Derek Prince - The Thing That Will Release The Antichrist
This is an excerpt from: True and False Christ - Part 1
Then in the same chapter Paul goes on to speak about an upsurge of the occult which again is one of the most dramatic changes in society in the western world since World War II. And in verses 8-9 he says: Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses Those are the magicians of Egypt that resisted Moses. And remember, they were practitioners of the occult. If you read the story, Moses threw his rod down and it became a snake. But Pharaoh wasn't too impressed. He said, 'I'll see what my magicians can do.' They came along, threw their rods down and they became snakes. Can you believe that! Satan can give people power to perform certain miracles. But the difference, which I always appreciate, was that Moses' snake ate up the snakes of the Egyptians.
So, at the end of that session Moses' rod was thicker and stronger and the magicians had no rods left! But, let's be clear. The battle was not on the level of theology, it was on the level of power. And that's where it's going to be as this age closes. You're not going to win the battle with theological statements, you're going to have to demonstrate a power that is greater than the power of the enemy. And then a little further on in verse 13 of that chapter Paul says: But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
Now, I've had the privilege of studying Greek since I was 10 years old. And I'm qualified to teach it at university level. That doesn't mean I'm always right, but it entitles me to my opinion. I will give you my opinion about this word impostors. It's really enchanters. I've looked in three different Greek lexicons and all of them say the same. Why do people enchant? What does that speak about? Magic, witchcraft, sorcery. That's what it means. Evil men and practitioners of the occult will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. In other words, one of the major features of this period is an explosion of the occult. So, we have the deterioration of human character, a lot of nominal Christianity that doesn't exhibit its power, and an explosion of the occult. All of those are very distinctive features of the days in which we live. And they're all in one way or another opening the way and preparing the way for the antichrist.
Then we turn right to the end of the New Testament to Revelation 22 and we read verses 10-12. The angel said to John the revelator: Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book [the book of Revelation]: for the time is at hand. He who is unjust [or unrighteous], let him be still unrighteous: he who is filthy, let him be still filthy: he who is righteous, let him be still righteous [or let him go on doing righteousness]: he who is holy, let him be still holy. Or you could say still more holy, still more righteous, still more unrighteous, still more wicked. In other words, it's the parting of the ways. The righteous are getting more righteous, the wicked are getting more wicked. Again, it's that climate of permissiveness that restrains nothing. People are not restrained by outward pressures of social opinion and standards.
So, everybody is free to do his own thing. And the wicked are going to go on doing their own thing. It's as if the Lord says if you want to be wicked, live it up, you don't have long. But He says to the righteous, go on doing righteousness and don't be satisfied with the level of righteousness you've attained. Become still more righteous. Become still more holy. So, at the close of this age there's the parting of the ways. And then we'll look back into the book of Daniel for just one further feature. All of it related to the coming out of the false christs, or a false christ, but particularly the false christ. Daniel 8:23, speaking about certain kingdoms in the Middle East which we don't go into: In the latter time of their kingdom when the transgressors have reached their fullness, a king shall arise, having fierce features, who understands sinister schemes. And generally, Bible commentators agree this is the antichrist. But notice what has to happen for him to arise. When the transgressors have come to their fullness. Or the rebels. In other words, human rebellion has to reach its peak and at that peak it will open the way for the antichrist.
Let's briefly consider some of the features of the time which all relate to the appearance of the antichrist. First of all, in the kingdom of God wheat and tares ripening side by side in the same climate of permissiveness. And then in the world a progressive deterioration of human character and conduct. And in that connection, God pointed something out to me once. He said corruption is irreversible. The key word that describes fallen human nature is the word corrupt. And in every area of being, corruption is irreversible. Once a thing has become corrupt you cannot uncorrupt it. It will progressively become more corrupt. And that's true of human nature and human society. The corruption that's been at work in society ever since Adam fell is increasing. And there's no way to reverse it. You can slow it down but you cannot reverse it.
That's why God doesn't mess around with it. God's remedy is a new creation. He doesn't try to patch up the old, or improve it or reform it, He says away with it. I'll bring forth something new that's uncorrupted, that's pure, that has its origin in God. And then we saw in the same chapter of 2 Timothy 3 a tremendous upsurge of the occult. Next, we saw at the end of Revelation the parting of the ways: the righteous to become more righteous, the wicked to become more wicked. And then all this is kind of summed up in Daniel 8:23 when it says: When the transgressors have come to their fullness, when human rebellion against God, and His laws and His standards and His righteousness has reached its peak, that will release the antichrist.