ARE YOU READY? 2 THESSALONIANS 2:1-4

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1 ARE YOU READY? 2 THESSALONIANS 2:1-4 Paul now predicts the coming ANTICHRIST and Time of Apostasy in the very last days. Like many Christians today, it seems that some of the Thessalonian believers had very wrong ideas about the Rapture and Second Coming. As well as what the world would look like right before these two future events occur. 1

2 JUST IN CASE YOU MISSED IT IN THE FIRST LETTER, JESUS IS COMING AGAIN Here in VERSES 1 and 2 we see both the Rapture and the Second Coming. Here in v. 1, Paul states that believers will be gathered to Him at the Rapture/the Harpazo. If we are Rapture-ready, we won t have to be overly concerned about the preceding events or the timing of Christ s second coming, because we won t be here when it happens. 1 THESS. 5:9 2

3 WHAT IS THIS DAY OF CHRIST? It s the same as The Day of the Lord. A common phrase in the Old Testament, and refers to a specific extraordinary time, a time in the future, the final period of history... the last days. The end to the age of grace, when God will defeat all the forces of evil and save national Israel. AKA the Tribulation/Daniel s 70 th week. ISA. 13:6, 9; EZE. 30:3; AMOS 5:18, 20; OBAD. 1:15; ZEPH. 1:7, 14; ZECH. 14:1; MAL. 4:5; JOEL 1-3 3

4 THAT DAY IS STILL IN THE FUTURE! Three other things have to happen first: 1. The rebellion/final falling away must occur. v The man of lawlessness must be revealed to lead the world through Tribulation. v The restraint of lawlessness must be removed the Holy Spirit in the Church (v. 7) the Rapture! Scriptures pointing to that final, great rebellion: MATT. 24:10-12; 2 TIM. 3:1-5; JUDE 1:

5 APOSTASY AND THE ANTICHRIST While rebellion against God is widespread and pervasive today, as the coming of Christ nears: This falling away and active opposition against God will intensify and reach its zenith and that time, I believe, is very near THE GREAT APOSTASY. During that final, rebellious time, a remarkable man will come into public view. He will have unbridled power from Satan and will personify evil THE ANTICHRIST. 5

6 WHO IS THE ANTICHRIST? Here s how crazy people get: 1. Start with what we know about Barney: is a CUTE PURPLE DINOSAUR 2. Change all the U s to V s (which is proper Latin the King James is from the Latin): CVTE PVRPLE DINOSAVR 3. Extract all the Roman numerals from his name and you are left with: C V V L D I V 4. Convert to Arabic values: , add them up and, you guessed it 666. There you have it, proof positive that Barney is the Antichrist. 6

7 AGAIN, WHO IS THE ANTICHRIST? The Bible says just before Christ s second coming, the real Antichrist the man of lawlessness, a completely evil man will arise AS A FINAL WORLD LEADER. First he will be a man of peace, solving the world s problems with a one world monetary system, government, and religion; and he will be the leader of all three. He is the second member of the unholy trinity. REV. 13:5-7, REV. 17, and DANIEL 7 7

8 BUT REALLY, WHY WORRY? Yes, hell is real, the Antichrist is real; but Jesus defeated the grave and Satan himself at the cross. Are you ready? Israel is in the land, the Tribulation of REV. 6 19, JOEL 1 3 will come to pass. Are you ready? The four horsemen of the apocalypse are warming up in heaven. Are you ready? BECAUSE OF THE GLORY OF THE CROSS OF JESUS, WE WHO BELIEVE ARE READY! 8