THE ANTICHRIST AND HIS CHURCH

Students of Bible prophecy have long debated the dispensational approach to "rightly dividing" God's Word.  Some question its validity; others swear by it.  Even those of us who see it as the "unsealing of Daniel's prophecies" (Dan. 12:9), still differ on the number of dispensations; some hold to four (Thieme), six (Darby), seven (Ryrie), eight (Larkin), and nine (Willmington).  Ironically, all view the 1000 year reign of Christ, the Millennium, as one of them.  While such a difference on the actual number of dispensations does bother me, the idea of the Millennium being considered a dispensation, sort of concerns me. 

In each of the dispensations prior to the Millennium, regardless of which, God reveals His instructions, and holds His stewards responsible for the management of that which He has place in their trusted.  A perfect example is found in the Lord's parable concerning stewardship (Mt. 25:14-30; Lk. 19:11-27; etc.).  However, the Millennium will not involve the stewardship of His possessions, because He will be here!  Nevertheless, I am most likely missing something, as the whole of the "School of Dispensationalism" cannot be wrong and I be right.  At least I hope not!   

Recently, in my study on the person known as the Antichrist, I discovered something strange; at least it seems so to me.  The Dispensation of the Law, being temporarily placed on the "back burner," is the dispensation in which the Antichrist will "do his thing."  Daniel's prophecy of Sixty-Nine Weeks ended with the Crucifixion of Jesus (Dan. 9:24-26).  His Seventieth Week, the Tribulation, is yet to be fulfilled (Dan. 9:27; Mt. 24:3-28; Rev. 6 - 18; etc.).  Because the dispensation in which we live is known as the Church Age, and it takes place between Daniel's Sixty-Ninth and Seventieth weeks, that means the dispensation we now live in, is both the Dispensation of the Law (Israel), and the Dispensation of Grace (Church).  Both co-exist.

Based upon all of the signs that indicate the Rapture (Jn. 14:1-3; 1 Thes. 4:16-17; etc.) and the start of the Tribulation are imminent (Mt. 24:3-14), the Antichrist is already here.  And, just as the Antichrist will be alive during two dispensations, one church will be present during both:  the Church of Laodicea (Rev. 3:14-22)!  Make sure your church believes in the Trinity, and that Jesus is its focus!

"He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son" (1 Jn. 2:22).