THE FALSE PROPHET: PART THREE

While the antichrist is empowered by Satan to rule politically (Dan. 9:27), and through military might (Rev. 13:7), the false prophet appears to serve as the leader of the worldwide religion (Rev. 13:12). And just as the Holy Spirit focuses man's worship on the Father and His Son (Jn. 15:26; 17:4), the false prophet, through religious law, forces man to worship Satan and "the son of perdition" (Rev. 13:12; 2 Thes. 2:3).

The false prophet is mentioned by name only three times in the Bible, and all are in the book of Revelation (16:13; 19:20; 20:10). But there are seven verses in the New Testament which mention false prophets, all of which indicate there will be many (Matt.7:15; 24:11, 24; Mk. 13:22; Lk. 6:26; 2 Pet. 2:1; 1 Jn. 4:1). False prophets, with Satan being the father of liars (Jn. 8:44), have attempted to deceive man from the very beginning of the Bible (Gen. 3:1). Here are just a few of them who have influenced religion in America today:

**Ellen G. White, spiritual founder of the Seventh Day Adventist Church
**Charles Taze Russell, founder of the Jehovah's Witnesses
**Joseph Smith, founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
**Herbert W. Armstrong, founder of the World Wide Church of God
**David Berg, leader of The Children of God
**Jean Dixon, America's most famous psychic
**Jim Jones, founder of Jonestown, or the Peoples Temple Agricultural Project
**Edgar E. Whisenant, author of "88 Reasons Why Jesus Will Return in 1988"
**Harold Camping, set the date for the Lord's return to be in the fall of 1994 and 2011
**Rick Warren, promoter of Chrislam, the joining of Christianity and Islam

Where these folks will spend eternity is certainly not up to me. And as long as they are still living, there is always hope that the Holy Spirit will work in their lives. But, should they continue to deceive Christians and turn them away from the truth, I suspect their end will be exactly like that of the false prophet. According to the Apostle John, he will spend eternity with Satan, with the antichrist (Rev. 20:10), and with all whose names are not written in the Lamb's book of life.

"And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works." "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." "And there shall in no wise enter into it (the New Jerusalem) any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life" (Rev. 20:12, 15; 21:27).