The Coming Deception

When it comes to Christ we who know the true Jesus Christ also know that there will be a false Jesus. Jesus said that in the last days, many Christ would rise up false Messiah is would rise up we have discovered in our studies of the Scriptures. Not only revelation but throughout the Bible that the Bible predicts a ruler to come to their will be a false Messiah, a false Christ Jesus life fulfills the messianic prophecies found in the Bible so that you can trust that he is who he says he is the Messiah. Today we continue our countdown of Scripps top 40 messages on the connect pipe to track the number seven spot Scripps message coming deception in Scripture compares biblical predictions with current world events to help you understand what's going on in the world around right now we want to tell you about a resource that will deepen your knowledge of God's word even more. Imagine the challenge Skip writing is taught over 3500 through the Bible messages we had to pick the top 10 for special resource offer you sample bookshelves are we in the last days. Yes, but we been in the last days for 2000 years. The time between the first coming of Christ and the second coming of Christ falls under the designation, the last date. This tower thanks of Skip's top 10 teachings are messages will want to hear and share one of the things I love about God is he's not complicated. Most truth, you will discover his simple truth, not simplistic truth simple truth when you get $35 or more today will also include linear high textbook reload love the history of the ministry. This been helping children victimized by terror on the front lines. Skip's top two messages on CD plus your copy of reload love by Linda Huizinga today. Call 892 1888 to give or visit connectwithskip.com.

Revelation chapter 13 is rejoin Skip Heitzigs reported at the airport. There were some baggage handlers who went to the luggage beta take out one of those animal carriers and they discover that the dog inside the animal carrier was dead so they panicked and they thought of a lawsuit that would come their way. And so to mitigate against that they called the owner of that Pat and said hey your dog has been sent to a different destination but we promise will retrieve the dog and bring it to your house. She's a fine in the meantime, they found a living dog that looks very similar to the one that died in a put it in the in its place, hoping to fool the woman well when they came to her house and delivered her living dog in that animal carrier. She took one look at it and said that's not my dog my dog's dad I was bringing it home for burial. It's hard to deceive somebody who knows the truth you don't trick a dog owner who knows it's dog because he or she knows it's dog and knows it's not the real dog, and when it comes to Christ we who know the true Jesus Christ also know that there will be a false Jesus. Jesus said that in the last days, many Christ would rise up false Messiah is would rise up we have discovered in our studies of the Scriptures. Not only revelation but throughout the Bible that the Bible predicts a ruler to come to the earth will be a false Messiah, a false Christ. A few years ago in Florida during Christmas season when people put nativity sets out some of them do on their front lawns. A couple had their baby Jesus stolen. This is in Wellington, Florida, a wealthy community and this was a very expensive nativity set to replace baby Jesus cost them $1800 so it was inexpensive and Debbie said it was stolen one year the second year. The replacement Jesus was also stolen from the nativity set the third year they decided to employ a clever tactic they put a GPS tracker inside baby Jesus, just in case will sure enough Jesus cut stolen and they went to the thief's home, they found Jesus at her house, an 18-year-old young woman who stole Jesus three years in a row. It didn't just happen Wellington, Florida. It also happened in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. This was not an expensive Jesus. This was a plastic Jesus.

He was stolen along with the chain attached to the plastic Jesus along with the cement block attached to the chain attached to the baby Jesus all there to prevent somebody from stealing the baby Jesus. It was stolen. Come to find out there's actually something called the stolen baby Jesus syndrome.

You can look up Google it. Not now, but it home that every year there's some wise acre. Who wants to either play a joke or who's against Christmas who steals baby Jesus. Sometimes when one is stolen. A replacement is put in the crib a little dull. A stuffed animal, a substitute Jesus. The Bible predicts a calming leader who will be asked substitute Messiah and deceive the world. If that's even possible to deceive the whole world was Abraham Lincoln. He said you can full some of the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time and all the people some of the time but you cannot fool all the people all the time. The antichrist will do a pretty good job of deceiving most all of the world. As we saw last time when we were together we made a discovery. And that is that the devils primary plan for the last days is to raise up to individuals. One that we typically call the antichrist along with somebody else called the false prophet enter instruments of deception sent to this world. Now tell you right off the bat as we get into the rest of Revelation 13. This sermon is going to be a controversial one. Not that the other ones aren't. But this one especially will be in light of our current environment. In light of what's happening in the news these days and with a politically correct environment that we live in. So I want to do and in looking at this chapter is is give you three categories regarding the future and their simple divisions. What we know what were told and what we hope what we know to be true from the Scripture what were told by some were going to see in the future and what we hope let's begin with what we know and let's go and look at Revelation 13 verse 11 then I saw John said. Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke like a dragon and he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. He deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the side of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed because is all both great and small are small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on the right hand or on their foreheads and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast or the number of his name here is wisdom.

Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of the man. His number is 666 without speculation. Here's what we know. We know that someone that we call antichrist is coming, we know that for sure. Jesus predicted Daniel said it John Paul. They all predicted that some ruler whom John called antichrist first John chapter 2 verse 18, little children, you have heard that the antichrist is coming, we know that for sure. Last week we took a look at him. John saw in the beginning part of this chapter, beast rising up out of the sea and we showed you that in the Bible C is often emblematic of nations, especially Gentile nations. We also saw that he will be given a universal authority and adoration. We gave you a sixfold description of the antichrist wickedness world dominion. Wonder worship words and war. I was last week's outline we discovered he's gonna persecute God's people. Verse seven Revelation 13. He will target Jews and Christians first hand even says killing them with the sword and then we will discover in chapter 20 of the book of Revelation that they are beheaded for their faith in Christ, Daniel chapter 9 tells us this world ruler will make some kind of a covenant for seven years with the Jews regarding their temple and regarding their land and he will renege on that contract in the middle of that seven year. Jesus called that event, the abomination of desolation. He, Jesus said in Matthew 24 that Event Will Take Pl. in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount and he tells everybody in Jerusalem every Jewish person to flee to the mountains.

When that happens, because this rulers headquarters will be set up in Jerusalem and Israel. Moreover, if you just think back a couple of studies we noted that the antichrist is depicted as the first writer in chapter 6 on the white horse becomes conquering and to conquer.

We discovered that after he comes, though he brings peace.

At first he will bring in carnage and devastation to follow so that we know we we know that for sure somebody is coming in the future. Don't know when don't know who it is. Here's the second thing we know for sure. Besides the antichrist she's not alone. He's going to have a religious counterpart.

I believe we see them here in the second part of Revelation 13. He is called the false prophet, not here but three places in the book of Revelation chapter 16 verse 13 chapter 19 verse 20 and chapter 20 verse 10, all talk about the beast and the false prophet, the Dragon Satan the beast and the false prophet now.

We notice that the second beast rises up out of the earth, not like the first beast that rises up out of the sea. This rise up out of the earth, literally the term earth means the land and that's why some Bible commentators have speculated that the false prophet. The second beast is Jewish because the land often refers to the holy land. The land of Israel. So the antichrist then they say rises up out of the sea of nations the Gentiles which is often emblematic in the Scripture of Gentile nations we discovered last time, but that the false prophet could be Jewish. Moreover, notice his description. He has two horns like what like a lamb. This is a kinder and gentler beast. This is different from the first beast rising up out of the sea with seven heads and 10 horns. This is two horns like a lamb but when he speaks, he speaks deception. He speaks like a dragon that is also there's no crowns on his head like the first beast that is because his authority is not political authority is not governmental authority. This is spiritual authority. His primary role is to deceive people into a worship system notices as he deceives those who dwell on the earth by signs that he is granted to do in the presence of the beast so his primary deception or's primary role is deception.

His primary means that that deception is by miraculous signs and his primary incentive get this is the economy because the economy will be so bad. We've Artie discovered during that time millions, even billions of people will die on the earth to a number of things that happen, including starvation people's vulnerability will be at an all-time high. They will be willing to do anything if it means feeding their families, their children, etc. and so the incentive behind this is that you cannot buy or sell unless you take a specific mark. We know how that's going to turn out exactly it could be much like the city requires a chip to be placed in your pet so they can keep track of it. Tell the history of it that could happen with humans now for years, prophecy buffs and Bible commentators have all thought that the Empire that will rise at the end of days, the revived Roman Empire. They have said is probably gonna happen in Europe and they have even said with the European common market, the 10 nations at one time another are many more coming and going in the common market, but for four years. People of look for a leader to, secular leader out of out of the European nations because they say geographically that was the old Roman Empire the continent of Europe, but let me suggest a different direction in a different way to look at that this morning.

We talk about the revived Roman Empire. Here's what we have to discover know that whole idea came about with the vision that Nebuchadnezzar had an in Daniel chapter 2 member he saw the poly metallic image head of gold chest of silver stomach and thighs of bronze and two legs of iron, which represented the Roman empire the Roman empire that ruled the world at one time but then there were 10 toes of iron and clay, and they say that is the revived Roman Empire just like the 10 horns that are mentioned in Revelation 10 toes 10 horns. We can see the similarities.

However, just like there were two legs on that statue that did speak of the Roman Empire.

Did you know that the Roman Empire, like the legs split in 390 580 that there was an Eastern branch as well as a Western branch of the Roman Empire and at the Western branch died out pretty quickly, but the Eastern branch lived on for another thousand years and its headquarters was Constantinople modern-day Istanbul Turkey now or something else to realize we talk about the Roman Empire. The ruled the world, including Israel, etc. Europe, etc. most people realize is that 60% of the Roman Empire at the time of Jesus Christ the time of the New Testament.

60% are lands that are today occupied by Islam. Most of the landmass of the Roman Empire today is occupied and controlled by Muslims. Now I understand something, it is not fashionable. First of all to even talk about this in church. It is certainly not fashionable or politically correct to talk about this in the public square.

It is fashionable to lump all religions and one little basket and say they're all the same, whether it's Christianity or Judaism or Islam. It's all the same God with a different name and and it's fashionable to get the coexist bumper sticker and stick it on your Subaru and happily go down the road. However, what is fashionable is not always biblical and I think we need to not only look at the Bible but look at what's happening around the world at this time in our history and make a different suggestion.

Do you know that today there is an Islamic revival like never seen before and you know that the revival in this country. Conversions to Islam have gone up and up and up. Since September 11, 2001 quadrupled before September 11, 2001, 25,000 Americans every year converted to Islam since 9/11 over 100,000 Americans every year convert to Islam those of the going rates Islam will pass Christianity as the world's largest religion in less than 20 years, according to one source, one half of all global births will be Muslim by the year 2055 now as you look at the news. I hope you do look at the news. Hope you read it.

I hope you listen to it if you ever wondered things like why am I hearing so much about Islam.

I guarantee you've heard more about Islam in the last decade or five years.

Even then, you have your whole lifetime.

And you wonder why why am I hearing so much about it. What's really happening in the Middle East will what's this deal with ISA so they can out are they done yet. I was this idea of a caliphate, I hear about. I want you to listen very carefully to what I'm about to say and listen carefully to the news that is coming out because you may be looking at the future, not that's what we know we know what we have just stated that a crisis coming. False prophetess. Can we don't know when don't know who let me give you a second category, this is what were told this is what we are told by the fastest growing religion in the world. Islam about the end times. Did you know that Islam has an eschatology backup.

Do you know what an eschatology is eschatology means the study of last things the doctrine of last things or end time events. We have an eschatology the Bible tells us what's gonna happen in the end of days. Did you know that Islam has an eschatology most Christians really don't know much about Islam and few Christians know little or nothing when it comes to Islam make eschatology they have an end time scenario lately that eschatology has been leaking out on the news with events like San Bernardino, California and Brussels, Belgium and Paris, and ISIS beheadings, and now this talk about a Caliph any caliphate. By the way the caliphate is the real deal. There's a land occupied by ISIS today that is larger than Great Britain is controlled by them and it is growing in a part of the world so Muslims look at you Christians and have a name for you will have several names for you. One of the names the polite name for you as you are. People of the book we are people of the book Jews and Christians are called by Muslims respectfully people of the book because we hold to the Bible the old and the New Testament. So we are people of the book. However, our books have been corrupted the old and New Testament were original words that have been corrupted by Jews and Christians. So thus the only reliable source of revelation is the Koran and Muslims have two sources for their authority. The Koran, which they say are the direct words of all law and the second is the soon. Sometimes called the hadith's the soon are the words and the works of Mohammed the prophet. So between the Koran, the words of Allah, and assuming the words and works of Mohammed they developed their authority for everything according to Islamic theology. They see the end of days as being ushered in by three great signs three great signs and all three are in the form of a person that is coming.

Three persons. The first sign the first person they say is the Mott the Mott D MA HDI if you're taking notes. The Mahdi is equivalent to the Messiah.

The word Mott D means the guy did one. He is also called the awaited savior, the Lord of the age and the 12th Imam.

What will the Mott D. Do what will their awaited savior come to do this is what he'll come to do. He'll set up a new world order an Islamic caliphate that is civil, political, and spiritual it will lead world revolution to establish Islam throughout the world throughout the world.

They want nothing less, than world domination. And what if we refuse. What if anyone refuses their source quote Mott D will offer the religion of Islam to the Jews and Christians if they accepted they will be spared. Otherwise they will be killed." – Number seven message top 40 messages countdown from his series.

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