J.B. Buffington discusses the concept of the Antichrist, emphasizing that while the term is often associated with a singular figure, it also represents a pervasive spirit of opposition to Christ that existed in John's time and continues today. He highlights the urgency of recognizing the lateness of the hour and the need for believers to remain vigilant and active in their faith. Buffington warns against the allure of false teachings and the coming deception that will accompany the Antichrist's rise, urging listeners to seek salvation and remain steadfast in their commitment to Christ. He reassures that despite the darkness, believers have hope in the ultimate victory of Jesus over evil.

1 John chapter 2 verse 18. For our text to commence with tonight as we speak upon that subject, the Antichrist. We've been speaking the last few weeks on the subject of the return of our Lord and things connected with it. We spoke on Israel, the budding of the fig tree. Now 1 John chapter 2 verse 18. Little children, it is the last time, and as ye have heard, that Antichrist shall come. That was future. Even now are there many Antichrists whereby we know that it is the last time. Shall we pray now? Father, help us to realize the lateness of the hour. Lord, with anticipation that we might go to bed each night and rise each morning in our hearts, perhaps tonight, perhaps today. Thank you, Heavenly Father, that this world is not all there is to life. Thank you that this world's not our home. We thank you, Lord, the best is yet to come. Thank you, Lord, for the glory that awaits us. Thank you for the inheritance that we have reserved in heaven. Lord, as we look ahead, we thank you, Lord, for saving us and keeping us. We come to thee tonight and pray now that thou would help us as we open the word that we might study. We might understand the times and not only be just scanning the sky, but, Lord, busy till you call us home. Use the message tonight to motivate us to urgency and reap in the harvest. For chance those who are unsaved here, maybe tonight, we pray, Lord, that you'd use this to bring them conviction of their lostness and their urgency of the need of getting saved tonight. Fill us with thy Spirit. Honor your Son. We plead thy blood over the service and over the message and over the hero, and we'll give you the thanksgiving and praise because we ask it in Jesus' name and for his sake. Amen. The word Antichrist is only found in the epistle of John. If you have your Bible still open there, if you look over in that same chapter in verse 22, here's another reference to this, who is a liar, but he that denieth that Jesus is a Christ, he is Antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son. Now turn over to chapter 4 and verse 3, chapter 4 and verse 3, and there's only one other passage that uses the word Antichrist. Chapter 4, verse John, verse 3. And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God, and this is that spirit of Antichrist whereof ye have heard that it should come, and even now already is it in the world. Now the second epistle of John, verse 7, second epistle of John, verse 7. For many deceivers are entered into the world who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an Antichrist. Now John in his epistles is not concerned about dealing with a person of the Antichrist, but he was concerned about dealing with a spirit of Antichrist that was already prevalent in the day and age in which he lived, and so he brought about and revealed and gave to us now that that system of Antichrist was already at work in the hour in which he wrote. When we come to the word Antichrist, it has two meanings. It can be a meaning instead of Christ, or on the other hand, the word could be used as opposed to Christ. Scripturally it's not used as instead of Christ, but it's used as absolutely opposed to Jesus Christ. The text that we've already read, if you want to look at them again, then this proves it. In verse 22 of the second chapter of 1 John, it said, Whosoever he is Antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son. It's in opposition to. He's not coming as a substitute for Christ. He's coming in absolute opposition against Christ, and that's found in the verses that I read. In the book of 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2 and verse 4, let me read there, Who opposeth and exalted himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Now he is anti, in opposition to God and the Lord Jesus Christ. There's another word that's a similar word, but they're not synonymous. You find it in the gospel according to Matthew, chapter 24, where it speaks about false Christ. Now here is an assumption of being the Christ, and many folks have done that, but that's not referring to the Antichrist. And I read in Matthew 24, 24, For there shall arise false Christ and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders. I think Father Divine, as he called himself in Chicago, called himself the Christ, and they worshipped him as a Christ. Now there have been many false Christ, but there will be only one Antichrist. Now as we study this passage tonight, and the particular subject tonight, let's look at some names of this individual. We'll not have time to go into detail and exhaust it, else we'd have to preach through the book of Daniel and through the book of Revelation. And I'll assure you, you don't have time, and I don't have time. That'd take a lot of time. But a glimpse of this man, the Antichrist. Now in 2 Thessalonians, if you'll turn there, chapter 2, the second epistle to the church at Thessalonica, 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2, and we'll get several of his names. We'll give you an index as to his character and his personality. 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2, and verse 3. Let no man deceive you by any means, or that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed. He's spoken of as a man of sin. What a title. A man of sin. A man in whom sin has found its fullness and its essence. A man of sin. You ought to shudder and tremble when you think about a title being applied to an individual. Man of sin. The next verse gives another title of his. Verse 4. Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that he has God sitting in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Excuse me, I read ahead of myself. The latter part of verse 3. That man of sin, the son of perdition. Now he's called the son of perdition in the scripture. In John chapter 17, the Lord Jesus in praying referred to Judas Iscariot and called him a son of perdition. None of them is lost except the son of perdition, that it may be fulfilled that is spoken in the scriptures, and so on. Now there are folks who believe that the man of sin, the Antichrist, will be Judas Iscariot resurrected. I do not believe that. Now there are a lot of good men, Dr. M. R. DeHaan, believe that Judas Iscariot would be the Antichrist. Now the reason that I do not believe that is because of the fact that the Antichrist, or the man of sin, is a political figure, and will play a part in the head of the Roman Empire in the past and in the future, and Judas Iscariot never was a political figure. He was a religious figure. Now when he calls him son of perdition, this refers to his character, the character of hell, the character of the damned. James and John, the disciples, were called sons of thunder. Now that did not mean that the thunder was their father, but it meant that they were men of temper and high strung, and you see that in their life, sons of thunder, and it pointed to their character. And this man, the son of perdition, the son of damnation, the son of hell, then he's spoken of in 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 8, look down a few verses, he's spoken of as that wicked one or lawless one. And then shall that wicked or lawless one be revealed whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming. Over in Daniel 9, I will not ask you to turn there, but in Daniel 9, in verse 27, he's spoken of as the prince of the covenant, and we'll talk about that a little later. In Revelation chapter 13, in verse 4 and 17, he's spoken of as the beast. In Daniel 7, in verse 8, he's spoken of as a little horn. Now there are many other titles that I'll not read tonight, but these are some of his titles, the man of sin. Consider, secondly, his person. Now who is he? Well, in Revelation 13, in verse 18, the last part of the 13th chapter, I discover, first of all, that he is a man. And there are some who do not believe that he was a man, that he was a devil himself. When Jesus said to that group that day, he said, I've chosen you twelve, and one of you is literally a demon. That's John chapter 6, the last verse. But the Bible says that he's a man. Look at it in Revelation 13, in verse 18. I'll begin in verse 17. And that no man might buy or sell, save he that hath the mark of the name of the beast, or the number of his name. And here is wisdom, that him that hath understanding count the number of the beast, for it is a number of a man, and his number is six hundred, three score, and six. Now six is man's number. God created man on the sixth day, and after six thousand years of man's attempt to bring in the kingdom, the son of God is going to set up a kingdom that shall never pass away, on the seventh thousand years. Now that's prophetic. Now six thousand years man has tried to bring in peace, and the way of peace say no not, and they're no closer to finding peace tonight than they did, they were, thousands of years ago. They don't know how to find peace. They can find it in their own heart, in their own life. That'll be proven with the newspaper. This person now, he's a man. Secondly, he's not only a man, but he's a man that has supernatural power. Look at Revelation chapter 13, and I'll read now verse two, and this refers to the system and refers also to the man. That empire will be a composite of all the empires, the four empires that God gave the image to Daniel. It'll be comprised of that, the whole Roman, the Babylonian empire, the head of gold, and the arms of silver, the Medes and the Persians, the belly of brass, the Grecian empire, and the legs of iron, the Roman empire. And in verse two of Revelation 13, and this is a cross-reference with Daniel chapter 7, and the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, that was the Grecians, and his feet as were the feet of a bear, that referred to the Persians, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion, that referred to the Babylonians, and the dragon gave him his power, and the dragon is the devil, as the scripture says, and his seat and great authority. Here's a man endued with satanic power. Here's a man that comes to a position of authority, and he doesn't get it from God, he gets it from the devil, but God's in the saddle, and God's guiding, and God's directing, and God keeping him away from the scene until the hour of God says it's time to reveal him, and God will pull back the restrainer and allow him to step forward, but he can't put his foot on the scene until God allows him to do so. I'm glad God's ruling. Now, and so here, look down a little farther about this man and his powers. I read that in Revelation chapter 13, verse 2. If you'll turn back to the 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, and 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 has much to say about this man. Look at him in verse 9. Now, people today are madly concerned about miracles. We're saying about miracles, but wait a minute, the greatest miracle that God ever did was when he saved somebody. Now, that cost him something. No other miracle cost God anything but his word. I repeat that again. No other miracle cost God a thing, but salvation cost him something. He just didn't speak a word. It cost him his son on Calvary's cross before he could speak the word of miracle of life to his soul, and here's a world that's concerned about miracles, and signs, and wonders, and they'll travel for miles to see something curious, but they won't walk across the street to hear the word of God preached about the Son of God, and about where sinners get saved. They're concerned about it. It's a curious age. Want to see something, want to have their ears tickled, and the word said they'll turn away their ears from the truth, and they'll turn them on to fables, and they'll heap to themselves teachers having itching ears, and they'll tell the preachers, tickle my ears. All right, that's a good setup for this guy. Now, I read in 2 Thessalonians 2, 9, even him who's coming is after the working of Satan with all power, and signs, and lying wonders, and I'm here to tell you that Satan can work miracles, and signs, and wonders. Oh, we had a miracle! Yeah, man, if Satan can come along and perform a miracle, and you automatically, because you see a miracle, you call it of God. Brother, he puts his stamp of approval. You put what he'd like for you to believe that God did it. Now, what'll he do? He'll come in, what, with all of lying power, and signs, and lying wonders, but he's a man with supernatural power. Jesus Christ faced a devil in the wilderness, and the devil said to the Son of God, all these, showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment's time. He said, all these things will I give thee, if thou will bow down and worship me. I'll give it all to you, and there's a man, and he'll come on the scene, and he'll take this, and the devil up on his agreement. Yes, sir, I'll give you my worship, if you'll give it all to me, and the devil's going to give it all to him, but he's only give it to him for three and a half years, and God's going to say, that's all. What a price to sell your soul for. What a price. He's a man of sin. He's a man who's a supernatural power, but a man has sold himself to Satan. There's something else about this person, that he'll be a Roman. Now, if you want to turn to Daniel chapter 9, he'll be a Roman. Now, let me say something here. You say, is the United States in prophecy? Could be. United States came out of the Roman Empire. Our forefathers, where they came from, who do you think they were? Europe. Now, I'm not going to pick up the Bible and say, this talks about the United States. I'd be a fool. I just made a statement about the fact. Now, in Daniel 9, and verse 26, and those of you who've been in our studies before have heard this verse again and again, but here's a key verse. In verse 26 and 27, and if you will circle the little word prince in verse 26, and then circle the little word he, the second word in verse 27, those two little words refer to the same individual. And this individual now will be a Roman, and here this verse proves it. And after three score and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off. That was Calvary, but not for himself. And the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Now, the people destroyed the city, not the prince. The prince was the come. Who destroyed the city and the sanctuary? The Romans under Titus in AD 70, the Roman general. That's the people. All right now, the people of the prince that shall come, who's this people? The Romans. What did he do? Verse 27, and he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week, and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease. Now, he is a Roman. That's clear. That's unmistakable. If you look over the 11th chapter and verse 37, here's a passage that seems to indicate that he'll be a Jew. And I won't be dogmatic about this. I'll be dogmatic about the fact that he'd come out of the Roman empire. He'd be a Roman. But in Daniel chapter 11 and verse 37 talks about this same individual. In verse 37, it says, neither shall he regard the God of his fathers. Now, practically everyone that I've read after refers, and you find that phrase again and again in the Old Testament. Oh, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God of our fathers. You hear that used again and again. And when it talks about that in Jewish content, it's always talking about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And that's a basic way that those three words are used in the scripture. And on the basis of that, there are many folks who say now that neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, identifies him as Jewish, and it's referring to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He'll not regard the God of his father Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And so they say he's a Jew. I believe that is a question mark. I'm not positive. But I am positive that he'll come out of the Roman empire. He will come out of the western world. He will not come out of the eastern world, and neither will he come out of Russia. Neither, let me repeat again, neither will he come out of Russia, and neither will he come from the vast hordes of the Asiatic people. He comes out of the western world. How tragic, how tragic in the western world's enjoyed the blessings of God more than any other portion of the globe, and how tragic out of the part of the world that's enjoyed the favor of the gospel of God, that out of it should come the man of sin. Out of it shall come the Antichrist. But it so, but you take the word, and it arouses the enmity of the human heart. It either brings that heart in submission to the Son of God as personal Savior, or it hardens that heart in absolute defiance against the Son of God. He's a Roman, possibly a Jew, but he's a man that demands worship. 2 Thessalonians 2 verse 3, we've already read that, and I'll not go into detail, but he's a man who demands worship. And when men, let's turn there, turn to Revelation 13 verse 4. Now this ought to tell you something. Across our country there has rushed to the front, and you find book after book in the newsstands, and airports, and bus stations, and 7-Eleven stores, and grocery stores, and drugstores, and you find book after book on the occult. The newspapers feel that every day has something to do about the occult, and about the stars, and the signs, and all of this. What are you moving toward? Moving toward the worship of the devil himself, and that's the thing that he wants, worship. You see in Isaiah chapter 14, when he sinned, he said, I will exalt my stars above the stars of God. I'll demand worship of a universe, and that's one driving passion that he's had, to have the worship of angels, and the worship of men, and the worship of mankind. He wants worship, and he's gonna get worship from a world of fallen men and women. And I'll read about it in Revelation chapter 13. We'll look at it now. And verse 4, and they worship the dragon, that's Satan, which gave power or authority unto the beast, that's the Antichrist. And they worship the beast saying, who is like unto the beast, who is able to make war with him. There's Satan Bibles, and Satan cults, and you find it read in your newspapers of them offering sacrifices to Satan. You just as well buckle your seat belt, you're gonna find an increase in it, as we approach the coming of our Lord, and our Savior, Jesus Christ. They're coming away from the truth, and the belief of a lie. That's the direction we're moving, that's something about his person. Now let's look at his appearance. Turn it back to Daniel now. This man will appear on the scene, and he'll appear in an insignificant way, that may be already history. Don't know. But I read in Daniel chapter 7, time will not permit us to go into great detail, but Daniel chapter 7 and verse 8. You'll hold your hand there, and turn to Daniel chapter 2 and verse 44, and let me read that. Daniel saw a dream. Daniel, the Nebuchadnezzar had a dream. You remember his dream of a giant man, head of gold, arms and chest of silver, belly of brass, thighs and legs of iron, feet of iron and clay, and the ten toes on that image. Now this is that image, and it started up here, and we talk about, boy, we got the best government. No, this has been, the government's been deteriorating ever since the Babylonians. It said after these shall rise a kingdom inferior, and you have gold, and you have silver, and you have brass, and then you have iron, and you and I live in iron and clay age. That's not too hot in quality of government. Now look at Daniel 2 and verse 44, and in the days of these kings, that's the ten toes on that image that Nebuchadnezzar saw. In the days of these kings, there'll come ten kings out of the western world, a revived Roman empire. Ten kings will arise, and in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Forasmuch as I sawest the stone that was cut out of the mountain, that refers to Christ, without hands, that it break in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold, the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter, and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof is sure. And anybody who's read the newspapers, you see the common market of Europe juggling around to get into position, and the kings and the kingdoms that are already in existence in order to tell us that the Son of God is coming and coming soon. He said in the days of these ten kings the Son of God will set up a kingdom that'll never be removed. Well, these days the Democrats and the Republicans and all the rest of them, brother, God's going to shatter the whole caboodle right at his feet. That's what God thinks of the politics of this world. What are these days? You say you hit my favorite party. Well, God's going to drop a big old stone on your favorite party, and everybody else's favorite party. There ain't going to be no parties when he comes. The precincts will be closed. There's not going to be any more democratic form of government. He's going to rule with a rod of iron. He's not going to pass out and ask your opinion about anything. He's coming to rule and reign in righteousness for a thousand years. He's not going to ask anybody how to do it. Now, Daniel chapter 7. Daniel had a dream. Nebuchadnezzar had a dream, and it was in the form of a man. That's the way man views the governments of this world. God's man has a dream. He sees the same identical thing, but he sees the world in the form of a beast. Not a man. All right, now look at verse 8. This refers to the same period of time, only the fact that Daniel had seen him in the form of a beast. Verse 8 of Daniel 7. And I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another little horn. Among those ten kingdoms there came a little horn, an ill insignificant fellow, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots. He'll destroy, he'll overcome, he'll conquer, he'll do something with three of his original horns and he'll rise to power from obscurity to a place of world premiership. The three of the first horns plucked up by the root, and behold, in this horn were eyes like the mouth of a man, and a mouth speaking great things. And I could say tonight, brother, you could call him super mouth, because you read, he's identified in the book of Daniel again and again and again about his mouth. Read it. I mean, a mouth speaking great things, a mouth speaking blasphemy, and here's a man with a mouth like nobody else has had, a mouth that others claimed that nobody else had ever had. He's a little fellow. Now, he may be on the scene tonight, I don't know, but you rest assured I believe this, that he's hale and hearty and well and living on planet earth tonight. I believe that. Now, he may not be, but I believe it. So, he'll come in obscurity. And then something else. Turn to Daniel 7 and verse 25. Oh, brother, listen. He'll come in, excuse me, Daniel 8, excuse me, Daniel 8 and verse 25. Beginning at verse 23. And I want you to see how he destroys many. And this may be the way he eliminates three in his rise to power, and they, in turn, he becomes a head, and then there's three more, it takes a place for in the end of the tribulation period, there are ten again. Now, read. And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance and understanding dark sentence, they shall stand up, and his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power. And he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper in practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand, and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many. If you'll hold your hand there and turn to Revelation chapter 6, this fellow comes riding on a white horse. And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and, brother, chapter 6 begins after the rapture and the catching away of the bride. And then the fourth chapter of the book of Revelation, John said, I heard a voice saying, come up, hither, that's the rapture. Chapter 5 follows us around the throne. Chapter 6, brother, here's a man of sin beginning to move out. All right, watch him. And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and heard, as it were, the noise of thunder, one of the poor beasts said, come and see. And I saw him behold a white horse, and he that sat on him had a bow, and a crown was given unto him. And he went forth conquering, and to conquer, Daniel said, and by peace shall he destroy many. Isn't it strange that that word peace and the peace sign, the peace symbol, have rushed like wildfire across our world? Isn't it strange that peace is the most often repeated thing? Brother, every meeting in Washington, what are we doing? We're after peace, whether it was kissing European or after peace, and around the world, peace, peace, peace. When they shall say peace and safety, not when they shall say peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them as a woman with child, and they shall not escape. This is not the hour of peace, this is the hour before the storm breaks. He'll come in in the peace program. In Daniel 9, verse 27, I've already read that he'll come in as the defender of Israel and make a seven-year covenant with them. He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week, and his platform as he comes in, I repeat again, he will come as a defender of Israel, a covenant that allows him to have their land and build their temple, and these eagles said they're dwelling in cities with unwalled villages, and this is dwelling security and safety. That turned to Isaiah 28, and about that covenant, let's see what God said about it. The book of Isaiah chapter 28, that's page 737, verse 15. While I save time, I'll look at verse 18. God said in your covenant with death shall be this and all your agreement with hell shall not stand, for they will not defend you when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then shall you be trodden down by it. God said you've made a covenant with hell, and a covenant with death, and your covenant that guarantees you liberty and protection will not stand when the overflowing scourge marches through the land, and oh how tragic that Israel is back in the land in unbelief, and they're not back there, listen, waiting for the Lord God to come from heaven as a whole, they're back there in unbelief to sign a covenant and a contract with the Antichrist, the man of sin, and that group that's gone back is not a fulfillment of the prophecy, listen, of the return of the Lord, that's a fulfillment of the prophecy, that they'll go back in unbelief, and God said I'll purge out from among you the rebels, and they've gone back, and two-thirds, according to the book of Zechariah chapter 12, two-thirds of them will die in the land, and nine-tenths of them outside of the land will perish when the Lord said I'll bring you into the bond of the covenant, and I'll cause you to pass under the rod, that's nine for the slaughter and one for the Lord, nine for the slaughter and one for the Lord, and God is saying the day of Israel's trouble and Jacob's troubles in the future, two-thirds in the land will perish, nine-tenths out of the land will die, glory to you, better do it now, this fellow will appear as a defender of Israel, and you read the book of Revelation chapter 12, I'll not read it, a brother when Satan is cast out of the heavens at the middle of the tribulation period, and that's when a man of sin goes in and manifests himself to a world that he's in, a Christ, a man of sin, and then brother, he turns and persecutes a woman that brought forth a man-child, and that's Israel, brother, he's not Israel's defender, he hates Israel and all that she stands for, if he's a Jew, he's an apostate Jew that hates Christ and hates God and hates the promises of his fathers. Something else about this man, let me just name these, United Europe will give power to him, Revelation 17, 12 to 13, with a voluntary consent, it says these ten kings, they have not arisen as yet, but they will give their power and authority unto the beast without any coercion, they will gladly give their backing and support to the beast. Then again, he'll be turned to Revelation 17, did you know, do you know where there are more atheists and infidels hatched than any other place in rotten religion? Many infidels and atheists are atheists today because they went off somewhere, supposedly to a Christian school or seminary, but they went off into the cults or something and they discovered no reality for the human heart, and brother, they become apostate, they become hard, they become atheists and infidels, and you hear me now, the antichrist will come riding on sponsored by religion, and let me say this without fear of anybody contradicting me, brother, he'll come riding into power sponsored by the ecumenical movement of the world council of churches, and if you don't agree with that, you swallow that and chew on it for a while and time will bear me out. Now read Revelation 17, verse 3, and here he is, and a woman, and this is woman is apostate religion beginning way back at the tower of Babylon, Babylon the mother of hearts, the mother of every false system that ever began in the world, every false religion finds its beginning, listen, not in the days of Christ, but it finds its beginning way back during the days of Nimrod, and God's son, listen, says I know who you are, you're Babylon, you're mystery Babylon the great, you call yourself the bride of Christ, but he said you're the mother of harlots, I know who you are, and he pulls a veil off of her. Now I'll read in Revelation chapter 17 and verse 3, so he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness, and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast, and prove that that woman is apostate religion, and it's a certain city that sits on seven hills, verse 18, and a woman which that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth, all right now, verse 3, so he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness, and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast, and this beast what had pulls of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns, and this is that system of which the beast at the head, and listen, religion today, hear me now, false religion has always wanted to dictate the government, and does not believe in the separation of church and state, always, and once again as in the days, listen, gone by in the dark ages, there's a religious system comprised of all apostates, listen, in every denomination, in every religion in the world, they're going to get together, and they're going to get this guy under their thumb. She comes riding in on him, and a person that's riding something is in control of him. Now look, Revelation chapter 3, the Lord said to the church at Laodicea, I'll spew you out of my mouth, and God's son, listen, will vomit a half-hearted, lukewarm church into the tribulation period, and brother, that thing, it's dead, and no life in it all, within it all, and he's on the outside, and that fellow's going to get fed up with it, and the tribulation, and look over here in verse 15, and see what he does to that. Verse 16, and the ten horns, that's the ten kings, which I sourced upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, that's apostate religion, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire, and you read the 18th chapter of the book of Revelation, where they burn the city, and all connected with it, and he sat down with religion, I'm God, worship me, I'm God, and he'll come to power, under the supervision and sponsorship of Professor Christine. You're in the church that belongs to the World Council of Churches, get out. Get out! When? Tonight! God said in the book of Revelation concerning her, to come out of her, my people, and to be not partaker where there's sin. Get out! All right, then again, he'll have worldwide dominion, and let me just read this and quit as far as that's concerned, and then move quickly to the last point. Look at Revelation 13, verse 16 and 17. Boy, people are running mad in America. Americans have always had it easy. Boy, I think about Britain with their three-day work, and Britain's reeled and rocked again, and again, and again, has done so, and all the pressure, and the people of the world have learned to live with problems, but American people, well, these days, American people can't buy, sell, or trade without the mark of the beast. Boy, the panic is going over over gasoline. Brother, when you can't buy anything, can't listen, can't open your business, you can't sell, you can't buy, you can't trade, you can't do anything without the mark of the beast, what in the world will happen to the American people that's been used to having their way all their life? Brother, they'll go all to pieces. That's what they'll do. I read in Revelation 13, and he calls it all, both small and great, rich and poor, rich can't buy their way out here, and the poor will not be overlooked, and the free and the bond to receive a mark in their right hand or in their forehead, and that no man might buy or sell save he that hath the mark of the name of the beast or the number of his name. No, no, listen, no number, no groceries. No mark, no gas. No mark, no lights. No mark, no job. No mark, no business. No mark, no schools. No mark, no clothes. No mark, no house. No mark, no land. No mark, you don't have a thing. Hear me tonight. I believe with all my soul that that man of sin is walking around in our 20th century alive, and what's he waiting on? Turn to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, and I'll read, beginning at verse 6. You remember God said in Genesis 6, 3, My spirit shall always strive with man. Brother, God strove with men in the antediluvian days, with men before their flood, about their wickedness, and God one day said, I'm not going to strive any longer, and he called Noah into the ark and shut the door, and men were destroyed. God restrained man from sin, and it wasn't as wicked as it could have been. And this world tonight is not as wicked as it's going to be. You know why? Because there's two elements of salt still here. Ye are the salt of the earth, and what's salt for? Brother, you go to that old smokehouse back on the farm. This is old-fashioned day. Boy, this will make some of you real, you'll start crying. Old-fashioned day, back on the farm, you'd kill hogs until you took a side of meat. And what did you do, brother? You smoked it, and you put salt on it, and you poured salt on it, and you stacked another piece of meat on it, and you poured salt on it, and you stacked another piece of meat, and you poured salt on it. And brother, it cured, and it kept, and there, brother, it did not decay, and when you wanted to eat it, you know what you did? You scoured it and soaked it all night long, and then when you ate a piece of it for breakfast, you had enough salt for the whole week. And Jesus said, Ye are the salt of the earth. One of these days in the world, they'll mock and laugh and say, We hate you fundamentalists, but I want to tell you, brother, they better love the salt of the earth, because when God removes the salt, judgment will fall. God removed the backslidden lot from Solomon and Gomorrah, and judgment fell. God removed the salt from the days of Noah, and judgment fell. And one of these days, God's going to take the salt, and I'll guarantee you, corruption is going to run wild. Can I read you? What about now? 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 6, And now ye know what withholdeth, that he that is the antichrist, the man of sin, might be revealed in his time, for the mystery of iniquity, the holy work. Satan's been at this in Genesis 3, verse 15. We'll have a kingdom without God. But the mystery of iniquity does already work. Only he who now letteth, that word let in 1611 meant hindereth, and if you have a marginal reference, you'll see that word, now letteth or hindereth will hinder until he be taken out of the way. And he's simply saying that there's something that's standing in the way. The mystery of iniquity does already work, but there's something standing in the way. Now the next verse, Until he be taken out of the way, one day the restrainer is going to be taken out of the way. And then the next verse says, And then shall that wicked be revealed. I personally believe the restrainer is the Holy Spirit of God, the same restrainer that was in Genesis chapter 6, the conviction and the striving with men against sin. Oh, but you say the Holy Spirit's arm not present. Yes, his arm not present, but he ceases his restraining activity like he did in the days of Noah. He simply steps aside, and when he steps aside, he calls his witnesses out of this world, that's the bride, the body, and listen, the man of sin cannot be revealed to the world until the church is gone and the Spirit of God steps aside. May he be revealed, but I've got a sneaking suspicion that God's people have a whole lot of ideas about who he is. Therefore the restrainer steps aside, and we're going to be with the Lord. Because the Lord said, That thing that will overtake you is darkness. They'll talk about peace and safety, but they ought not to catch you in the dark. Now turn to Revelation. Let's look at the end of this fellow. 2 Thessalonians 2 said, God shall destroy him with the brightness of his coming. I want you to turn back. Here's something that just jumps out at me. I want you to turn back to 2 Thessalonians 2 verse 8. I want you to see something. As one word jumps out at me, as one word it kept jumping out as I read again and again the book of Daniel, and that's the word mouth. Now I want you to see what happens in the mouth in 2 Thessalonians 2 verse 8. Then shall that wicked be revealed, the one with a big mouth, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth. There's not going to be any scraps. Words from his mouth will do the job. Just a moment, we're going to see a battle that's fought, and the only one that does any fighting is a general. I like battles like that. I'll get behind a general to do that anytime. Now turn to Revelation 19. Revelation 6, there was a man that went riding on a white horse, and he came in on a peace program, and he went out on a war program. And here's one who comes from heaven riding on a white horse, and he's not coming on a peace program, he's coming in on a war program, but he's going out on a peace program. And I saw heaven open, and behold a white horse, and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns, and he had a name written that no man knew but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon a white horse, his clothing fine linen, white and clean, and out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, and he treaded the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture known his style name written King of kings and Lord of lords. And I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried with a loud voice saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of the heaven, come and gather yourselves under the supper of the great God. Just before that, that same chapter, there's a marriage supper of the Lamb. And for those who won't come to the marriage supper of the Lamb, brother, you're going to be meat on the table, listen, for the great supper of God. That may sound crude, but I'm reading out of the Bible, and I hope I shake, the Word of God shakes some of you to pieces tonight. Listen, the God that people have portrayed in their heart and minds, a mamby-pamby Santa Claus upstairs to let you do anything and let you get away with it, he's a loving God, but he's a holy God. He will not, listen, he will not overlook sin. He deals with sin. He hated sin so much he gave his son to put it away at Calvary's cross. And the man who rejects the Son of God to get rid of his sin, that God will deal severely with him, that you may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. Now look at verse 19, here's the end of the beast. And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse and against his arms. Have you ever heard anything so insane? That puny men who live on a little speck of dust, they could get lost in this universe. Listen, you couldn't find your way back in a billion years. And puny men who has to take a nap, listen, have to go to bed every 24 hours, or he can't make it through the next 24 hours, and here's the ancient of days, and here's the king of kings, and the Lord of Lords, and here's a handful of men whose breath is in their nostrils, gathered to make war against the God of the universe. Sin is insanity. And look how quickly the war is over. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that brought miracles before him, for which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshiped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire, burning with brimstone, and the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth, and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. And this book closes with them the spirit and the bride say come. 1 John chapter 2 verse 18. For our text to commence with tonight, as we speak upon that subject, the Antichrist. I've been speaking the last few weeks on the subject of the return of our Lord, and things connected with it. I spoke on Israel, the budding of the fig tree. Now 1 John chapter 2 verse 18. Little children, it is at last time, and as ye have