The Spiritual Man

Bro Koay Kheng Hin

I actually prepared this some time back wondering what the Lord had for us. And as usual you do one and then decide on another along the way. And I have changed my sermon several times and this is my third message which I think is the message for this season.

I title the message "The Spiritual Man" and this includes the ladies.

When I work on the spiritual man I want to say that in times like ours religion is getting a bad name. Some say it is the religious people that commit the worst atrocities. A friend of mine say I have a Christian in my office and he is a hypocritic. Sometimes we just brush it off but if you think of it, there is some truth.

In the Middle East now we have the ISIS and the atrocities committed by them is in the name of religion. You may say that's not us. But the church at one time has a special department called the Inquisition. It has evolved and today it is known as the Department of Doctrinal Truth. Referring to the Roman Catholic Church. At that time in the name of God they are arrested and charged and subjected all sorts of torture. Just to get a confession. If you see their instruments of torture, you'll see how terrible they were.

And the worst part is that it is committed in the name of God.

The other end of the extreme are people who confess to be the children of God but the life they lead are worst than the atheist. Sometimes those who confess a certain faith live a life worst than an atheist. What had this got to do with today's message?

I'm looking at the stumbling blocks of spiritual maturity. You may see spiritual extremes. Those who may say you break the Ten Commandments for most things you do in life. Or the other extreme where a Christian does what he does because he believes once saved always saved. Already going to heaven so why worry and they do terrible things as a Christian.

Today I'm going to address this issue. Let's see who the apostle Paul is like.

Acts 7:57-58

57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; 58 and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.

Saul is the Roman name of Paul.

Acts 7:59-60

59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Stephen died a terrible death being stoned. It's horrible, as each stone hits you until you finally die. But look at Stephen. He sort of couldn't care less. He looked to heaven and asked the Lord Jesus to receive his spirit and do not charge them with this sin. What a spiritual man.

Who was looking on? Saul!

Acts 8:1

Now Saul was consenting to his death.

At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout othe regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

Acts 8:2-3

2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.

3 As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.

Compare what these godly men did compared to Saul. Saul was terrible.

Acts 9:1-2

​1 Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

Then came verse 3, the most important for us Christians.

Acts 9:3-4

3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

Here I am going to do some forensic studies, like CSI. You know that TV Series? They will be at a crime scene and they'll look for clues and evidence. They'll look at the tyre tracks and determine the make of the car. I remember there was also a local version of CSI. The police examine tyre tracks and told the inspector this is the track for the murderer. "Itu tair saya la bodoh!". (laughs)

If you look at Saul, most commentators believe as they run through the narrative that he was the Pharisee of Pharisees. He was trained and is someone following the mosaic law to the letter. Then he see Stephen and it's something that confused him. Stephen had the face like that of an angel and finally when he says do not hold this sin against them, it probably struck a chord in him. Saul is not a coconut. There must have been a spiritual struggle. His Pharisitic walk compared to that of Stephen, he could probably see something he does not have. That was most likely his spiritual struggle. This is of course my view and many other commentators.

He was primed for Jesus to reveal to himself to him and Jesus did. Sometimes when you share to someone and he didn't seem to be open and one day you just felt it's right to talk to him and he is ready to accept the Lord. That person have probably gone though a struggle that prepared him. God does a work where he is ready to open up to you at that point of time.

This man who puts people in prison and subjected them to torture wrote this.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

What a change. A changed man after his conversion. A man full or love and grace. A man who believes love never fails. No wonder after many years when the Judais tried to bring the Christians back to the old ways. Paul said this to the galatians.

Galatians 5:1

​Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

They were saying they have to circumcise in order to be saved. They must be a Jew before becoming a Christian. It would mean you cannot be saved by faith alone but that a certain work is needed.

Paul is saying don't feel guilt. Don't feel the penalty of sin. And that you are free from the power of sin. And that was the freedom that Paul was talking about. Don't go back to the law because he experienced it, the bondage of the law. Going back to legalism. To do the works of the law in order to be saved. Paul says don't go back.

Galatians 5:2-4

2 Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. 3 And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. 4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.

This legalistic spirit relating in works manifest in a different way in the church. We all do ministry. Some of the signs of works coming in is this.

You run a ministry with 5 persons under you. You run it well and the church compliment them for a job well done. But the 5 says in future they don't want to work under you. This is work. You are relating to duty rather than to God.

The other would be you are in a specific ministry. You may have critics that say you didn't do the ministry well. It doesn't feel good. I can say this because I have been in ministry. And you get upset and you say you think you can do better? That is a hint of works in the ministry.

If Sis Grace cannot worship and Jacob is also not around and so I am called to do worship. Majesty! Worship his majesty…I think half the congregation will faint. After that you tell me my worship leading is terrible. I will not feel offended. I'm not in my element.

But I'm a teacher by nature and preaching is probably on the side and when I do Bible Study and you come and tell me that my Bible study is boring and I feel offended then it's a better test of my spirituality. It's my Achilles heel. This I may say "if you think you can do better you teach lo!". It's a test of me in relation to my ministry and it'll show it is works rather than as unto the Lord. That is religiosity.

Jesus does not accept you based on your works. Jesus accepts you by basis of grace. The law of Moses has its bedrock on the Ten Commandments. So you may say if you are saved by grace you are free from the Ten Commandments? Free from the law. These are asked by the church. You are free but is it a licensed to sin?

When Paul writes that you are free it's not a 007 licence. That is a licence to kill. I am saying you are not free to sin.

Galatians 5:13

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

Paul is saying don't take this freedom to sin and become a worldly man.

Galatians 5:19-21

19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Paul warned them. And the like…because there are just too many to list. You are not free to sin. The warning is you will not inherit the kingdom of God.

I always say this; An act of sin does not disqualify us from heaven but a life of sin qualify us for hell.

Life of sin can be described as how people look at you. They see you a "puak keow kui" (gambling devil), "chiu kui" (alcohol devil), or "584" (pervert) then gone already.

These are extremes that hinder us from our walk with God. You will not grow as a Christian. At best you'd be a baby in Christ and at worst you may not even be a Christian. If you practice religiosity.

Galatians 5:6

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

The first part is legalism and the second part is a faith that expresses in love. This love is not found in any other faith because it's agape love. Unconditional love. A love that does not look at the person. 

There is this difference of like and love. I like you but I may not love you. If I were to go on a tour, I'd like to go with people I like. Or in a boy girl relationship. You need to like the person first. But a time may come when that like turn to love. If the person says I like you got chance. If the girl say I don't like you, habis! We start with like and then love. That is not agape.

Agape work like that. I don't like you but I love you. I don't like you but I agapao you. I love you with the love of the Lord. You may not like the person but you still love the person.

That's why the Bible says love your enemies. Not like them. If you love them you do wish well for them and pray for them.

We have three "L"

1. Legalism
2. Licentiousness
3. Loving Spirit

Galatians 5:13

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

That's why it says serve one another in love.

Galatians 5:14

The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

These were where the Pharisees argued concerning which is the greatest law in Matthew.

Matthew 22:37-40

37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Agape love cannot be forced. It only comes when first and foremost you love the Lord.

I was a young Christian. I have changed much as a person. Maybe I'm older too. I am not a very expressive person. I don't even often hug my children. Even my parents know I love them but I don't often express it. One day my mom was cooking and I was praying in another room and I was so drenched with the love of God that I came out and gave her a hug. My mom nearly fainted. My mom must be wondering what's wrong. You cannot churn out agape love. The agape love comes from God.

It is a love that is not found in man. It is a love of God. The word love is the most relational word for man. And this is what Paul is telling us. Walk the way of love and be a spiritual man. The way of having Christ close to you. Jesus is crying in his heart "come to me". That is when his love is poured out in us and that is when a person who is unlikeable or unlovable can be loved.

It took a miracle for Stephen to say what he said because the agape love of God came upon him and he could say forgive them.

Sometimes when we cannot love someone to heaven we can scare someone to heaven. Of course better if we can love someone to heaven.

Some tell me that with grace the Ten Commandments is no longer valid. Where stand then the Ten Commandments if we have this freedom. It is actually all compressed into this.

Galatians 5:14

The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Without going into doctrinal arguments you can answer it this way. Start all the Ten Commandments with "If you love God…".

If you love God, will you worship other gods? If you love God will you take his name in vain? If you love God will you commit murder or steal? etc.

Galatians 6:2

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

1 Corinthians 9:21

To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law.

Grace does not change the moral law of God. They are unchanged. God is holy then he is holy now. What grace does is remove legalism where salvation is by works.

That is the spiritual man. The religious man is defined by his judgemental spirit, the spiritual man is defined by his grace. 

An example is the woman caught in adultery. They wanted to catch Jesus. If he lets her go then he is licentious but if he stone her then where is love? No one can trap Jesus because he is the perfect man and God. He ask the person who has not sin stone the woman.  Slowly one by one they moved away. Here is spirituality vs religiosity. When Jesus didn't condemn her he also addressed licentiousness by asking her to go and sin no more. A spiritual man is not a worldly man.

Here is when we look at what we said about religious people making the worst atrocities. I want to restate that it is religious fanatics that make the worst atrocities. It is the religiosity that plant the seed for fanaticity.

I want to encourage all of us as we walk with Christ, let us not detour to religiosity or licentiousness. Let us walk in his love. 

The Art of Encouragement

Rev Gideon Lee

Hebrews 3:13

but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

Hebrews 10:24-25

24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

This morning I want to talk to you about the art of encouragement. To encourage all who are around us. I am glad bro Vive spoke about appreciating those who is serving when making the announcements. I didn't talk to him about my message.

Man is not made to be alone. Even God said that it is not good that man be alone. Everything else God made he said it was good. But God said that it is not good for Adam to be alone.

We are wired not to be alone. We have a desire to have fellowship. If you look at technology like Facebook we are all wanting to be connected. But sometimes I see how these technology failed to make us connected because I have seen families eating but everyone is on their own device. Some even WhatsApp another at the same table instead of talking to one another.

It is impossible for us to stay alone. It is good to sometimes get away but it is not for a long time. Often in life we get disappointed. That's why we need fellowship. The Bible says "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones." Especially the KJV version.

Fellowship is important in the context of the church because it brings encouragement.

There was this man name Wilbur Wilberforce. He tried to abolish slavery. Wilberforce, a Member of Parliament, was active at the time in an unsuccessful attempt to pass abolition. Debate continued for several years and in 1807 the abolition of slavery was effected thoughout the British Empire. He received a letter from John Wesley. John Wesley wrote this letter just before he passed away.

Dear Sir:

Unless the divine power has raised you up to be as “Athanasius against the world,” I see not how you can go through your glorious enterprise in opposing that execrable villainy, which is the scandal of religion, of England, and of human nature. Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils. But if God be for you, who can be against you? Are all of them stronger than God? O be not weary of well-doing! Go on, in the name of God and in the power of His might, till even American slavery (the vilest that ever saw the sun) shall vanish away before it.

Reading this morning a tract wrote by a poor African, I was particularly struck by the circumstance, that a man who has a black skin being wronged or outraged by a white man, can have no redress; it being a LAW in all of our Colonies that the OATH of a black man against a white goes for nothing. What villainy is this!

That He who has guided you from youth up may continue to strengthen you in this and all things is the prayer of, dear sir,

Your affectionate servant,

John Wesley

It encouraged him to go on without giving up. We all need enforcement and what better place to find it than in the church.

Why do we need encouragement?

John 13:35

By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

We should love or encourage one another. That others will know we are his disciples. This is the characteristics of a Christian or the church. When we encourage and love one another.

What happens when we get discouraged? We complain. What happens once we start complaining? We start to feel sorry for ourselves. Pity party. Then it leads us to a place where we isolate ourselves.

How many of you have seen those Korean drama where a boy and girl breaks up. The boy will drive like crazy and go drown his sorrow in a pub. The girl will cry alone on the road. And then they isolate themselves and don't want to see their friends.

But for us when we are discouraged, we need fellowship with the right kind of people. Sadly the church is sometimes not the most encouraging place. It can be the most critical place. The characteristics of the church is we are supposed to encourage one another. He first loved us so we need to do it to others.

Hebrews 10:25

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

The church is more than just about the sermon and worship. It's a family. It is when we come together something happens. When you are sick who's the person you call? Cell leader. When you need prayer who do you call? When we come together something happens. When we pray for one another we are encouraged.

What you're going through becomes lighter. It's a fellowship you cannot get when you stay alone at home. At your most discouraged you should be in church. We should have a good word for one another.

There was this church choir that was really lousy. Day in day out they’ll be singing and cannot really carry a tune. And there was this old lady who is determined in her heart to encourage them. She was trying really hard because this choir was really bad. So she shook the choir leader's hand and said you guys came in early to practice and that they put in the time and made the effort. She was trying to find ways to encourage the choir. We can all do that but sadly all of us are PhD holders in finding fault.

I'm not saying we deny what is happening but we can release encouragement. We need to up our game in this area. Be an encourager.

You may say I don't have the gift of encouragement. As a child of God we should all encourage. As we see the day approaching. God is coming back soon. It is the most critical time.

When we see Jesus coming what do we do? We encourage one another to be in church.

How do we encourage one another effectively. The word encourage in the Greek root word means irritate or to incite. So it means let us irritate or incite one another. I know it sounds negative but when you apply this it becomes positive. Like irritate the person until he comes to church. Have we irritated one another until we do more? Or a person who is not going to cell we irritate or incite the person until he comes. How many of you were irritated by someone until you come to church?

How many of you like to receive a card? A handwritten card by mail. Not the e-card that you have to go to a website to view. It can be an encouragement. It will feel good to receive an encouraging card. I received a handwritten card some time back by someone who just wanted me to know he is praying for me. It's a huge encouragement and made me feel like I can do anything. Or sometimes to get an sms that someone is praying for you.

Coming to an end. Everyone say amen.

We should encourage people daily, all the time.

Hebrews 3:13

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

Be sincere in your encouragement, build up the person but not puff up. How many of you gets my daily devotional? It's because I want to encourage you. The word of God will not return to him void so I want to encourage you.

My first sermon, I prepared myself like crazy. It could last me 45 minutes but I finished it in 15 minutes. I rushed through the sermon. Was that it? My leader was looking at me. Then I gave my first altar call. Guess what happened? Nobody came out. These are my youth. Didn't even gave me face. At least if one person came out, it would have been something. I was standing there like a stupid fella. I was so discouraged. I told God I think he made a mistake. He should have called someone else. I was complaining and in self pity. In the midst of all these, God spoke to me. You want to know what God spoke to me about? Come next week (laughs).

God spoke to me "Gideon, it's not about you. It's about me." At that moment I had to say yes, it's not about me but it's about him.

Our words can build up or kill. But if we learn to encourage one another there's nothing that can stop us for moving on for God. You encourage me every time you come to church. Amen.

Module 7 Lesson 4 - The Person of the Antichrist

Bro Koay Kheng Hin

Note: Text in grey are transcribed and not part of the notes given.

Lesson 4 - The Person of the Antichrist

We cannot look at the Rapture and the 7 years tribulation without talking about the person of the Antichrist. The antichrist appears after the Rapture.

Who is the antichrist? Every generation has their candidate. If your scour the internet, you'll have Obama, Putin and even the Pope. Some people are now talking about a Muslim antichrist. In history, people who are hated are sometimes labelled the antichrist.

In the last days, at the beginning of the 7- year tribulation, the Antichrist will appear on the scene. The identity of the Antichrist has been the subject of speculation throughout the centuries. Every period of history has seen its fair share of candidates for the Antichrist. What does the Bible actually say about the Antichrist? Biblically understood, the Antichrist is both a man and a system. As a man, he is known by many names. The name Antichrist can be traced back to the apostle John (1 John 2:18). John also calls him the Beast in the book of Revelation (Rev 13:1-10). Paul uses the names "man of sin", the "lawless one", the "opposer" and the "son of perdition' (2 Thess 2:3,8) to describe the Antichrist. The Antichrist is also identified as Daniel's "little horn" (Dan 7:8, 23-25).

The story of the Antichrist rightly begins from the Garden of Eden. It is there that the old Serpent tempted Eve with the words "you will be like God" (Gen 3:5). It is the nature of the Devil that he desires to take the place of the Almighty, to receive the worship that rightly belongs only to God. In falling to that temptation fallen man has since been walking down the path of sin, carving a world without God. The first instance of this worldwide godlessness was seen in the building of the Tower of Babel (Gen 11:1-4). God dispersed humanity from then on (Gen 11:5-9). Nevertheless in time, the devil will send his Antichrist to forge a godless world where humanity will once again set up a one world system without God. The Dragon (Devil) (Rev 12:9) as the demonic authority will take the place of God the Father in the hearts of men, the Beast (Antichrist) (Rev 13:1-10) as the political authority will supplant Christ and a third person, the False Prophet(Rev 13:11-18) as the religious authority will falsely act as the Holy Spirit. The Dragon is the anti-god; the Beast the anti-son; the false prophet the anti-spirit. This unholy trinity (Rev 16:13; Rev 20:10) will control the political, economic and religious system of the world where all will be demanded to worship the Beast(Rev 13:8,12).

Why indeed has God permitted all these things to come to pass? The answer lies in the fact that with God, as in all things good and bad, it is a basic principle of the Divine government of the world that all things, the good as well as the evil, must reach its ripeness. For the evil the patience of God leads to severe judgment. "Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." (2 Thess 2:3,4)

1 John 2:18

"Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming,

now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour."

Questions

1 What world empire is represented by the fourth beast of Daniel 7?

The identity of the antichrist is related to this question. We have to understand that the prophecy is very much linked to the prophet Daniel. You will be able to narrow down once you can answer this question. We need to work from the Bible and see where the conclusion is drawn from.

1 John 2:18

Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.

Here is where the word antichrist appears.

Revelation 13:1-2

​1 And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea.

The Beast out of the Sea

And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.2 The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.

Here John calls him the beast.

2 Thessalonians 2:3

Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,

2 Thessalonians 2:8

And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.

Paul calls him the Man of Sin and the Son of Perdition. And the opposed, the lawless one.

To understand who he is we need to start from the beginning. At the garden of Eden. This is where it all started.

Genesis 3:5

For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Why did Eve finally tip over? Some say the fruit looked pleasant, or doubting God, or greedy, but I think what really struck me was "you will be like God." You cannot impart what you are not, good or bad. Violent people can impart violence. So when the devil said this it carried the weight of that experience. He wanted to be like God. He was imparting his spirit into Eve's spirit. Once she tipped over, everything changed. After that event, we become self-centred. It is all about "I". To be like God.

How did it manifest?

Genesis 4:8

Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.

In this is the story of  a religious war. About what and how to worship God. Is it God who determine how we worship him or do we determine how we worship him? If we decide then we need to ask the question who is God. Abel came as God ordained, but Cain came with his demands. It's more than just the mode of worship but also who is God.

This determined whether we have a world with God or a world without God.

What was wrong with building the Tower of Babel.

Genesis 11:4

And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

The pronoun us and ourselves was evident. It was the supremacy of man and independence of God. To built a world without God.

We can be at the forefront of science and technology. Our children should be the best there is but remember we are not to be independent of God. The result?

Genesis 11:8

So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city.

This is the one world system. Since the Tower of Babel, the one world system has never occurred.

God is not against the one world system. He is just against one that is without God. Man has continued to try to form a one world system. And usually it is through military conquest.

Daniel 7:3-8

3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other. 4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man's heart was given to it.

5 “And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’

6 “After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it.

7 “After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.

Vision of the Ancient of Days

8 I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.

Lion

Bear

Leopard

Fourth Beast - What is this beast? It has 10 horns. A little horn that came from the 10 horns.

Daniel 7:17-20

17 ‘Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings which arise out of the earth. 18 But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.’

19 “Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet; 20 and the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows.

The interpretation. The 4 beasts are 4 kingdoms. 

Daniel 7:23-25

23 “Thus he said:

‘The fourth beast shall be

A fourth kingdom on earth,

Which shall be different from all other kingdoms,

And shall devour the whole earth,

Trample it and break it in pieces.

24 The ten horns are ten kings

Who shall arise from this kingdom.

And another shall rise after them;

He shall be different from the first ones,

And shall subdue three kings.

25 He shall speak pompous words against the Most High,

Shall persecute the saints of the Most High,

And shall intend to change times and law.

Then the saints shall be given into his hand

For a time and times and half a time.

This little horn will reign 3½ years. The little horn is the antichrist. When Daniel wrote the book, it was about 530BC.

Lion - the Babylonian

Bear - Medo Persian

Leopard - Grecian - v6 the 4 kingdoms after Alexander the great died

Fourth Beast - who is this. What empire is it?

History very clearly showed that after the Grecian empire was the Roman empire. 

Revelation 13:1-2

The Beast from the Sea

​1 Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. 2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.

Here from the beast came the little horn.

Where is the Roman empire now? It went through many phases. It was a very strong empire. By the 4th century it became very unwieldy so it split into the Eastern and Western empire. The Eastern empire continued for another 900 years until it was conquered by the Turks. It ruled most of Europe until Russia.

The state and the emperor and the church and it's pope blended together. That was when the Empire declined. Religion and politics blending weakened the Empire.

If you study European history you'll find Roman government, law, language and military system have formed the background of all the institutions of Europe. The little horn refers to a revived Roman empire. What is called the European Union. The last person who almost formed European unity was Napoleon around 1808. He was also called the antichrist.

Then Hitler came along. He wanted to create a one world government. That's why he attacked Russia. He was also called the antichrist.

At the moment we see no military force that is the equivalent. The EU has 3 aspects. The economic, the political and the religious aspect. But I want to add that there is a military aspect. They were very successful in their economic aspect. Some are not aware of the EWU, the European Western Union. With 10 permanent members. This is a military pact. It was disbanded in 2011 and is now in the European Union.

The European Union is the revived little Roman that may be the little horn. We will have to see what EU does. The NATO is one military pact. The EU is the other. America may not be able to commit it's troups if there is a war. The American sentiment is why should Americans be dying for other people's wars? That is why Obama was forced in the ISIS crisis.

In short the antichrist will come from Europe. When the military pact in Europe is formed.

We have spoken of the antichrist as a man. Now we are going to look at the antichrist as a system.

When you are in leadership he doesn't stand alone. The leader is always the head of something bigger. He is part of a system. He is the head of a system. It is the system that we will look at.

The mark of a leader is if he has any followers. But beyond the man we have to look at the system he is in. The Antichrist is the head of a human system at enmity with God.

He cannot exists if he has no followers. And who are his followers? It is much of humankind. As man becomes more and more advance and brilliant the further away they move way from God. When the time of the Antichrist appears it is a time that is ripe for him to be worshipped.

When a man decides whether to follow God, he may think he either choose the path of God, his own path (the path of self) or the path of the devil. That is the biggest lie of the devil. There is no three path. He either chooses the path of God or the path of the devil. He may think he is going in his own path, he is actually under the covering of the devil.

When the Antichrist appears at the beginning of the 7 years he will reveal that a man that walk his path is actually walking under the devil.

There are two words or approaches that is the modus operandi of the devil. The destroyer and the deceiver. 

We often do see the devil as a destroyer but first and foremost he is a deceiver. He is a sophisticated enemy. He is a master whisperer. The devil is also a master imitator. Once you see these words you'll begin to see who he is.

The idea of the master imitator is like that. I used to have a Rolex but it's actually only RM25. You almost cannot differentiate when new. But over time after it corroded you'll see its not.

He is an imitator of the Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Revelation 16:13-14

13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

The Father (Dragon), the Son (Beast) and the Holy Spirit (Prophet). For 7 years the devil is gathering them for the battle of Armageddon.

The good news is the Bible records the devil who deceived them, the destroyer was cast into the lake of fire. They lost the battle of Armageddon.

Revelation 20:10

The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

The dragon sets himself up as anti-god, the beast sets himself up as anti-son and the prophet as the anti-spirit.

The anti-god

Revelation 12:9

So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

The anti-son

Revelation 13:1

Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name.

The anti-spirit

Revelation 13:11

Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.

This is the unholy trinity. It is an imitation of the Holy Trinity. And many will follow. 

The Holy Spirit always glorify Jesus. The anti-spirit will also glorify the anti-son. He is an imitator.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4

3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

If you look at this you'll see the coherence of God's revelation. From the beginning of time the devil has wanted to exalt himself. Man has wanted to exalt himself without God at the Tower of Babel. The keyword is him as the deceiver. He is the head of this system.

How does this system works.

Revelation 13:8

All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

The two keywords are all and worship.

Revelation 13:12

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.

That beast was actually wounded very badly. He was actually resuscitated, drawing the similarity with Jesus. 

Jesus died and resurrected. The beast as the anti-son was (deadly) wounded and resuscitated.

It's a play of word. The word resuscitation and Resurrection are two very different words.

What does all this leads us to? If all were to follow him, they will need to come up with a one world religious system.

The Roman empire was the greatest empire in the civilized world. The Roman emperor has the authority to declare what religious system to follow. So it was also a one world political system.

Revelation 13:16-17

16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 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.

This will only be possible if there is a one world economic system.

You again see the trinity in the system. Politics often comes with military power. Mao Zedong says power comes from the barrel of a gun.

Without the mark you cannot buy or sell. There is an authority over the people. Which part of human history can we consider this one world government? We have to admit that it has never happened.

Globalisation today makes this possible. Everything today is interconnected economically unlike the past. Travels that took months now take hours. A one world government is never more possible than today.

There is nothing wrong with a one world system. Even God has a one world government in the Millennium. The problem is a one world government without God.

The problem is a one world religious system. We have less problem with a one world political or economical system.

What is this one world religious system.

Jerusalem, Babylon and Rome.

Jerusalem is going to be the centre of the Third World War. Babylon began from the Tower of Babel. The anti-god spirit. King of Babylon Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem and began the exile in 586 BC. This was the defining moment of the Jewish history. Babylon represents a world empire at enmity with God.

The offspring of Babylon is Rome. Rome represented not only a political centre but also religious centre from where the Roman Catholic Church came. From the 4th century to the 16th century before Martin Luther came. Martin Luther was a Roman Catholic. The protestant movement was at that time heretical. You would be terribly tortured and killed for professing to be a protestant.

A time will come when the Roman Catholic Church will embrace universalism. What is universalism? The doctrine that all gods are the same. You will accept other faiths. That's how the devil will deceive. He will take a position where all can accept him. Nobody will accept the devil.

I am not talking about an individual Roman Catholic but about the structure of the Roman Catholic Church as an organisation. You have to understand that without the Roman Catholic Church we will not have the protestant church. Even some protestant church may not be biblical if we are not careful. If we identify with the secular so much for growth and compromise biblical truth then we can also be deceived. Like preaching wealth and health as the primary goal. Note I say primary goal. Look at the gay marriage movement as an example.

The last part of your notes says why God allows all these to happen? God has his timing and purpose for all things. Both the Roman Catholic Church and protestant church that are raptured will only leave a shell of the church here. Today there are both believers and unbelievers in the Roman Catholic Church and the protestant church.

Matthew 13:29-30

29 But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”

Revelation 14:15

And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.”

2 What is the significance of the number 666?

This number is the most analyzed. Gematria is a Hebrew numerical valuation.

Revelation 13:18

Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.

The question is whether this mark is a literal mark? We have to look at verses.

Revelation 14:1

​Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written on their foreheads.

What was John looking at? That the people of God will also have a mark.

Deuteronomy 6:8

You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.

Deuteronomy 11:18

“Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.

By biblical commentators they always talk about having God's words in your heart. That this is symbolic and not literal. These passages shows that the mark of the beast may not be a literal mark.

The mark of the beast is supposed to mean worship and submission both spiritual and moral in nature.

What are the implications of this one world government?

From heavenly truth in Christ God became man. From demonic lies, in the beast man becomes God.

You will be like God, the lies of the devil. But we end on a good note.

Revelation 20:10
The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.