2 Thessalonians 2:4
He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
What a combination of deadly evils the Antichrist will have–serious hostility plus self exaltation! The word of God is very clear about the Antichrist’s character, so that we can readily identify him and safeguard our hearts. This Man of Sin will be extremely hostile to the Gospel. He won’t just differ with Christian values; he will actively and strongly disagree with religion per se.
Doesn’t that remind you of King Herod’s attitude? He was so hostile, paranoid, and furious that he ordered the slaughter of ALL children under two years of age in Bethlehem (Mat 2:16)! Such is the hostility of the Man of Sin, the Son of Perdition.
Already, our planet has no shortage of God-haters! There are so many potential antichrists in the form of atheists, humanists and others who openly and severely castigate every religion, authentic or otherwise–Herod-style–just to ensure that the kingdom of God is obliterated.
Beloved, on a personal level, let us guard against the infection of our hearts by the spirit of opposition for the sake of it. Beware of the spirit of strife. Beware of the spirit of rebellion. Heaven-bound children of God steer clear of any attitude that resembles the kingdom of darkness! They walk in love always. Will you do that today, no matter how you’re treated?
Pastor Josh