Derek Prince - The False Christ Will Accept Satan's Deal
This is an excerpt from: True and False Christ - Part 2
Let's go on with the picture of the beast. Verse 3 of Revelation 13: I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world marveled and followed the beast. It would seem that there is at least the claim to a resurrection. What would have happened if John Kennedy had been raised from the dead? He would have had the whole of America at his feet in a moment. See? We're right on the threshold of possibilities. Going on: So they [the people of the world] worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast: and they worshiped the beast, saying 'Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?' Who is the dragon? Satan. We need to confirm that, turn back to Revelation 12:9.
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. There you have the most complete identification of Satan in one verse. He's the dragon, he's also the old snake, and he's called the devil, diabolos. Do you know what the word devil means? It means a slanderer. And he's called Satan. Satan means the adversary. So, he's the dragon, the snake, the slanderer or the accuser, and he's the adversary, the one who opposes God, and the people and the purposes of God. So, when we have the dragon in chapter 13, verse 4, they worshiped the dragon. Who's that? Satan. And they worshiped the beast.
So, the ultimate purpose of antichrist is the obtain the worship of the whole human race. Satan's purpose through him is to be worshiped. That's Satan's ultimate ambition, it's to be worshiped. You see, when he fell from heaven his aim was equality with God. He lost it but he's never given up the ambition. And there is just one way that he can assert his claim of equality with God, because there's one thing that is due only to God. What is that? Worship. So if he can receive the worship of the whole human race, he's saying, 'God, you see? I'm still your rival.' And I don't think you really understand the operation of Satan amongst humanity unless you realize that his ultimate aim is worship. And all forms of idolatry, in essence, are different ways in which Satan gets worshiped. But his ultimate will be this supremely clever, gifted, astute, cruel, unscrupulous ruler.
There's a very interesting contrast between the true Christ and the false christ. You see, Satan was willing to make a deal with Jesus. If you turn to Luke 4 for a moment, the description of the temptation of Jesus, verses 5 and following. Luke 4, beginning with verse 5. Then the devil, taking Him [Jesus] up on a high mountain showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to him, 'All that authority I will give you and their glory; for this has been delivered [or betrayed] to me, and I give it to whomsoever I wish. Therefore if you will worship before me, all will be yours.' And Jesus said, 'Get behind me. It is written you shall worship the Lord your God and Him only.'
But Satan said you can do it. You have the ability. You can get the whole human race to worship you and I'll give you the power. And then they'll be worshiping me. The true Christ refused the deal. The false christ will accept the deal. And he will deliberately yield himself to Satan, become a worshiper of Satan, in order to be empowered by Satan to gain dominion over the whole human race. You see the picture?