Stop looking for the antichrist it has been with us.

Written by Lee Stevenson, sorry I am not the best editor.

Many confuse the beast with the antichrist. The bible makes it clear the beast is a political entity and the antichrist is any who oppose Christ in actions or behavior. They are two different entities. People are waiting for the antichrist but the bible tells us the antichrist was already here in the apostles days. The antichrist was present in Jesus time. Anti means to oppose. Jesus made it clear anyone who oppose him or his teachings were the antichrist. The antichrist is also identified as the man of lawlessness. The bible tells us there are many antichrist. People keep waiting for the antichrist to rise up but it has already been with us. The bible said the great apostacy would be revealed the man of lawlessness in the last days. It did not say it would arise in the last days because it has already been with us. But it is being revealed who the antichrist is. The bible warned many would follow after their own desires and gather teachers together to scratch their itchy ears. Some would even follow the teachings of demons. Because of the things those following false religion would do they would cause the way of the truth to be spoken of abusively. So false religion and those who reject Gods word and the teachings of Jesus are part of the antichrist. The way the antichrist and the way the beast would be destroyed are differently. False religion which is the harlot mentioned in revelations will be destroyed first. God will put it in the heart of the beast to destroy false religion. But this would not occur until the man of lawlessness was revealed. The great apostacy would oppose true worship meaning they would oppose Christ and his teachings. For a short period of time the harlot will team up with the beast.

The harlot will ride on the beast back and would be allied closely with the beast. After the man of lawlessness is revealed and Jesus has exposed the corruption and disobedience. God will put it into the hearts for the beast to turn on the harlot and destroy her. Since the harlot teaches things contrary to what Jesus taught the harlot would be part of the antichrist. Not all who are part of the antichrist will be destroyed at this time. Some will become angry when false worship is destroyed and will turn on true worship. When this occurs

The bible tells us those who worship in truth will be those who escape out of Babylon. So those who worship in truth will give up all false worship and return to worshiping God in truth. They will view those worshiping in truth as defenseless. When this occurs the bible says it would be like the touch the pupil of God’s eye and they would be destroyed. So as you can see those who allied with the beast are part of the antichrist. But the antichrist is a political entity and when it and those who oppose true worship turn on God’s people God will destroy them. So those who received the mark and allied with the beast would also be a part of the antichrist. But as I stated earlier the beast is a separate entity. We were told the beast would spring up at a later time, but the scriptures have made it clear the antichrist arose when Jesus walked the earth and has been here since. The bible also made it clear there are many antichrist. Meaning any who disobey Jesus, do not put their faith in God , oppose Jesus or teach things other then what Jesus taught is part of the antichrist. So the great apostacy meaning false religion is a part of the antichrist and represents a religious entity and the beast represents a political entity that will arise at a later time.

Satan oppose Jesus , so he and the demons are also part of the antichrist. Satan will be figuratively bound and chained for the 1000 year reign of Christ , then he will be released. So will side with him , at that time they will be destroyed and that will be when the antichrist has been completely done away with. This would occur after the message of the heavenly kingdom has been told throughout the whole earth.

People have become so obsessed with the antichrist and believe it will be a single person when the bible clearly tells us the antichrist has been with us. This is blinding them to who the beast is and they will be easily tricked into receiving the mark of the beast because they will be so obsessed in trying to identify the antichrist. They will be deceived so easily that many who turn on true worship will believe they are doing Gods work when this occurs.

(1 John 2:18-25) ¹⁸ Young children, it is the last hour, and just as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared, from which fact we know that it is the last hour. ¹⁹ They went out from us, but they were not of our sort; for if they had been of our sort, they would have remained with us. But they went out so that it might be shown that not all are of our sort. ²⁰ And you have an anointing from the holy one, and all of you have knowledge. ²¹ I write you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie originates with the truth. ²² Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. ²³ Everyone who denies the Son does not have the Father either. But whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. ²⁴ As for you, what you have heard from the beginning must remain in you. If what you have heard from the beginning remains in you, you will also remain in union with the Son and in union with the Father. ²⁵ Furthermore, this is what he himself promised us—the life everlasting.

(1 John 4:2, 3) ² This is how you know that the inspired statement is from God: Every inspired statement that acknowledges Jesus Christ as having come in the flesh originates with God. ³ But every inspired statement that does not acknowledge Jesus does not originate with God. Furthermore, this is the antichrist’s inspired statement that you have heard was coming, and now it is already in the world.

(Matthew 24:23-27) ²³ “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look! Here is the Christ,’ or, ‘There!’ do not believe it. ²⁴ For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will perform great signs and wonders so as to mislead, if possible, even the chosen ones. ²⁵ Look! I have forewarned you. ²⁶ Therefore, if people say to you, ‘Look! He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out; ‘Look! He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. ²⁷ For just as the lightning comes out of the east and shines over to the west, so the presence of the Son of man will be.

(2 John 6-11) . . .. ⁷ For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those not acknowledging Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. ⁸ Look out for yourselves, so that you do not lose the things we have worked to produce, but that you may obtain a full reward. ⁹ Everyone who pushes ahead and does not remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God. The one who does remain in this teaching is the one who has both the Father and the Son. ¹⁰ If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your homes or say a greeting to him. ¹¹ For the one who says a greeting to him is a sharer in his wicked works.

(2 Thessalonians 2:3-5) ³ Let no one lead you astray in any way, because it will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness gets revealed, the son of destruction. ⁴ He stands in opposition and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits down in the temple of God, publicly showing himself to be a god. ⁵ Do you not remember that when I was still with you, I used to tell you these things?

(2 John 6-11) . . .. ⁷ For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those not acknowledging Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. ⁸ Look out for yourselves, so that you do not lose the things we have worked to produce, but that you may obtain a full reward. ⁹ Everyone who pushes ahead and does not remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God. The one who does remain in this teaching is the one who has both the Father and the Son. ¹⁰ If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your homes or say a greeting to him. ¹¹ For the one who says a greeting to him is a sharer in his wicked works.

(2 Thessalonians 2:6-12) ⁶ And now you know what is acting as a restraint, so that he will be revealed in his own due time. ⁷ True, the mystery of this lawlessness is already at work, but only until the one who is right now acting as a restraint is out of the way. ⁸ Then, indeed, the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will do away with by the spirit of his mouth and bring to nothing by the manifestation of his presence. ⁹ But the lawless one’s presence is by the operation of Satan with every powerful work and lying signs and wonders ¹⁰ and every unrighteous deception for those who are perishing, as a retribution because they did not accept the love of the truth in order that they might be saved. ¹¹ That is why God lets a deceptive influence mislead them so that they may come to believe the lie, ¹² in order that they all may be judged because they did not believe the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness.

(Matthew 24:9-14) ⁹ “Then people will hand you over to tribulation and will kill you, and you will be hated by all the nations on account of my name. ¹⁰ Then, too, many will be stumbled and will betray one another and will hate one another. ¹¹ Many false prophets will arise and mislead many; ¹² and because of the increasing of lawlessness, the love of the greater number will grow cold. ¹³ But the one who has endured to the end will be saved. ¹⁴ And this good news of the Kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

(2 Timothy 3:1-7) 3 But know this, that in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. ² For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, haughty, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, disloyal, ³ having no natural affection, not open to any agreement, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, without love of goodness, ⁴ betrayers, headstrong, puffed up with pride, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, ⁵ having an appearance of godliness but proving false to its power; and from these turn away. ⁶ From among these arise men who slyly work their way into households and captivate weak women loaded down with sins, led by various desires, ⁷ always learning and yet never able to come to an accurate knowledge of truth.

(Matthew 23:27, 28) ²⁷ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you resemble whitewashed graves, which outwardly indeed appear beautiful but inside are full of dead men’s bones and of every sort of uncleanness. ²⁸ In the same way, on the outside you appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

(1 Peter 4:3) ³ For the time that has passed by is sufficient for you to have done the will of the nations when you carried on in acts of brazen conduct, unbridled passions, overdrinking, wild parties, drinking bouts, and lawless idolatries.

(2 Peter 2:1-3) 2 However, there also came to be false prophets among the people, as there will also be false teachers among you. These will quietly bring in destructive sects, and they will even disown the owner who bought them, bringing speedy destruction upon themselves. ² Furthermore, many will follow their brazen conduct, and because of them the way of the truth will be spoken of abusively. ³ Also, they will greedily exploit you with counterfeit words. But their judgment, decided long ago, is not moving slowly, and their destruction is not sleeping.

(Revelation 17:3-6) ³ And he carried me away in the power of the spirit into a wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet-colored wild beast that was full of blasphemous names and that had seven heads and ten horns. ⁴ The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and she was adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, and she had in her hand a golden cup that was full of disgusting things and the unclean things of her sexual immorality. ⁵ On her forehead was written a name, a mystery: “Babylon the Great, the mother of the prostitutes and of the disgusting things of the earth.” ⁶ And I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the holy ones and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus.. . .

(Revelation 17:15-17) ¹⁵ He said to me: “The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is sitting, mean peoples and crowds and nations and tongues. ¹⁶ And the ten horns that you saw and the wild beast, these will hate the prostitute and will make her devastated and naked, and they will eat up her flesh and completely burn her with fire. ¹⁷ For God put it into their hearts to carry out his thought, yes, to carry out their one thought by giving their kingdom to the wild beast, until the words of God will have been accomplished.

(Revelation 20:1-3) 20 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven with the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. ² He seized the dragon, the original serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for 1,000 years. ³ And he hurled him into the abyss and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not mislead the nations anymore until the 1,000 years were ended. After this he must be released for a little while.

(Matthew 24:9-14) ⁹ “Then people will hand you over to tribulation and will kill you, and you will be hated by all the nations on account of my name. ¹⁰ Then, too, many will be stumbled and will betray one another and will hate one another. ¹¹ Many false prophets will arise and mislead many; ¹² and because of the increasing of lawlessness, the love of the greater number will grow cold. ¹³ But the one who has endured to the end will be saved. ¹⁴ And this good news of the Kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

(Revelation 17:12-14) ¹² “The ten horns that you saw mean ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they do receive authority as kings for one hour with the wild beast. ¹³ These have one thought, so they give their power and authority to the wild beast. ¹⁴ These will battle with the Lamb, but because he is Lord of lords and King of kings, the Lamb will conquer them. Also, those with him who are called and chosen and faithful will do so.”

(Revelation 19:19-21) ¹⁹ And I saw the wild beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the one seated on the horse and against his army. ²⁰ And the wild beast was caught, and along with it the false prophet that performed in front of it the signs with which he misled those who received the mark of the wild beast and those who worship its image. While still alive, they both were hurled into the fiery lake that burns with sulfur. ²¹ But the rest were killed off with the long sword that proceeded out of the mouth of the one seated on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.

(Zechariah 2:7-9) ⁷ “Come, Zion! Make your escape, you who are dwelling with the daughter of Babylon. ⁸ For this is what Jehovah of armies says, who after being glorified has sent me to the nations that were plundering you: ‘Whoever touches you touches the pupil of my eye. ⁹ For now I will wave my hand against them, and they will become plunder for their own slaves.’ And you will certainly know that Jehovah of armies has sent me.

(Revelation 14:9-12) ⁹ Another angel, a third, followed them, saying in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the wild beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, ¹⁰ he will also drink of the wine of the anger of God that is poured out undiluted into the cup of His wrath, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the sight of the holy angels and in the sight of the Lamb. ¹¹ And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever, and day and night they have no rest, those who worship the wild beast and its image and whoever receives the mark of its name. ¹² Here is where it calls for endurance on the part of the holy ones, those who keep the commandments of God and hold fast to the faith of Jesus.”

Who the Beast, Harlot and Antichrist are.

Written by Lee Stevenson, sorry I am not the best editor.

This is a spiritual battle and there are key players. The beast, antichrist and the harlot. It started in the Garden of Eden when Satan convinced Adam and Eve they did not need God. He convinced them they could be like God. So Adam and Eve rebelled choosing to do what they thought was right in their own eyes. So man decided they would rule themselves. So man has been trying to be like God down to this day and they are still easily deceived and manipulated by Satan. All three the beast, the antichrist and the Harlot are all players that have been manipulated by Satan. This is why the bible states the whole world lies in the power of the wicked one. Since Satan can see easily manipulate man , man easily falls under his power. So this spiritual battle started in the Garden of Eden with Satan convincing Adam and Eve they did not need God to rule over them and guide the. Adam and Eve rejected God’s sovereignty over the earth. There will be two final battles, one will be the war of Armageddon and the other will be the final war with Satan and Gog of Magog as Satan’s allies. The war of Armageddon will be the climax of Adam and Eve’s rebellion in the Garden of Eden when man Establishes a one world order with Satan deceiving people world wide into believing this will bring peace to the world and end man’s problems. So it will be a final ultimate act to completely replace God and to reject his right to rule over the earth. So the battle started with Adam and Eve being deceived by Satan and deciding to rule themselves and lean on their own understanding and it will end with man trying to completely reject God by setting up their one world order and getting people to put their faith in the beast instead of God. So Satan would convince people on a world wide scale to do as Adam and Eve had done. Satan only has power over those he can deceive, those he cannot deceive are accepted into the Heavenly Kingdom in which Jesus will end the rebellion that started in the Garden of Eden. The one heading all of this rebellion is Satan and he continues to head this rebellion , he exerts his authority over man by continuing to deceive them into believing man does not need God. Satan wanted God’s throne and wanted God’s authority, he believed by getting man to rebel he could accomplish this. It will only result in his destruction.

It needs clarified who the antichrist is, who the Harlot in Revelations is and who the beast is. Too many believe the antichrist and the beast are one and the same. This is not true , the antichrist and false religion can be the beast and the harlot because it is anyone who opposes Jesus or teaches things other then what Jesus taught. If they teach things Jesus did not teach or they do things Jesus said we should not do , then they are part of the antichrist. This is why Jesus said many would come claiming to do things in his name and he would say “get away from me you workers of lawlessness” . The apostle Paul stated that after the last of the apostles died then the great apostasy would come. The bible referred to them as the man of lawlessness. In other words they would not obey the laws Jesus gave us with the new covenant. This one would claim to be the temple of God. In the days of the apostles Johns stated many antichrist have already appeared. So you can see anyone who opposes Jesus and the commands he has given us is part of the antichrist including the beast. Satan is behind them both.

Many believe the Harlot is the beast clearly this is not true because the Harlot rides on the back of the beast. When anyone worships in a way that is contrary to what God would require he considers it spiritual prostitution. If anyone puts more faith in man then they do God he considers it spiritual prostitution. This is why God told Israel they had prostituted themselves out to other gods and once he told them they had prostituted themselves out to Egypt. God told Israel this because he said he would protect them and they lost faith and paid Egypt to protect them. So the Harlot would promote the beast and get many to commit spiritual prostitution with the beast. If you research it, once I identify who the beast is you will see that most religions heavily promote the beast as the answer to world peace instead of putting their trust in God and Jesus. Not only does the Harlot promote putting faith in the beast but the Harlot also promotes false region which God also considers spiritual prostitution. Many religious sects promote holidays that are heavily laden with idols and have pagan origins. Idolatry is considered spiritual prostitution by God. The women was clothed in purple which the priest in Israel were to wear, the golden chalice was in the temple and to be used by the priest in the temple. So the Harlot would claim to be true worship but in actuality would be a spiritual prostitute. The Harlot would mislead many. So you can see the Harlot rides on the beast back so it is empowering the beast by leading people of many nations to put their trust in the beast. The bible warned in the last days many would follow teaching of demons so we know that Satan is behind the Harlot mentioned in Revelation. In 2 Thessalonians it states the lawless one will sit down in God’s temple. It did not say his throne so the Harlot cannot be the beast. Because the beast is trying to replace God’s rightful place to rule over the earth. Revelations does indicate the false profits would empower the beast so before false religion is destroyed it will sway many into bowing to the beast.

So who is the beast in Revelation? Well in order to fully understand that we have to consider who is behind all the corruption in governments world wide and how he heavily influences them. We get clues to who this is in Isaiah when we are told it is a fallen star which Satan is often referred to as. We get another clue to who the beast is when Satan tried to temp Jesus. He offered him all the kingdoms of the earth if he did an act of obedience. Jesus did not contest his authority over the kingdoms of the earth so it is clear they are in his power power. By putting your faith in mans rule you are doing an act of obedience to Satan. It is God we are to obey first. If we put our trust in man then we are putting ourselves under the authority of Satan. This shows you that Satan can easily influence kingdoms world wide. We are told in Daniel the first beast would rise and have great authority but would be given a death blow . But It would rise again as the second beast and this one would be given authority to rule. So it is clear the beast is a world wide entity. The nations of the world will alley with it and many would hand their sovereignty over to the best. The beast will not only try to replace God’s right to rule man but it will also try to get people to reject God and put their faith and trust in it. This is why the war of the great day of God almighty is going to be fought with the kings of the earth. The harlot which is false religion will be destroyed by the beast because God will put it in their hearts to destroy false religion. Something to take note of the beast would sit on many seas. The beast would also be a nation but would not be a nations. The sea represents the people of the earth. So it is the people of the earth that would establish these entities. The League of nations fits the description of the first beast. It ceased it was established in 1920, then it ceased existing in 1946. The components of the league of nations was moved over to the United Nations which was established in 1946. Son they will form the one world order that is trying to replace Gods sovereignty. The sea which would be all those who do not put their faith in God and cause all the commotion and confusion on the earth will be done away with . Meaning those people will be destroyed. The bible tells us the worshiped the dragon because it gave authority to the wild beast. We know Satan has authority over the kingdoms of the earth. The bible says the wild beast and it’s profits would be destroyed in the lake of fire. So there would be many people involved in convincing man to put their trust and faith in the wild beast.

(Genesis 3:1-6) 3 Now the serpent was the most cautious of all the wild animals of the field that Jehovah God had made. So it said to the woman: “Did God really say that you must not eat from every tree of the garden?” ² At this the woman said to the serpent: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden. ³ But God has said about the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden: ‘You must not eat from it, no, you must not touch it; otherwise you will die.’” ⁴ At this the serpent said to the woman: “You certainly will not die. ⁵ For God knows that in the very day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and bad.” ⁶ Consequently, the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was something desirable to the eyes, yes, the tree was pleasing to look at. So she began taking of its fruit and eating it. Afterward, she also gave some to her husband when he was with her, and he began eating it.

(2 Corinthians 11:1-4) 11 I wish you would put up with me in a little unreasonableness. But, in fact, you are putting up with me! ² For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy, for I personally promised you in marriage to one husband that I might present you as a chaste virgin to the Christ. ³ But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent seduced Eve by its cunning, your minds might be corrupted away from the sincerity and the chastity that are due the Christ. ⁴ For as it is, if someone comes and preaches a Jesus other than the one we preached, or you receive a spirit other than what you received, or good news other than what you accepted, you easily put up with him. . .

(Titus 1:16) ¹⁶ They publicly declare that they know God, but they disown him by their works, because they are detestable and disobedient and not approved for good work of any sort.

(2 Peter 2:1-3) 2 However, there also came to be false prophets among the people, as there will also be false teachers among you. These will quietly bring in destructive sects, and they will even disown the owner who bought them, bringing speedy destruction upon themselves. ² Furthermore, many will follow their brazen conduct, and because of them the way of the truth will be spoken of abusively. ³ Also, they will greedily exploit you with counterfeit words. But their judgment, decided long ago, is not moving slowly, and their destruction is not sleeping.

(2 Thessalonians 2:3-5) ³ Let no one lead you astray in any way, because it will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness gets revealed, the son of destruction. ⁴ He stands in opposition and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits down in the temple of God, publicly showing himself to be a god. ⁵ Do you not remember that when I was still with you, I used to tell you these things?

(1 John 2:18-21) ¹⁸ Young children, it is the last hour, and just as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared, from which fact we know that it is the last hour. ¹⁹ They went out from us, but they were not of our sort; for if they had been of our sort, they would have remained with us. But they went out so that it might be shown that not all are of our sort. ²⁰ And you have an anointing from the holy one, and all of you have knowledge. ²¹ I write you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie originates with the truth.

(1 John 4:2, 3) ² This is how you know that the inspired statement is from God: Every inspired statement that acknowledges Jesus Christ as having come in the flesh originates with God. ³ But every inspired statement that does not acknowledge Jesus does not originate with God. Furthermore, this is the antichrist’s inspired statement that you have heard was coming, and now it is already in the world.

(2 John 6, 7) . . .. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should go on walking in it. ⁷ For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those not acknowledging Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.

(Ezekiel 16:26-30) ²⁶ You prostituted yourself to the sons of Egypt, your lustful neighbors, and you offended me with your countless acts of prostitution. ²⁷ Now I will bring my hand against you and diminish your food allowance and give you over to the will of the women who hate you, the daughters of the Phi·lisʹtines, who were appalled because of your obscene conduct. ²⁸ “‘Because you could not be satisfied, you then prostituted yourself to the sons of As·syrʹi·a, but after prostituting yourself to them, you still did not find satisfaction. ²⁹ So you increased your prostitution toward the land of traders and toward the Chal·deʹans, but even then you did not find satisfaction. ³⁰ How sick your heart was,’ declares the Sovereign Lord Jehovah, ‘when you did all these things, behaving like a brazen prostitute!

(Matthew 7:21-23) ²¹ “Not everyone saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of the heavens, but only the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will. ²² Many will say to me in that day: ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many powerful works in your name?’ ²³ And then I will declare to them: ‘I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness!’

(Revelation 17:4, 5) ⁴ The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and she was adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, and she had in her hand a golden cup that was full of disgusting things and the unclean things of her sexual immorality. ⁵ On her forehead was written a name, a mystery: “Babylon the Great, the mother of the prostitutes and of the disgusting things of the earth.”

(Revelation 19:1-3) . . ., ² because his judgments are true and righteous. For he has executed judgment on the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her sexual immorality, and he has avenged the blood of his slaves that is on her hands.” ³ And right away for the second time they said: “Praise Jah! And the smoke from her goes on ascending forever and ever.”

(Hosea 4:12, 13) ¹² My people consult their wooden idols, Doing what their staff tells them; Because the spirit of prostitution causes them to go astray, And by their prostitution they refuse to submit to their God. ¹³ On the tops of the mountains they sacrifice, And on the hills they make sacrifices smoke, Under oak trees and storax trees and every big tree, Because their shade is good. That is why your daughters commit prostitution And your daughters-in-law commit adultery.

(Leviticus 20:6) ⁶ “‘As for the person who turns to the spirit mediums and the fortune-tellers so as to commit spiritual prostitution with them, I will certainly turn against that person and cut him off from his people.

(2 Timothy 3:1-7) 3 But know this, that in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. ² For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, haughty, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, disloyal, ³ having no natural affection, not open to any agreement, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, without love of goodness, ⁴ betrayers, headstrong, puffed up with pride, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, ⁵ having an appearance of godliness but proving false to its power; and from these turn away. ⁶ From among these arise men who slyly work their way into households and captivate weak women loaded down with sins, led by various desires, ⁷ always learning and yet never able to come to an accurate knowledge of truth.

(1 Timothy 4:1-5) 4 However, the inspired word clearly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to misleading inspired statements and teachings of demons, ² by means of the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, whose conscience is seared as with a branding iron. ³ They forbid marriage and command people to abstain from foods that God created to be partaken of with thanksgiving by those who have faith and accurately know the truth. ⁴ For every creation of God is fine, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, ⁵ for it is sanctified through God’s word and prayer over it.

(Isaiah 14:12, 13) ¹² How you have fallen from heaven, O shining one, son of the dawn! How you have been cut down to the earth, You who vanquished nations! ¹³ You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to the heavens. Above the stars of God I will lift up my throne, And I will sit down on the mountain of meeting, In the remotest parts of the north.

(Luke 4:5-8) ⁵ So he brought him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the inhabited earth in an instant of time. ⁶ Then the Devil said to him: “I will give you all this authority and their glory, because it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. ⁷ If you, therefore, do an act of worship before me, it will all be yours.” ⁸ In reply Jesus said to him: “It is written, ‘It is Jehovah your God you must worship, and it is to him alone you must render sacred service.’”

(Daniel 7:2-6) . . .“I was watching in my visions during the night, and look! the four winds of the heavens were stirring up the vast sea. ³ And four huge beasts came out of the sea, each different from the others. ⁴ “The first one was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were plucked out, and it was lifted up from the earth and was made to stand up on two feet like a man, and it was given the heart of a man. ⁵ “And look! another beast, a second one, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth; and it was told, ‘Get up, eat much flesh.’ ⁶ “After this I kept watching, and look! another beast, like a leopard, but on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. And the beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.

(Daniel 7:11, 12) ¹¹ “I kept watching at that time because of the sound of the arrogant words that the horn was speaking; I watched until the beast was killed and its body was destroyed and it was given over to be burned in the fire. ¹² But as for the rest of the beasts, their rulerships were taken away, and their lives were prolonged for a time and a season.

(Revelation 17:12-14) ¹² “The ten horns that you saw mean ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they do receive authority as kings for one hour with the wild beast. ¹³ These have one thought, so they give their power and authority to the wild beast. ¹⁴ These will battle with the Lamb, but because he is Lord of lords and King of kings, the Lamb will conquer them. Also, those with him who are called and chosen and faithful will do so.”

(Revelation 13:1-8) 13 And it stood still on the sand of the sea. And I saw a wild beast ascending out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, and on its horns ten diadems, but on its heads blasphemous names. ² Now the wild beast that I saw was like a leopard, but its feet were like those of a bear, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And the dragon gave to the beast its power and its throne and great authority. ³ I saw that one of its heads seemed to have been fatally wounded, but its mortal wound had been healed, and all the earth followed the wild beast with admiration. ⁴ And they worshipped the dragon because it gave the authority to the wild beast, and they worshipped the wild beast with the words: “Who is like the wild beast, and who can do battle with it?” ⁵ It was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and it was given authority to act for 42 months. ⁶ And it opened its mouth in blasphemies against God to blaspheme his name and his dwelling place, even those residing in heaven. ⁷ It was permitted to wage war with the holy ones and conquer them, and it was given authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation. ⁸ And all those who dwell on the earth will worship it. From the founding of the world, not one of their names has been written in the scroll of life of the Lamb who was slaughtered.

(Revelation 16:13, 14) ¹³ And I saw three unclean inspired expressions that looked like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the wild beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. ¹⁴ They are, in fact, expressions inspired by demons and they perform signs, and they go out to the kings of the entire inhabited earth, to gather them together to the war of the great day of God the Almighty.

(Revelation 17:9-18) ⁹ “This calls for a mind that has wisdom: The seven heads mean seven mountains, where the woman sits on top. ¹⁰ And there are seven kings: Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet arrived; but when he does arrive, he must remain a short while. ¹¹ And the wild beast that was but is not, it is also an eighth king, but it springs from the seven, and it goes off into destruction. ¹² “The ten horns that you saw mean ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they do receive authority as kings for one hour with the wild beast. ¹³ These have one thought, so they give their power and authority to the wild beast. ¹⁴ These will battle with the Lamb, but because he is Lord of lords and King of kings, the Lamb will conquer them. Also, those with him who are called and chosen and faithful will do so.” ¹⁵ He said to me: “The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is sitting, mean peoples and crowds and nations and tongues. ¹⁶ And the ten horns that you saw and the wild beast, these will hate the prostitute and will make her devastated and naked, and they will eat up her flesh and completely burn her with fire. ¹⁷ For God put it into their hearts to carry out his thought, yes, to carry out their one thought by giving their kingdom to the wild beast, until the words of God will have been accomplished. ¹⁸ And the woman whom you saw means the great city that has a kingdom over the kings of the earth.”

(Revelation 19:19-21) ¹⁹ And I saw the wild beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the one seated on the horse and against his army. ²⁰ And the wild beast was caught, and along with it the false prophet that performed in front of it the signs with which he misled those who received the mark of the wild beast and those who worship its image. While still alive, they both were hurled into the fiery lake that burns with sulfur. ²¹ But the rest were killed off with the long sword that proceeded out of the mouth of the one seated on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.

(Matthew 24:15-20) ¹⁵ “Therefore, when you catch sight of the disgusting thing that causes desolation, as spoken about by Daniel the prophet, standing in a holy place (let the reader use discernment), ¹⁶ then let those in Ju·deʹa begin fleeing to the mountains. ¹⁷ Let the man on the housetop not come down to take the goods out of his house, ¹⁸ and let the man in the field not return to pick up his outer garment. ¹⁹ Woe to the pregnant women and those nursing a baby in those days! ²⁰ Keep praying that your flight may not occur in wintertime nor on the Sabbath day.

(Isaiah 57:20) ²⁰ “But the wicked are like the restless sea that cannot calm down, And its waters keep tossing up seaweed and mire.

(Isaiah 17:12) ¹² Listen! There is a commotion of many peoples, Who are as boisterous as the seas! There is an uproar of nations, Whose sound is like the roar of mighty waters!

(Ephesians 4:13-16) . . .. 14 So we should no longer be children, tossed about as by waves and carried here and there by every wind of teaching by means of the trickery of men, by means of cunning in deceptive schemes. 15 But speaking the truth, let us by love grow up in all things into him who is the head, Christ. 16 From him all the body is harmoniously joined together and made to cooperate through every joint that gives what is needed. When each respective member functions properly, this contributes to the growth of the body as it builds itself up in love.

(Isaiah 20:3-21:1) ³ Jehovah then said: “Just as my servant Isaiah has walked about naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and a portent against Egypt and E·thi·oʹpi·a, ⁴ so the king of As·syrʹi·a will lead the captives of Egypt and the exiles of E·thi·oʹpi·a, boys and old men, naked and barefoot and with exposed buttocks, the nakedness of Egypt. ⁵ And they will be terrified and will be ashamed of E·thi·oʹpi·a their hope and of Egypt their pride. ⁶ The inhabitants of this coastland will say in that day, ‘Look at what happened to our hope, to which we fled for help and rescue from the king of As·syrʹi·a! How will we escape now?’” 21 A pronouncement against the wilderness of the sea: It is coming like storm winds that sweep through in the south, From the wilderness, from a fearsome land.

(Revelation 21:1) 21 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea is no more.

(Revelation 16:3) ³ The second one poured out his bowl into the sea. And it became blood like that of a dead man, and every living creature died, yes, the things in the sea.

Apostasy, False Worship,

Apostasy

Identifying The Apostasy.

   Apostasy means total desertion of or departure from one’s religion, principles, party, cause, etc. So anything that is a departure from what the bible teaches is an apostasy.

We know we are in the last days and that is when the great apostasy would be revealed. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-8) Because great apostasy would exist for a while the bible tells us that in the last days true worship would be restored. (Malachi 3:1-3, Micah 4:1-4) . We know that the bible said there would be a time that people would not put up with the truth. They would gather teachers to tickle their ears. (2 Timothy 4:3,4) The bible says that people would follow teachings of demons.

(1 Timothy 4:1-3) We would be able to identify false religion by it’s fruits. Just like counterfeit money it takes experience to identify it, we can learn to identify false religion by learning our bibles.

(2 Timothy 3:1-7)

Some Identifying Marks Of False Religion.

One of the things they would do is speak twisted things. So they would use the scriptures in a way that would either suit their needs or tickle your ears. But they would not be teaching what you need to hear. (Acts 20:30)(2 Timothy 4:3,4). False religion would imitate the pharisees , they would speak one thing but do another. They would profess to love but would act contrary to that love. (1 John 4:18-20).

The false teachers would put themselves above others in the congregation. They would put heavy burdens on them with celebrations and other things that God had not commanded, just like the pharisees. (Matthew 23:8-11) They would oppose the truth just as they opposed it in Jesus day. They would lie about the truth, even get violently angry at people who try to spread the truth. They would treat and feel toward those teaching the truth the same way people were treated in Jesus day. (Matthew 10:22) God’s people were always treated that way by those who oppose the truth. (Psalm 109:1-3)

Because of false religions behaviour and their teachings it would cause people to speak abusively about God. (Romans 2:24)

The fruit of false religion would show plainly, because their members would not be able to overcome the works of the flesh. (Galatians 5:19-21) Because of this we would be able to recognize them as false religion. (Matthew 7:15-17)

Another identifying mark of false religion is that they would use idols and images in their worship, something that God forbids. (Exodus 20:4) In contrast true religion would not use images in their worship because they would walk by faith. (Hebrews 11:1) Because false religion refuses to quit using idols,images and symbols in their worship and walk by faith they will be judged. (Revelations 9:20)

We have to remember that Satan and his people can appear as an angel of light so we need to know our bibles so he cannot deceive us. (2 Corinthians 11:14,15) Their actions would make them a part of the antichrist because they would not be putting their faith in the ransom of Jesus but would act contrary to it. (2 John 4:7)

This is not finished, when I finish it I will post more identifying marks and also put the identifying marks of true worship.