowing what is coming will aid us all in looking in the right direction so that we will not be blind-sided by the future. Walking in the light of God, we can see how things are unfolding and then take any necessary steps of preparation which He might show us. May God add His anointing and blessing to you as you meditate on these things.