The Defeat of Anti-Christ - 5

Returning to second Corinthians, rather second Thessalonians chapter 2 we will continue where we left off about three weeks ago starting this short epistle in this early epistle of Paul to the Thessalonian church in which he was addressing some of their concerns and misconceptions, particularly concerning the second coming of Jesus Christ and in the section chapter 2, he gets rather heavily into the subject of the antichrist. There's a lot of interest in that subject among the people of God. Just saying the word antichrist will cause a lot of people to perk up their ears and to listen more carefully and to bring a lot of questions and speculation to the table talking about this one that the Bible says will come at the end of time. By the very word the term antichrist as you know is only found in the first epistle of John we find in chapter 2, and also get in chapter 4, but it's also very obvious that the same individual by different names as found elsewhere in the Bible you find the book of Revelation in reference to the beast and the false prophet got to be a relationship. They are to the antichrist. I will try to sort all that out now.

And as we come to this section.

Second Thessalonians chapter 2 we find that here.

He's referred to as the man of sin. The man of lawlessness or various other terms that are used for him, but it's clearly the same individual that is in view and we find a great deal of detail about this man's appearance and his activity and he is defeat. We need to know these things while he was introduced. The antichrist was introduced to us in the passage we looked at three weeks ago which talked about him.

In verses three and four let no one deceive you by any means for that day of the Lord will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin. Some translations have the man of lawlessness. That's one term for him is revealed, the son of perdition.

There is another term that is used for him who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, and that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

This antichrist claims to be God and tries to demonstrate the kind of power that will convince people that that is actually true, of course, it is very false. With that introduction of the antichrist in the first few verses we find our section for today verses six through 12. A further elaboration expansion clarification. Additional details that are given about the antichrist and I think of a look at this carefully much confusion about him will be resolved by that careful study of this text. The title of my sermon today is is the defeat of antichrist and involves the arrival the activity and defeat of this one who is opposed to the Lord Jesus Christ to divide our section today I have three parts number one a present restraint number to a future Revelation number three, a divine purpose.

The present restraint.

Paul tells the Thessalonians, and also was that the antichrist, though he is coming.

He's not come yet there is a reason for it is because he has been and is presently being restrained verse six and now you know what is restraining that he may be revealed in his own time.

For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way were dropping right into the middle of the section of because there have been several weeks in between.

I think I need to just quickly touch upon the background that Paul has in mind very clearly as we come to verse six he talks in verses one and two about some unsettling teaching to come to the Thessalonian church that had confused them regarding the coming of Christ and even had caused some to believe that maybe he'd already, and they'd missed his coming work were not in quite sure what all that was that they were confused about but Paul says there is confusion, I'm not sure where it's coming from, whether it is coming from false teachers who are outside, whether it's coming from in and epistle a counterfeit epistle that somebody sent that claims to be for me. I'm not quite sure where this is coming from, but obviously you have been misled by false teachers regarding the second coming of Christ, and he said you don't need to think that the second coming has occurred because there are at least a couple of major prerequisites that must come first. So he tells us what they are.

In verses three and four and they are two things primarily and are tied together, but there is the revelation of this one who is the great antichrist and there is also the. The onslaught of the great apostasy now both of these things are at work in a lesser sense. Even now, John and talking about the antichrist also talks about many antichrist plural. There are antichrist at work now. Just like in this passage Paul says the mystery of lawlessness is even now at work. It's not that it's not present at all and then in the future.

It's going to be sprung upon the earth full-blown without any precursor before it. That's not the case. There is satanic opposition. Now there is deceit and counterfeit work going on now. There is much lawlessness being spread in the world now and affecting the church now, but but the day is coming when they will be the revelation of one of the man of sin, the men of perdition, the antichrist and 20s revealed it will be clear that this is the one not anyone. Not one of the many antichrist who have been opposing Christ.

But when this one comes it will be revealed in such a way that it will be obvious. This is the law. The final one, the great one comes before the coming of Jesus Christ. So don't be misled about the second coming, because the antichrist is not yet been revealed, nor has the great apostasy at cup always apostasy in a lesser sense going on in the world. Apostasy is defection from the faith. There are people who apostatized that goes on has gone on went on in Paul's day, Demas has forsaken me that's apostasy, having loved this present world, but there's going to be a final apostasy that again will be so obvious because of its magnitude, it will be unlike anything that is happened up until now in the greatness of its departure. It will be identified.

It will be easily identified as that great apostasy that precedes the second coming of Christ. And furthermore, in this background section, Paul says, now I taught you these things when I was with you and so some of the things that he touches upon in this passage is simply to say, don't you remember what I taught you without telling us what he taught them so were left a little bit in the dark. We would like to be a little fly on the wall. Go back to to Thessalonica when Paul was founding the church and listen in to what he taught them would be very helpful in our understanding of this passage, but God the Holy Spirit has given us all of those details is given us some of them with some things he just simply says don't you remember I told you about this I told you about that. I don't need to repeat that, but I think I need to repeat this and so we go through these things with some clear information and some murky details that we have trouble sorting out, but from this background, we come to the restraint that is taught us in verses six and seven were told in verse six, the before Christ comes in but actually before the Antichrist comes to God before Christ comes before the Antichrist comes, there will be a restraining power. There is even now restraining power.

That's why he hasn't come yet. That restraining power has kept him from coming, and then the restraining power verse six develops into the restraining personality of verse seven. You'll notice in verse six its and it neuter, general, you know that what is restraining that he, the antichrist may be revealed in his own time a plot in it a something is restraining him. Verse six restrained means to hold back to hold down to contain. But that restraining general power develops into a specific person or personality. In verse seven for the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, only he masculine pronoun he who now restrains will do so until he again is taken out of the way they restraining power.

Verse six a restraining personality verse seven a neuter general force in verse six, a masculine person in verse seven and this is connected with the mystery of lawlessness we've learned in previous occasions that mystery in the Bible means something that is conceal the truth that is concealed until the time God chooses to unfold it on unveil it to reveal it and so we realize that this is something that is relatively new. We didn't know we certainly didn't know that there is this force of lawlessness. This mystery of lawlessness that is that is even now going on, but being restrained, I think it is this restraint that is primarily involved in the mystery because that has not been clearly taught in any other passage, but now we know that the general lawlessness the general sinfulness.

The general opposition to God of the truth that is going on down the world today and will continue on in the world today.

Nevertheless is being restrained. It's not being allowed to get as bad as it wants to get it's not been allowed to run its full course is not been allowed to develop its full power is being restrained generally. In fact, it is being restrained by a specific person who is the restrainer and it will be restrained until that person is removed the question about this present restraint and restrainer is who is this restrainer. What is this restraining power. Verse six. Who is this restraining person verse seven there are various suggestions I could probably list half a dozen or more, but I'll just list three. There are some that have suggested that this is the rule of law in general that in the world and in every society, there is some recognition of law and some government that enforces law, the days of Paula was the Roman Empire, and so on that date was the Roman Empire that is considered to be the restraining power and in other places and other times it is government in general that has this responsibility to hold back the full expression of violence and other expressions of sin that otherwise would go on in society, government, the rule of law.

Though it is clear that God has given government for that very purpose. It is difficult for me to accept that is the explanation here for a couple of reasons. Number one, it is because government in its corruption and sinful corruption were the mystery of lawlessness is at work in government.

Many times seems to become more the tool of lawlessness than the restrainer of lawlessness, but even more than that. The idea of government being the restrainer may fit the neuter idea verse six, but hardly fits the person the specific person concept of verse seven. You can't say government is a he was taken out of the way so I don't accept that is the proper understanding there are others who believe the best explanation is to see this restrainer as cited told you I follow closely. Six selected commentaries in my study of this passage and at least one of them took that position. When the others took the rule of government position. So this is not these are not way out in left field positions. They are positions.

The conservative Bible scholars do take and some have surmised that is Satan who is holding back the full expression of his satanic power holding back his supreme ancient.

The antichrist even while he is lesser agents are busily at work that he's holding them back until the right time and when he considers the right times of the opportune time to occur, then he's going to release the power of the antichrist to reveal him. But again, I find that difficult for couple of reasons. Number one, it's quite difficult to fit that into the into the general neuter specific personality verse seven, though it fits better than the idea of government because government really can't fit verse seven.

In my mind at all.

Satan could be squeezed into that mold, but the idea of Satan opposing Satan.

Remember when the Pharisees accused Jesus of performing miracles by the power of Beelzebub and Jesus said.come on folks. Come on folks. If Satan opposes himself and his house will fall right. That's what Jesus said this is ridiculous to say that Satan is giving me this power because that would be Satan, warring against Satan.

Satan doesn't do that. That's the concept I think we where Abraham Lincoln got the idea that a house divided against itself cannot stand is what Jesus said so. I don't think Satan is a very good explanation that brings me then to what I think is probably the right explanation by process of elimination, enabling that this restrainer is none other than God the Holy Spirit that fits verse six is a restraining power sometimes we think of him that way properly, but verse seven.

He is also a personality is one of the three members of the Godhead. He is a person, God the father, God the son of God the Holy Spirit. And furthermore that makes sense because he's not it's not Satan opposing Satan it's the Holy Spirit holding back Satan holding back his full power and who else really has enough power to restrain Satan except God really who does government doesn't receive the failure of government over and over and over, all around the world and all down through history, but God has the power to restrain Satan. God has the power to dictate when the antichrist may be revealed not now.now you can't know okay now so I accept the Holy Spirit is the best interpretation because it fits best, by process of elimination I can't.

I can't find anything else in the list of possibilities that commence itself to me as strongly as this one.

And so that's what I choose. That is the proper understanding the Holy Spirit of God that Moses then secondly from the present restraint to number two. A print of future Revelation verses eight through 10.

That is the future Revelation of the antichrist, the time of the revelation was given to us in the beginning of verse eight and then a description of the revealed one is given to us in verses eight through 10 time of the revelation as indicated by these words and then verse seven for the mystery of the lawless one or the mystery of lawlessness. Rather, is already at work.

Only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way and the restrainer is taken out of the way and then the lawless one will be revealed when the restraint is removed when this personality is no longer restraining for Alan God's appointed time has come, then the lawless one, the antichrist will be revealed the following that in verses eight and nine in the first part of the string. We have a description of this revealed one and I will give you five descriptions. He's described number one is the lawless one.

Number two is a defeated one. Number three is the satanic one.

Number four is the miracle working one of number five is the deceptive one is the lawless one just read in verse eight, then the lawless one will be revealed. Some manuscripts say the man of lawlessness to the man of sin, but the lawless one that refers back to what is already been said in verse three let no one deceive you by any means for that day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin are the man of lawlessness is revealed verse seven for the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, the mystery of lawlessness is already at work.

Verse eight and then the lawless one will be revealed. It all ties together so he's described as the lawless one, the one who is opposed to the law of God. Primarily what's in view here. Everything that God says go. He says don't do everything God says don't do.

He says do supposed to the law of God, the lawless one. Secondly, he's described as the defeated one, and this is interesting to me back to verse eight in the lawless one will be revealed.

And it's almost like Paul can't get to the end of his description to tell us that he's going to be defeated so important that you know that this one and the magnitude of his wickedness is not going to succeed and so he puts this almost prematurely, and then the lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will consume with the breath of his mouth and destroy with the brightness of his coming. He is a defeated one.

Paul thought that was important to know upfront before he went any further, he's going to be defeated by Christ to his glorious return when it comes to the brightness of his coming. He's going to be defeated effortlessly with the breath of his mouth and the brightness of the glory of his coming. The breath of his mouth certainly can refer to the word of God which is the breath of God, we heard that this week in our Bible conference about about the, the opposite of fake news, I kept writing with the exact title of the series was news. You can trust news you can trust.

It was all about the Bible the word of God but is much as anything this just says as strong as he is as powerful as he is as effective as he is as as a policy is to deceive multiplying billions of people and to to elevate himself to the place of preeminence in the world so that all other religions are banished until the whole world is worshiping him alone. That's incredible power nobody's been able to manifest that kind of power until now. Or tell them when he comes.

But when Jesus comes he will just be playing and he's dead is God just like that Christ will defeat him effortlessly. Somebody will say will Vega do that.

What is the do it now answer because that's not his purpose that that his timetable he will do it at the appointed time he has purposes. For now, for this to develop now and then, at the proper time he's going to defeat the Antichrist. So he's number two, the defeated one.

He's number three the satanic one. Verse nine the coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan with all power signs and lying wonders, the coming of this one same word that is used of the coming of Christ. One of the words you choose for the coming of Christ, Persia or Paris is becoming of the lawless one verse nine follows the coming of Christ.

The brightness of his coming. Verse eight so Christ will destroy him with the breath of his mouth and the brightness of his coming. The coming of the lawless one, there's a very close parallel here. We should understand. So the coming this other places. He's depicted as being revealed the same ways Christ is revealed from heaven in his second coming.

So this antichrist is reached, revealed upon earth at the time of his coming, but this one I was coming, comes working in power partnership was Satan. He comes as a satanic at agent, we would have to say the ultimate satanic agent using satanic tactics, counterfeit counterfeits and deception counterfeits and deception counterfeits. What God does in such a way that people who don't know God will be to see Satan is preeminently a liar and the father of lies.

Jesus in John 844 and so there's one who is a supreme agent is going to come after the working of Satan will be the ultimate liar the smoothest liar. The most believable liar and he will be the counterfeiter that brings us to number four, the miracle working one because it tells us what some of his counterfeits going to be comes after the working of Satan with all three words are used here, power signs, lying wonders, power that's that well-known Greek word due to miss like we get dynamite power.

It speaks of innate supernatural power. Power he has within himself and it supernatural. He comes with power he comes with signs.

That's the word that John uses in his gospel for miracles.

Many signs Jesus did, and signs is a word that causes us to consider the purpose and the meaning of the miracle John said look at these miracles and signs look at what they point to look at what they teach us to look at what they tell us about Jesus Christ look at what they tell us about salvation.

These are signs.

They are, they are pointing to something they are informing us of something. Well, this antichrist comes with miracles that are performed by great power and they are signs that point to the deception that he wants people to adopt and wonders they produce amazement they produce all the bull people over as I heard somebody say this week about the messages we heard they that knocked my socks off. Let so a lot of people are going to feel when they see these incredible, unbelievable miracles that are being performed by the antichrist while that I've never seen anything like that before.

He's got power like nobody has you see other being set up to accept the lie that he is in fact God because he is demonstrating such amazing timer power signs and wonders same three words are used of the miracles of Christ by Peter in his sermon in acts chapter 2 men of Israel, hear these words, Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested by God to you by miracles and wonders and signs which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves also know same three words and not translated exactly the same but they are the same for the miracles that were done by the apostles of Christ is referred to by the writer of Hebrews chapter 2 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also bearing witness, both with signs and wonders varies miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will and are two other times in second Corinthians 12 and also the book of Romans went the miracles produced by Christ and his apostles are referred by the same terms that are now used of the antichrist and of the miracles which she done power signs wonders just like Jesus, just like the apostles is the miracle working one and number five is a deceptive one that's indicated the verse nine by that word lying.

That's the difference Jesus is miracles and signs and wonders were not lying, power and signs and wonders Nor were those of the apostles, but of this one that word lying in the in the Greek syntax attaches to all three of these words lying power lying signs, lying wonders, which doesn't mean that there counterfeit in the sense that they don't they're not real, they are real miracles, real phenomena, but they are not pointing to the power of God do not.

Pointing the truth they're not affirming that this one is God.

That's what he's trying to get you to think these things prove he's the deceptive one lying power, lying signs, lying wonders, in verse nine and unrighteous deception. Verse 10 these signs and lying wonders with all unrighteousness and deception among those who perish, so this is a description of the antichrist lawless defeated satanic miracle working deceptive. That brings us to the divine purpose God has a purpose in all this. That's the last part of verse 10 of verse 11 and 12 in the divine purpose is directed toward a specific category of people. It is by means of a purposeful delusion that God sends. And it results in an appropriate judgment. It is directed towards a specific category of people.

Verse 10 with all unrighteous deception among who who's going to be to see here were told among those who perish, who are they, well they are those who do not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved. It's directed toward those who will not believe the truth of God who will not believe the gospel, who will not believe the Bible. They are those who are perishing. They are those who do not love the truth.

They are those who are not saved, they will not be saved because they will not embrace the truth. That alone can save them. The only way to be saved is to embrace fully the truth that God has given you see our ultimate destiny is determined by our relationship with truth, but suffice it so important for you to settle in your mind that God's word is truth and you're going to believe it, even when you don't fully understand it, but he does fully understand it, but you are not going to doubt that you not going to question it, except with the right attitude to learn more about it which are not going to be skeptical and unbelieving, because dear friend, dear friend, dear friend. The only way you can be saved is by a love that is a enthusiastic full embrace of the truth and those who were due that are those who perish. They are the ones who are the objects of God's diluting power and so this divine purpose directed toward a specific category of people is carried out by means of a purposeful delusion. Verse eight, and for this reason. What reason they will not love the truth. They will not believe the truth, they will not receive the truth. For that reason God will send them strong belief delusion, that they should believe the lie he refused to embrace the truth okay judgment begins now God will send you strong delusion.

You will not obey the truth, you will not believe the truth and so at some point you will not be able to believe the truth will not be able to understand the truth because of the delusion that comes upon you sent by God himself. Strong delusion. That's the first stage of divine judgment.

There's more to follow and that judgment is simply for God to give them what they desire God to give them what they demand. I don't want your word.

I don't want your gospel. I don't want to embrace Jesus Christ. I reject all of this.

Okay boom now you'll never understand. Delusion is come upon. This is what they desire. This is what they demanded. This is what they got to see the justice of that before God for that. This is one of the Bible sometimes called judicial hardening. This happened to Pharaoh who hardened Pharaoh's heart read the I will how many statements about the hardening of Pharaoh's hearts over several chapters in Exodus and list them all. I'd I did that years ago what one does it say Pharaoh hardened his own heart wonders essay God failed hardened Pharaoh's heart. One doesn't just say his heart was hardened so were not sure who is in view though if it was hardened and apparently hot. Pharaoh didn't hardened it so it must've been hardened by an outside force of that's probably referring to God also hardened Pharaoh's heart Pharaoh God yes Pharaoh hardened his heart got hardened desire. I'm not going to try to tell you which came first the chicken or the egg figure that out for yourself. But we see this throughout the Bible that hardness of heart is God's judicial judgment upon those who hardened their hearts and so their hearts are further hardened God's sending confusion and delusion upon those who will not believe is appropriate judgment of God upon those who refuse believe in the result of this judicial hardening is that they should believe the lie lie is the one in verse for the antichrist to represent himself as if he's God who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God and the day is coming when vast numbers of people throughout the world are going to accept his claim and they are going to come by reason of these counterfeit miracles that they can't explain any other way safe. The only explanation is this one is God in the going to believe the lie that the antichrist is agent of Satan is none other than God.

What delusion because you see were ejectors of God's truth become believers of Satan's life. I Knew it comes to the gospel. I can't believe that I will believe that the actual believe things that are preposterous. I've often said the troubled evolution is I just don't have enough faith to believe it. It's too preposterous. I know it takes faith to believe that in the beginning God created but I find that in mind and my perspective, I find that easier to believe than somewhere out in space when there was nothing there was a big bank what bank if there wasn't anything where that original material come from the because the first big by where they come from its logically it really becomes preposterous and you can you can continue that way through virtually everything in the theory of evolution requires unbelievable faith. Remember, Dr. McKnight talked about that one of his messages how that in everything we know order is never produced out of disorder.

You can't set off a stick of dynamite in a junkyard and say lo and behold a 2021 Cadillac run in the ready to go that's ridiculous yeah you know it's still rejected the billion years and a million explosions are going to get you any closer to a Cadillac out of junkyard that takes more faith than I've got, but if you won't believe the truth of God is given you, you will become susceptible to believing lies you become susceptible to believing folly you'll become susceptible to being certain that things that are not true, and in most cases are preposterous that they are in fact true annual leave that because of the delusion that comes upon you as a divine judgment of God because of the rejection truth and in this day.

Such people will accept antichrist as God. Let's put it this way, they won't accept Christ as their Savior supportive. They do they accept antichrist as their Savior, not Savior in the same sense, the not talking about salvation from from hell, they may not believe in that but the one who's going to fix this world. The one who's going to take care of all the injustices the one who's finally going to set everything right. I will believe in this one as my Savior. Yeah, the ultimate delusion, the ultimate lie, the ultimate misplaced faith. Everybody believes in something some things recommend that you make this the foundation of what you believe and test everything else but that isn't a good to know all of this and I got some lessons. I'm not quite done yet, but isn't good to know. In all of this the gods in control.

One is antichrist going to be revealed when God says so what is antichrist career going to come to an end very quickly. According to this passage, you won't be very long, when is he going to come to an end when God says so when Christ shows up on the scene and says God just that quickly he's in control, but those who do not love the truth. This passage is teaching us delight in unrighteousness. Verse 12 verse 11.

For this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie that they all may be condemned there.

It's the next step in their judgment.

The first step is there delusion and confusion that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. Those who do not love the truth delight in unrighteousness.

Those who do not love the truth eventually make evil there good and make good their evil don't we see that in the world today.

God's word tells us so many things that are sins, God's people who believe the truth know that they are sensitive to things that we cannot promote we cannot accept we cannot delight in those who reject God's truth to seem to plunge further and further into delusion into pretty soon they are openly applauding and promoting the very things that God says Arevalo and insisting that you do to the next crunch it's coming. If you don't applaud with us, then you are going to be canceled and worse are we surprised really okay quick lessons. First, regarding the pre-tribulation rapture of the church coming back to that because that's a big one. Can you make that fit into this chapter. Yes. Takes a little rig wiggling and a lot of wiggling in my opinion you can make it fit but to do so require several presuppositions and I'll just point out to three requires, for example, making a distinction in verses one and two.

In these various terms refer the coming of Christ, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ as one and our gathering together to him, that's true. Clearly, the rapture of the saints not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. There's 1/3 one now if you can separate those in and make one or two of them apply to the coming of Christ to rapture the saints and another one to apply to his coming at the end of the tribulation.

You can maybe start to fit that into this but it doesn't seem to follow the primary plain meaning and flow of the passing can make it fit but you have to work pretty hard at it and identifying the restrainers the Holy Spirit which is likely have already said, I think that's probably correct, but it's not stated and then going a step further to say that his removal is the rapture of the same. What if you done there you added a second presupposition upon the first presupposition, neither of which are stated in the passage. The passage is not state that the restrainers, the Holy Spirit. That is, in my opinion the best conclusion out of all the possibilities I can come up with but I can't say that with certainty because the Scripture doesn't say it, but then to go beyond that and say not only do we know that this is the Holy Spirit will even know how is going to be taken out of the way, the passage doesn't tell us, but we know you know it's the rapture of the church let you see how your your. This fits into ice and Jesus better than exegesis. I said Jesus is putting things into the passages aren't there in order to make them fit the way you want to interpret them rather than exegesis drawing out of the passage when he is there was things are in the past and then positing that the removal of the Holy Spirit is the is the rapture of the church Holy Spirit is taken out of the way.

In that sense then it is assumed of what said after that doesn't apply to believers there with the Lord in heaven, but the flowing language of the passage seems to be addressing the saints of Thessalonica.

Those like them who are alive and well and present until the coming of the antichrist until the coming of Christ. That's the flow of the passage.

That's the most obvious way. The passage reads can you interpret it differently. Yes, you can but is that the best way to interpret it. I'll leave that for you to decide on trying to say is that I've said this several times.

I think we need to be very respectful and cautious about how we hold our position in how we view those who hold other positions, but those who hold to the pre-tribulation rapture often characterized people who hold other views as rejecting clear teaching because they prefer some tradition. It's not based upon Scripture. I believe that for many years but the more I study it seems to me like it's more or less the other way around.

That people who believe in the pre-tribulation rapture are taking a tradition of fairly more recent tradition pre-tribulation rapture the church position tradition and are changing the more clear passages of Scripture to fit their production now be at that as it may, may not be convinced by that and I'm not troubled. If you want, but I do implore you once again to understand that those who may not come to your position of the pre-tribulation rapture are not doing so because the rejecting clear teaching of Scripture, at least in most cases they are doing so because they like yourself are attempting to properly understand what the Scripture does actually teach and they are having trouble finding a Clara clarity of the pre-tribulation rapture position in the Scripture. It's not just here but it's nearly everywhere that this is taught it's all based upon presuppositions. If we presuppose this, and we presuppose that benefits and and you can you can multiply the things that seem to fit you got pages and pages of the but if they're all based upon presuppositions that you can't consider this to be the clear teaching of Scripture. You can convince yourself that that's what the Scripture teaches. I will I will I will disown you.

I won't dislike you. I want I want to object to your thinking that I'll just say come let us reason together.

Let's continue to study. Let's look at Scripture and we each must stand before the Lord to give an account for what we have learned from his word. The best we can study and understand but I'm a skip mice next application come the last one that's his idea miraculous claims miracle workers. We see that in the end time is going to be the greatest miracle worker. Overall that's going to be a great deceiver. Why should we think therefore that anybody who claims to work miracles today is genuine. If the antichrist is going to be that successful don't you think the antichrist plural are going to be similar.

Maybe not quite as successful as he is is a negative point that much power. In other words, when it comes to the claims of miraculous healings and so forth. In our day-to-day you need to realize that many of them are false claims with some of them probably are genuine, but that doesn't prove that there from God. Satan can do this genuinely two more limited degree than God, but he can clearly do it.

Agents of Satan can be empowered to perform real miracles.

So how can we tell which are from God, and which are not tested by God's word that's always what we have to do tested by the word of God. The written word of God is superior to any calls or claims to miracles be swept away the diluted don't need to see study the word of God. You'll have a firm foundation in anchor for your soul for what you believe, shall we pray father teaches thy ways, show us the iPads we pray in Jesus name, amen