ANTICHRIST 2: JUDGES TO RUTH TO SAUL
I watch Rafa Nadal playing tennis at the U.S.Open. He's about to serve then stops. He walks onto the main court area, picks up a couple little objects laying there, perhaps stones, some sort of litter, carries them back and hands them to the ballboy who looks at them and carries them off to throw away. Now, I played tennis some when I was younger. Not very well, but I played. I was concerned about the serve and keeping my eye on the ball and chasing down the balls place well away from me by much better players. I wasn't the least bit concerned about whatever else was on the court because I was much more concerned about just surviving the game. What I am getting at is: there are pros, real pros, who are concerned with every aspect of their game, who concentrate on EVERY aspect, light, shadow, height of the net and sag, placement of serve and angles, oh, the angles, dropping their shot on the furthest corner. and the subtleties of grounds keeping. They are the real thing in sports and the rest of us are just hopeful but hopelessly inept and floundering as we take a stab at that reality, not devoting our real lives to the sport we love the way the professional does, not even beginning to understand the focus and training it takes, note willing to hit ball after ball after ball to achieve accuracy and marksmanship, not willing to go through all the blisters on hands and feet and the aching joints, the strained muscles, the torn tendons, the minutes, hours, days of real work but still dreaming, thinking we could do that or could have done that if we had just had the chance to take the time and learn it when we were younger, if studies or money or parental concerns had been more to OUR dreams than their own.
But the point is we are NOT pros for whatever reason. We are not the real thing and our fantasies are not reality. But the Antichrist (AC) gets to be the dreamer or the fraud if you will who gets to stand in for the real thing, to think of himself as the real thing perhaps even believe it, because of the choice of the people who see him as the real thing, not realizing that an angel, however powerful, even as powerful as Satan, is NOT God in any way, shape or form, but our human imagining of OURSELVES as God can lead to the deception being successful. "Yes, I am God." So he claiming to be God with real power is very believable. He becomes that God we WANT, the one we can understand and comprehend without leaving the thoughts of our Fallen Flesh mind behind us.
So I have changed my mind and decided to spend yet another post on him before we go on to his partner. To understand how we can SEE Jesus clearly in the Scriptures yet still desire that fraud to fulfill OUR fantasies of being the guy at the service line ready to ace the opponent even though we haven't devoted our lives to the game, given up what we need to give up to even come close to Him.
And the best way may be to touch on one of the other guys who precursors the fraud.
We spent time on Judges foreshadowing the Christian era and Ruth foreshadowing the Raptured Christians. We mentioned other figures of the Bible representing the AC even spent time on Pharaoh. But following the Old Testament timeline we established we arrive at Saul as the AC precursor.
And there is agreement with that in other corners as well. From Arthur Pink's extensive study on the subject The Anitchrist:
https://www.biblebelievers.com/Pink/antichrist15.htm
Saul. In at least ten respects Saul foreshadowed the Antichrist.
Almost the first thing told us about Saul is that he was "from his shoulders and upward higher than any of the people" (1 Sam. 9:2, which is repeated in 10:23). As such he fitly prefigured the coming Super-man, who in intelligence, governmental power, and satanic might, will so tower above all his contemporaries that men shall exclaim, "Who is like unto the Beast?" (Rev. 13:4).
(Note: it is the AC's head wound and seemingly miraculous recovery which lend him an air of awe. The comic book movies, particularly X-Men with the idea of mutant powers give him an excuse for his powers and a claim to human perfection by evolution. And the Gnostic belief in secret knowledge leading to perfection lays the groundwork for any supernatural claims. All those phony teachings tell us it is possible to be this guy; that we can be this guy. He seems like the "best" to us fallen humans as we are in our unsaved state, even in the saved state that has not pursued regeneration by the Spirit. W.)
Second, Saul was king of Israel (1 Sam. 10:24), so also will the Antichrist be.
(Note; In both cases the Lord gives the people what they want: a king like everyone else's only better physically. He lets them have their weay before he instills his chosen king. W.)
Third, Saul was a priest-king, blatantly performing the office of the Levite (see 1 Sam. 13:9, and cf Ezek. 21:25,26 R. V.).
1Sa 13:9 And Saul said, Bring hither the burnt-offering to me, and the peace-offerings. And he offered the burnt-offering.
10 And it came to pass that, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt-offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him.
11 And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines assembled themselves together at Michmash;
12 therefore said I, Now will the Philistines come down upon me to Gilgal, and I have not entreated the favor of Jehovah: I forced myself therefore, and offered the burnt-offering.
(ASV)
(We would have a disagreement up to a point. Most of that falls on the False Prophet who we will discuss further next time. But the AC WILL make a lone illegal offering on the new Temple's altar: that of a pig who will besmirch the altar with unclean blood. So in that they both make one time offerings that are illegitimate, yes. W.)
Fourth, the time of his reign was immediately before that of David, as that of the Antichrist will immediately precede that of David's Son and Lord.
(From Tribulation under the false Christ to Millennium under the true Lord. W.)
Fifth, he was a mighty warrior (see 1 Sam. 11:11; 13:1-4; 15:4; 7:8).
(I realize the AC will have victories but I wonder about the warrior part. He will be the general and political leader sending men to die for him but I wonder if he will ever place his own life at risk, if the head injury will be from an assassin attacking him when he thinks he is protected, if he will even be at the head of his own army in battle or if he will be letting others do the dying for him, thinking himself safely in a bunker, killing with a launching button, the way ALL our modern leaders "lead". The king or president being of vastly more import than the serfs or working class or their families. W.)
Sixth, he was a rebel against God (1 Sam. 15:11).
1Sa 15:10 Then the Lord said to Samuel,
11 It is no longer my pleasure for Saul to be king; for he is turned back from going in my ways, and has not done my orders. And Samuel was very sad, crying to the Lord in prayer all night.
12 And early in the morning he got up and went to Saul; and word was given to Samuel that Saul had come to Carmel and put up a pillar, and had gone from there down to Gilgal.
(BBE)
(Sam was no friend of Saul, but he anointed him king by God's order and, like David who spared Saul's life when he could have taken it in the cave (1 Samuel 24;
1Sa 24:1 Now when Saul came back from fighting the Philistines, news was given him that David was in the waste land of En-gedi.
2 Then Saul took three thousand of the best men out of all Israel, and went in search of David and his men on the rocks of the mountain goats.
3 And on the way he came to a place where sheep were kept, where there was a hollow in the rock; and Saul went in for a private purpose. Now David and his men were in the deepest part of the hollow.
4 And David's men said to him, Now is the time when the Lord says to you, I will give up your hater into your hands to do with him whatever seems good to you. Then David, getting up, took the skirt of Saul's robe in his hand, cutting off the end of it without his knowledge.
5 And later, David was full of regret for cutting off Saul's skirt.
6 And David said to his men, Before the Lord, never let it be said that my hand was lifted up against my lord, the man of the Lord's selection, for the Lord's holy oil has been put on him.
7 So with these words David kept his servants back, and did not let them make an attack on Saul. And Saul got up and went on his way.
8 And after that David came out of the hollow rock, and crying after Saul said, My lord the king. And when Saul gave a look back, David went down on his face and gave him honour.
9 And David said to Saul, Why do you give any attention to those who say that it is my desire to do you wrong?
10 Look! you have seen today how the Lord gave you up into my hands even now in the hollow of the rocks: and some would have had me put you to death, but I had pity on you: for I said, Never will my hand be lifted up against my lord, who has been marked with the holy oil.
11 And see, my father, see the skirt of your robe in my hand: for the fact that I took off the skirt of your robe and did not put you to death is witness that I have no evil purpose, and I have done you no wrong, though you are waiting for my life to take it.
12 May the Lord be judge between me and you, and may the Lord give me my rights against you, but my hand will never be lifted up against you.
13 There is an old saying, From the evil-doer comes evil: but my hand will never be lifted up against you.
14 After whom has the king of Israel come out? for whom are you searching? for a dead dog, an insect.
15 So let the Lord be judge, and give a decision between me and you, and see and give support to my cause, and keep me from falling into your hands.
16 Now when David had said these words to Saul, Saul said, Is this your voice, David, my son? And Saul was overcome with weeping.
17 And he said to David, You are right and I am wrong: for you have given me back good, but I have given you evil.
18 And you have made clear to me how good you have been to me today: because, when the Lord gave me up into your hands, you did not put me to death.
19 If a man comes across his hater, will he let him get away safe? so may you be rewarded by the Lord for what you have done for me today.
20 And now I am certain that you will be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will be made strong under your authority.
21 So give me your oath by the Lord, that you will not put an end to my seed after me or let my name be cut off from my father's family.
22 And David gave Saul his oath. And Saul went back to his house; but David and his men went up to their safe place.
(BBE)
but knew Saul could not be trusted even then) , he was intent on God's will for the king, on the success of the nation under the king God appointed. Sam clearly defining the success of the nation as it's will to obey God and follow Him. Men of God, true men and women of God, pray for the ruler and then grieve for the nation and for that ruler when he fails to follow God who put him that position. Mourn for the nation that must suffer under leadership not of God. God's true prophets tell the leader honestly when he fails, tell him or her when they are not filling their role in loyalty to God, to Christ, when they are wounding the nation by their actions. Still praying for them. W)
Seventh, he hated David (1 Sam. 18:7,8,11; 26:2, etc.)
(Saul's hate for David came from the fact people loved David and the people's praise mattered more the Saul since that was all he had after he left God's will. W.)
Eighth, he slew the servants of God (1 Sam. 22:17,18).
1Sa 22:17 Then the king said to the runners who were waiting near him, Put the priests of the Lord to death; because they are on David's side, and having knowledge of his flight, did not give me word of it. But the king's servants would not put out their hands to make an attack on the Lord's priests.
18 Then the king said to Doeg, You are to put the priests to death. And Doeg the Edomite, turning on the priests and attacking them, put to death that day eighty-five men who took up the ephod.
(BBE)
Ninth, he had (dealings) with the powers of evil (1 Sam. 28).
1Sa 28:1 Now in those days the Philistines got their forces together to make war on Israel. And Achish said to David, Certainly you and your men are to go out with me to the fight.
2 And David said to Achish, You will see now what your servant will do. And Achish said to David, Then I will make you keeper of my head for ever.
3 Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel, after weeping for him, had put his body in its last resting-place in Ramah, his town. And Saul had put away from the land all those who had control of spirits and who made use of secret arts.
4 And the Philistines came together and put their forces in position in Shunem; and Saul got all Israel together and they took up their positions in Gilboa.
5 And when Saul saw the Philistine army he was troubled, and his heart was moved with fear.
6 And when Saul went for directions to the Lord, the Lord gave him no answer, by a dream or by the Urim or by the prophets.
7 Then Saul said to his servants, Get me a woman who has control of a spirit so that I may go to her and get directions. And his servants said to him, There is such a woman at En-dor.
8 So Saul, putting on other clothing, so that he might not be seen to be the king, took two men with him and went to the woman by night; and he said, Now, with the help of the spirit which you have, make the person whose name I will give you come up.
9 And the woman said to him, But you have knowledge of what Saul has done, how he has put away out of the land those who have control of spirits and the users of secret arts: why would you, by a trick, put me in danger of death?
10 And Saul made an oath to her by the Lord, saying, By the living Lord, no punishment will come to you for this.
11 Then the woman said, Who am I to let you see? And he said, Make Samuel come up for me.
12 And the woman saw that it was Saul, and she gave a loud cry, and said to Saul, Why have you made use of deceit? for you are Saul.
13 And the king said to her, Have no fear: what do you see? And the woman said to Saul, I see a god coming up out of the earth.
14 And he said to her, What is his form? And she said, It is an old man coming up covered with a robe. And Saul saw that it was Samuel, and with his face bent down to the earth he gave him honour.
15 And Samuel said to Saul, Why have you made me come up, troubling my rest? And Saul in answer said, I am in great danger; for the Philistines are making war on me, and God has gone away from me and will no longer give me any answer, by the prophets or by dreams: so I have sent for you to make clear to me what I am to do.
16 And Samuel said, Why do you put your questions to me, seeing that God has gone away from you and is on the side of him who is against you?
17 And the Lord himself has done what I said: the Lord has taken the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbour David;
18 Because you did not do what the Lord said, and did not give effect to his burning wrath against Amalek. So the Lord has done this thing to you today.
19 And more than this, the Lord will give Israel up with you into the hands of the Philistines: and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me: and the Lord will give up the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.
20 Then Saul went down flat on the earth, and was full of fear because of Samuel's words: and there was no strength in him, for he had taken no food all that day or all that night.
21 And the woman came to Saul and saw that he was in great trouble, and said to him, See now, your servant has given ear to your words, and I have put my life in danger by doing what you said.
22 So now, give ear to the voice of your servant, and let me give you a little bread; and take some food to give you strength when you go on your way.
23 But he would not, saying, I have no desire for food. But his servants, together with the woman, made him take food, and he gave way to them. So he got up from the earth, and took his seat on the bed.
24 And the woman had in the house a young cow, made fat for food; and she put it to death straight away; and she took meal and got it mixed and made unleavened bread;
25 And she put it before Saul and his servants, and they had a meal. Then they got up and went away the same night.
(BBE)
Tenth, he died by the sword (1 Sam. 31:4).
1Sa 31:3 And the fight was going badly for Saul, and the archers came across him, and he was wounded by the archers.
4 Then Saul said to the servant who had the care of his arms, Take out your sword and put it through me, before these men without circumcision come and make sport of me. But his servant, full of fear, would not do so. Then Saul took out his sword, and falling on it, put an end to himself.
5 And when his servant saw that Saul was dead, he did the same, and was united with him in death.
(BBE)
(But it is the sword in the Lord's mouth which slays the AC so that link may be a bit contrived. W.)
I could link this to No. 9 above but I would list it as perhaps the most important part and perhaps the beginning of Saul's fall, of the the AC's fall, the False Prophet's fall, the fall of humanity in the Garden: the AC will be apostate! He will have loved the Lord or at least loved the rituals of religion and he will have turned away, like Samson, like Saul, unaware that God has left him, perhaps unaware the Spirit could have inhabited him and been the prevention of Satan doing it, pursuing instead, as Saul, the witchcraft of old and new age humanism, man as the savior of himself.
http://www.tscpulpitseries.org/english/1980s/ts880229.html
If Christians would take Saul's experience to heart, they would cry out like David to the Lord, "Give me a clean heart! Don't take Your presence from me!" Saul is a tragic picture of the Christian who has lost God's holy presence. (Of Apostasy. W.)
There are three terrible evidences. The first evidence is a melancholy, depressed spirit. God's Spirit left Saul because he refused to obey the Lord's command. Saul was commanded to do nothing until Samuel came to Gilgal to seek God and make sacrifices, but Saul got impatient and took matters into his own hands. So God left him "...because thou hast not obeyed that which the Lord commanded thee" (1 Samuel 13:14). He was not serious about God's Word.
A spirit of envy and jealousy then fell upon him, and he became insecure. The crowds were singing, "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.... And Saul envied David from that day forward. And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house...." (1 Samuel 18:7-10). The original Hebrew reads, "The melancholy spirit sent by God came upon Saul, and he feigned to prophesy within the house...." The word is actually "Rave!" Saul stormed about the house breaking things in a violent fit of madness. He raved like a madman! Saul cast his javelin at David, trying to kill him. "And Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, and was departed from Saul" (Samuel 18:12)
Nothing worse can be said of a child of God but that "the presence of the Lord departed." In His place comes a spirit of hopelessness and emptiness, and it causes sudden irritation, temper tantrums, jealousies, envy and fear. This melancholy spirit on Saul made him believe that others were out to get him, that everyone was conspiring against him, that no one loved him and that no one pitied him. "All of you have conspired against me, and there is none that sheweth me that my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for me...." (1 Samuel 22:8). He now distrusted his own son. And on one black day of infamy, Saul ordered the execution of 85 priests. He then had the city of Nob, a priest's city, completely wiped out, including women, mothers and children. Saul became a schemer, a manipulator of people. His home was divided and in turmoil. He was unable to sleep at night, always restless.
There is a depression caused by a lack of certain substances in the brain, and it is a strictly medical problem. But much of the depression among God's people is due to the departure of the Spirit of God because of their disobedience. Like Saul, they refuse to take God seriously. And like Saul, they become irritable, jealous, envious, manipulative and hateful.
A second evidence of the loss of God's presence is frequent confessions and occasional powerful movings of the Spirit with no accompanying change of heart. Saul was always confessing, always saying, "I have sinned! I'm sorry!" He said it at Gilgal when he disobeyed God, spared the best cattle and saved the wicked king Achish. He said it to David, after David refused to kill him in the cave, "You have done me good and I have rewarded you with evil" (1 Samuel 24:17). Saul repented again in the hill of Hachilah after David crept into the camp while Saul's bodyguard slept and stole Saul's spear and water bottle. Saul then called out, "I have sinned: return, my son David; for I will no more do thee harm...." (1 Samuel 26:21). But through all this his heart never really changed; it actually grew harder with every confession.
When David escaped to Ramah to be with Samuel and the prophets, Saul came up to kill David. But instead the Spirit came upon Saul, "... And the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah. And he stripped off his clothes also (the upper garment) and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night..." (1 Samuel 19:23-24). When he got near the fire of God, among holy people, God's Spirit hit him like lightning. It was awesome! All day, all night, ecstatic utterances, praising God, prophesying. But when he got up he went right back to his stubborn ways.
How many Christians are like this! God occasionally moves on them; then they weep and promise God that things will change. God gives them seasons of refreshing to draw them to Himself, to reverse sin. But they're never changed. They do not come out to a life of devotion. They do not study their Bibles. They do not pray. The presence of God does not stay with them. Only on occasion do they experience the real moving of God's Spirit upon them.
The third evidence of the lack of God's presence is a life of confusion, containing no guidance, no personal word from God. One of the saddest portions of Scripture recounts how Saul sought counsel from the witch of Endor because God refused to answer him (see 1 Samuel 28:5-20). Hear Saul's somber words, "... God is departed from me, and answereth me no more ... " (verse 15). This is the sad sign of a Christian who has lost God's presence. He walks in confusion and distress, going about begging for a Word from God, even seeing out horoscopes and astrologers, anything or anyone claiming to be prophetic.
But my purpose here should exceed telling you about this guy who was apostate and about how it reflects the AC to come who is perhaps a day away from appearing. The purpose of both of them is the purpose David Wilkinson employed them for in the article, one of the purposes Saul served to David: the example of failure and also the direction out. Wilkinson goes on to use Saul's errors for that purpose, the enlightenment of those who feel they may suffer the same fate:
Revelation 2:1-7 contains Jesus’ message to the church in Ephesus, the first of seven exhortations to various churches in the Roman Empire. Ephesus had some unique challenges for a Christ-follower in that it was home to the Emperor’s cult and the worship of the Greek goddess Artemis (Acts 19:23-40). Because of these influences, the Ephesian believers had developed great discernment when it came to false teachers and heresy. Christ commended them for this discernment, but He faulted them for having lost their “first love.”
The first love which characterized the Ephesians was the zeal and ardor with which they embraced their salvation as they realized they loved Christ because He first loved them (1 John 4:19) and that it was, in fact, His love for them that had made them “alive together with Christ.” So overwhelmed were they by the joy that came from understanding their former state—dead in trespasses and sins—and their new life in Christ, that they exhibited the fruit of that joy (Ephesians 2:1-5). Because of God’s great love for the Ephesians, they were “made alive in Christ” and that new life was exhibited in the passion of gratitude. That passion for the Savior spilled over onto one another and out to those in the culture they inhabited, corrupt as it was.
("For the fruit of the Spirit is love..." and we are commanded "to bear fruit." That command has always been to walk in love and let the love overflow. To let that love characterize the life we live. And to realize what human's tell us is the purpose has nothing to do with that love. That our Fallen Flesh will overwhelm the Spirit or, worse, misdirect our attention to a false spirit if we fail to keep the True One fed. That our Walk is a good deal more delicate and vulnerable to our willfulness than we are ever willing to admit. W.)
Jesus commends the Ephesians for their many good works and hard work. They tested teachers to see whether their professions were real; they endured hardship and persevered without growing weary. But they had lost their warmth and zeal for Christ, and when that happened, they began to “go through the motions” of good works, motivated not by the love of and for Christ, but by the works themselves. What was once a love relationship cooled into mere religion. Their passion for Him became little more than cold orthodoxy.
Surrounded by paganism and false teachers, the Ephesian church would have had ample opportunity to correct false doctrine and confront heretical teachers. If they did so for any reason other than love for Christ and a passion for His truth, however, they would have lost their way. Instead of pursuing Christ with the devotion they once showed, much like a bride who follows her groom “through the desert” (Jeremiah 2:2), the Ephesians were in danger of falling away from Christ completely. This is why He warns those who have “ears to hear” to prove the reality of their salvation by returning to Him and rekindling the love that had begun to cool. No doubt there were among the Ephesians those whose profession was false and whose hearing had become dulled. He warns the rest not to follow them, but to repent and return to Him with the passion they once had for Him.
(Preparing our minds for the discussion next time about the False Prophet. W.)
We face the same challenges in the twenty-first century. There are few churches that aren’t subject to, and in danger of, a certain amount of false teaching. But Jesus calls us to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), and to not let the frustration of false teaching overpower the love of Christ in us (Ephesians 4:31-32). Our first love is the love Christ gives us for God and each other. We should be zealous for the truth, but that zeal should be tempered so that we are always “speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ” (Ephesians 4:15).
Eph 4:13 Till we all come to the harmony of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to full growth, to the full measure of Christ:
14 So that we may be no longer children, sent this way and that, turned about by every wind of teaching, by the twisting and tricks of men, by the deceits of error;
15 But saying true words in love, may come to full growth in him, who is the head, even Christ;
16 Through whom all the body, being rightly formed and united together, by the full working of every part, is increased to the building up of itself in love.
(BBE)
Jude 1:20 But you, my loved ones, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, and making prayers in the Holy Spirit,
I watch Rafa Nadal playing tennis at the U.S.Open. He's about to serve then stops. He walks onto the main court area, picks up a couple little objects laying there, perhaps stones, some sort of litter, carries them back and hands them to the ballboy who looks at them and carries them off to throw away. Now, I played tennis some when I was younger. Not very well, but I played. I was concerned about the serve and keeping my eye on the ball and chasing down the balls place well away from me by much better players. I wasn't the least bit concerned about whatever else was on the court because I was much more concerned about just surviving the game. What I am getting at is: there are pros, real pros, who are concerned with every aspect of their game, who concentrate on EVERY aspect, light, shadow, height of the net and sag, placement of serve and angles, oh, the angles, dropping their shot on the furthest corner. and the subtleties of grounds keeping. They are the real thing in sports and the rest of us are just hopeful but hopelessly inept and floundering as we take a stab at that reality, not devoting our real lives to the sport we love the way the professional does, not even beginning to understand the focus and training it takes, note willing to hit ball after ball after ball to achieve accuracy and marksmanship, not willing to go through all the blisters on hands and feet and the aching joints, the strained muscles, the torn tendons, the minutes, hours, days of real work but still dreaming, thinking we could do that or could have done that if we had just had the chance to take the time and learn it when we were younger, if studies or money or parental concerns had been more to OUR dreams than their own.
But the point is we are NOT pros for whatever reason. We are not the real thing and our fantasies are not reality. But the Antichrist (AC) gets to be the dreamer or the fraud if you will who gets to stand in for the real thing, to think of himself as the real thing perhaps even believe it, because of the choice of the people who see him as the real thing, not realizing that an angel, however powerful, even as powerful as Satan, is NOT God in any way, shape or form, but our human imagining of OURSELVES as God can lead to the deception being successful. "Yes, I am God." So he claiming to be God with real power is very believable. He becomes that God we WANT, the one we can understand and comprehend without leaving the thoughts of our Fallen Flesh mind behind us.
So I have changed my mind and decided to spend yet another post on him before we go on to his partner. To understand how we can SEE Jesus clearly in the Scriptures yet still desire that fraud to fulfill OUR fantasies of being the guy at the service line ready to ace the opponent even though we haven't devoted our lives to the game, given up what we need to give up to even come close to Him.
And the best way may be to touch on one of the other guys who precursors the fraud.
We spent time on Judges foreshadowing the Christian era and Ruth foreshadowing the Raptured Christians. We mentioned other figures of the Bible representing the AC even spent time on Pharaoh. But following the Old Testament timeline we established we arrive at Saul as the AC precursor.
And there is agreement with that in other corners as well. From Arthur Pink's extensive study on the subject The Anitchrist:
https://www.biblebelievers.com/Pink/antichrist15.htm
Saul. In at least ten respects Saul foreshadowed the Antichrist.
Almost the first thing told us about Saul is that he was "from his shoulders and upward higher than any of the people" (1 Sam. 9:2, which is repeated in 10:23). As such he fitly prefigured the coming Super-man, who in intelligence, governmental power, and satanic might, will so tower above all his contemporaries that men shall exclaim, "Who is like unto the Beast?" (Rev. 13:4).
(Note: it is the AC's head wound and seemingly miraculous recovery which lend him an air of awe. The comic book movies, particularly X-Men with the idea of mutant powers give him an excuse for his powers and a claim to human perfection by evolution. And the Gnostic belief in secret knowledge leading to perfection lays the groundwork for any supernatural claims. All those phony teachings tell us it is possible to be this guy; that we can be this guy. He seems like the "best" to us fallen humans as we are in our unsaved state, even in the saved state that has not pursued regeneration by the Spirit. W.)
Second, Saul was king of Israel (1 Sam. 10:24), so also will the Antichrist be.
(Note; In both cases the Lord gives the people what they want: a king like everyone else's only better physically. He lets them have their weay before he instills his chosen king. W.)
Third, Saul was a priest-king, blatantly performing the office of the Levite (see 1 Sam. 13:9, and cf Ezek. 21:25,26 R. V.).
1Sa 13:9 And Saul said, Bring hither the burnt-offering to me, and the peace-offerings. And he offered the burnt-offering.
10 And it came to pass that, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt-offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him.
11 And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines assembled themselves together at Michmash;
12 therefore said I, Now will the Philistines come down upon me to Gilgal, and I have not entreated the favor of Jehovah: I forced myself therefore, and offered the burnt-offering.
(ASV)
(We would have a disagreement up to a point. Most of that falls on the False Prophet who we will discuss further next time. But the AC WILL make a lone illegal offering on the new Temple's altar: that of a pig who will besmirch the altar with unclean blood. So in that they both make one time offerings that are illegitimate, yes. W.)
Fourth, the time of his reign was immediately before that of David, as that of the Antichrist will immediately precede that of David's Son and Lord.
(From Tribulation under the false Christ to Millennium under the true Lord. W.)
Fifth, he was a mighty warrior (see 1 Sam. 11:11; 13:1-4; 15:4; 7:8).
(I realize the AC will have victories but I wonder about the warrior part. He will be the general and political leader sending men to die for him but I wonder if he will ever place his own life at risk, if the head injury will be from an assassin attacking him when he thinks he is protected, if he will even be at the head of his own army in battle or if he will be letting others do the dying for him, thinking himself safely in a bunker, killing with a launching button, the way ALL our modern leaders "lead". The king or president being of vastly more import than the serfs or working class or their families. W.)
Sixth, he was a rebel against God (1 Sam. 15:11).
1Sa 15:10 Then the Lord said to Samuel,
11 It is no longer my pleasure for Saul to be king; for he is turned back from going in my ways, and has not done my orders. And Samuel was very sad, crying to the Lord in prayer all night.
12 And early in the morning he got up and went to Saul; and word was given to Samuel that Saul had come to Carmel and put up a pillar, and had gone from there down to Gilgal.
(BBE)
(Sam was no friend of Saul, but he anointed him king by God's order and, like David who spared Saul's life when he could have taken it in the cave (1 Samuel 24;
1Sa 24:1 Now when Saul came back from fighting the Philistines, news was given him that David was in the waste land of En-gedi.
2 Then Saul took three thousand of the best men out of all Israel, and went in search of David and his men on the rocks of the mountain goats.
3 And on the way he came to a place where sheep were kept, where there was a hollow in the rock; and Saul went in for a private purpose. Now David and his men were in the deepest part of the hollow.
4 And David's men said to him, Now is the time when the Lord says to you, I will give up your hater into your hands to do with him whatever seems good to you. Then David, getting up, took the skirt of Saul's robe in his hand, cutting off the end of it without his knowledge.
5 And later, David was full of regret for cutting off Saul's skirt.
6 And David said to his men, Before the Lord, never let it be said that my hand was lifted up against my lord, the man of the Lord's selection, for the Lord's holy oil has been put on him.
7 So with these words David kept his servants back, and did not let them make an attack on Saul. And Saul got up and went on his way.
8 And after that David came out of the hollow rock, and crying after Saul said, My lord the king. And when Saul gave a look back, David went down on his face and gave him honour.
9 And David said to Saul, Why do you give any attention to those who say that it is my desire to do you wrong?
10 Look! you have seen today how the Lord gave you up into my hands even now in the hollow of the rocks: and some would have had me put you to death, but I had pity on you: for I said, Never will my hand be lifted up against my lord, who has been marked with the holy oil.
11 And see, my father, see the skirt of your robe in my hand: for the fact that I took off the skirt of your robe and did not put you to death is witness that I have no evil purpose, and I have done you no wrong, though you are waiting for my life to take it.
12 May the Lord be judge between me and you, and may the Lord give me my rights against you, but my hand will never be lifted up against you.
13 There is an old saying, From the evil-doer comes evil: but my hand will never be lifted up against you.
14 After whom has the king of Israel come out? for whom are you searching? for a dead dog, an insect.
15 So let the Lord be judge, and give a decision between me and you, and see and give support to my cause, and keep me from falling into your hands.
16 Now when David had said these words to Saul, Saul said, Is this your voice, David, my son? And Saul was overcome with weeping.
17 And he said to David, You are right and I am wrong: for you have given me back good, but I have given you evil.
18 And you have made clear to me how good you have been to me today: because, when the Lord gave me up into your hands, you did not put me to death.
19 If a man comes across his hater, will he let him get away safe? so may you be rewarded by the Lord for what you have done for me today.
20 And now I am certain that you will be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will be made strong under your authority.
21 So give me your oath by the Lord, that you will not put an end to my seed after me or let my name be cut off from my father's family.
22 And David gave Saul his oath. And Saul went back to his house; but David and his men went up to their safe place.
(BBE)
but knew Saul could not be trusted even then) , he was intent on God's will for the king, on the success of the nation under the king God appointed. Sam clearly defining the success of the nation as it's will to obey God and follow Him. Men of God, true men and women of God, pray for the ruler and then grieve for the nation and for that ruler when he fails to follow God who put him that position. Mourn for the nation that must suffer under leadership not of God. God's true prophets tell the leader honestly when he fails, tell him or her when they are not filling their role in loyalty to God, to Christ, when they are wounding the nation by their actions. Still praying for them. W)
Seventh, he hated David (1 Sam. 18:7,8,11; 26:2, etc.)
(Saul's hate for David came from the fact people loved David and the people's praise mattered more the Saul since that was all he had after he left God's will. W.)
Eighth, he slew the servants of God (1 Sam. 22:17,18).
1Sa 22:17 Then the king said to the runners who were waiting near him, Put the priests of the Lord to death; because they are on David's side, and having knowledge of his flight, did not give me word of it. But the king's servants would not put out their hands to make an attack on the Lord's priests.
18 Then the king said to Doeg, You are to put the priests to death. And Doeg the Edomite, turning on the priests and attacking them, put to death that day eighty-five men who took up the ephod.
(BBE)
Ninth, he had (dealings) with the powers of evil (1 Sam. 28).
1Sa 28:1 Now in those days the Philistines got their forces together to make war on Israel. And Achish said to David, Certainly you and your men are to go out with me to the fight.
2 And David said to Achish, You will see now what your servant will do. And Achish said to David, Then I will make you keeper of my head for ever.
3 Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel, after weeping for him, had put his body in its last resting-place in Ramah, his town. And Saul had put away from the land all those who had control of spirits and who made use of secret arts.
4 And the Philistines came together and put their forces in position in Shunem; and Saul got all Israel together and they took up their positions in Gilboa.
5 And when Saul saw the Philistine army he was troubled, and his heart was moved with fear.
6 And when Saul went for directions to the Lord, the Lord gave him no answer, by a dream or by the Urim or by the prophets.
7 Then Saul said to his servants, Get me a woman who has control of a spirit so that I may go to her and get directions. And his servants said to him, There is such a woman at En-dor.
8 So Saul, putting on other clothing, so that he might not be seen to be the king, took two men with him and went to the woman by night; and he said, Now, with the help of the spirit which you have, make the person whose name I will give you come up.
9 And the woman said to him, But you have knowledge of what Saul has done, how he has put away out of the land those who have control of spirits and the users of secret arts: why would you, by a trick, put me in danger of death?
10 And Saul made an oath to her by the Lord, saying, By the living Lord, no punishment will come to you for this.
11 Then the woman said, Who am I to let you see? And he said, Make Samuel come up for me.
12 And the woman saw that it was Saul, and she gave a loud cry, and said to Saul, Why have you made use of deceit? for you are Saul.
13 And the king said to her, Have no fear: what do you see? And the woman said to Saul, I see a god coming up out of the earth.
14 And he said to her, What is his form? And she said, It is an old man coming up covered with a robe. And Saul saw that it was Samuel, and with his face bent down to the earth he gave him honour.
15 And Samuel said to Saul, Why have you made me come up, troubling my rest? And Saul in answer said, I am in great danger; for the Philistines are making war on me, and God has gone away from me and will no longer give me any answer, by the prophets or by dreams: so I have sent for you to make clear to me what I am to do.
16 And Samuel said, Why do you put your questions to me, seeing that God has gone away from you and is on the side of him who is against you?
17 And the Lord himself has done what I said: the Lord has taken the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbour David;
18 Because you did not do what the Lord said, and did not give effect to his burning wrath against Amalek. So the Lord has done this thing to you today.
19 And more than this, the Lord will give Israel up with you into the hands of the Philistines: and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me: and the Lord will give up the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.
20 Then Saul went down flat on the earth, and was full of fear because of Samuel's words: and there was no strength in him, for he had taken no food all that day or all that night.
21 And the woman came to Saul and saw that he was in great trouble, and said to him, See now, your servant has given ear to your words, and I have put my life in danger by doing what you said.
22 So now, give ear to the voice of your servant, and let me give you a little bread; and take some food to give you strength when you go on your way.
23 But he would not, saying, I have no desire for food. But his servants, together with the woman, made him take food, and he gave way to them. So he got up from the earth, and took his seat on the bed.
24 And the woman had in the house a young cow, made fat for food; and she put it to death straight away; and she took meal and got it mixed and made unleavened bread;
25 And she put it before Saul and his servants, and they had a meal. Then they got up and went away the same night.
(BBE)
Tenth, he died by the sword (1 Sam. 31:4).
1Sa 31:3 And the fight was going badly for Saul, and the archers came across him, and he was wounded by the archers.
4 Then Saul said to the servant who had the care of his arms, Take out your sword and put it through me, before these men without circumcision come and make sport of me. But his servant, full of fear, would not do so. Then Saul took out his sword, and falling on it, put an end to himself.
5 And when his servant saw that Saul was dead, he did the same, and was united with him in death.
(BBE)
(But it is the sword in the Lord's mouth which slays the AC so that link may be a bit contrived. W.)
I could link this to No. 9 above but I would list it as perhaps the most important part and perhaps the beginning of Saul's fall, of the the AC's fall, the False Prophet's fall, the fall of humanity in the Garden: the AC will be apostate! He will have loved the Lord or at least loved the rituals of religion and he will have turned away, like Samson, like Saul, unaware that God has left him, perhaps unaware the Spirit could have inhabited him and been the prevention of Satan doing it, pursuing instead, as Saul, the witchcraft of old and new age humanism, man as the savior of himself.
http://www.tscpulpitseries.org/english/1980s/ts880229.html
If Christians would take Saul's experience to heart, they would cry out like David to the Lord, "Give me a clean heart! Don't take Your presence from me!" Saul is a tragic picture of the Christian who has lost God's holy presence. (Of Apostasy. W.)
There are three terrible evidences. The first evidence is a melancholy, depressed spirit. God's Spirit left Saul because he refused to obey the Lord's command. Saul was commanded to do nothing until Samuel came to Gilgal to seek God and make sacrifices, but Saul got impatient and took matters into his own hands. So God left him "...because thou hast not obeyed that which the Lord commanded thee" (1 Samuel 13:14). He was not serious about God's Word.
A spirit of envy and jealousy then fell upon him, and he became insecure. The crowds were singing, "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.... And Saul envied David from that day forward. And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house...." (1 Samuel 18:7-10). The original Hebrew reads, "The melancholy spirit sent by God came upon Saul, and he feigned to prophesy within the house...." The word is actually "Rave!" Saul stormed about the house breaking things in a violent fit of madness. He raved like a madman! Saul cast his javelin at David, trying to kill him. "And Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, and was departed from Saul" (Samuel 18:12)
Nothing worse can be said of a child of God but that "the presence of the Lord departed." In His place comes a spirit of hopelessness and emptiness, and it causes sudden irritation, temper tantrums, jealousies, envy and fear. This melancholy spirit on Saul made him believe that others were out to get him, that everyone was conspiring against him, that no one loved him and that no one pitied him. "All of you have conspired against me, and there is none that sheweth me that my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for me...." (1 Samuel 22:8). He now distrusted his own son. And on one black day of infamy, Saul ordered the execution of 85 priests. He then had the city of Nob, a priest's city, completely wiped out, including women, mothers and children. Saul became a schemer, a manipulator of people. His home was divided and in turmoil. He was unable to sleep at night, always restless.
There is a depression caused by a lack of certain substances in the brain, and it is a strictly medical problem. But much of the depression among God's people is due to the departure of the Spirit of God because of their disobedience. Like Saul, they refuse to take God seriously. And like Saul, they become irritable, jealous, envious, manipulative and hateful.
A second evidence of the loss of God's presence is frequent confessions and occasional powerful movings of the Spirit with no accompanying change of heart. Saul was always confessing, always saying, "I have sinned! I'm sorry!" He said it at Gilgal when he disobeyed God, spared the best cattle and saved the wicked king Achish. He said it to David, after David refused to kill him in the cave, "You have done me good and I have rewarded you with evil" (1 Samuel 24:17). Saul repented again in the hill of Hachilah after David crept into the camp while Saul's bodyguard slept and stole Saul's spear and water bottle. Saul then called out, "I have sinned: return, my son David; for I will no more do thee harm...." (1 Samuel 26:21). But through all this his heart never really changed; it actually grew harder with every confession.
When David escaped to Ramah to be with Samuel and the prophets, Saul came up to kill David. But instead the Spirit came upon Saul, "... And the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah. And he stripped off his clothes also (the upper garment) and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night..." (1 Samuel 19:23-24). When he got near the fire of God, among holy people, God's Spirit hit him like lightning. It was awesome! All day, all night, ecstatic utterances, praising God, prophesying. But when he got up he went right back to his stubborn ways.
How many Christians are like this! God occasionally moves on them; then they weep and promise God that things will change. God gives them seasons of refreshing to draw them to Himself, to reverse sin. But they're never changed. They do not come out to a life of devotion. They do not study their Bibles. They do not pray. The presence of God does not stay with them. Only on occasion do they experience the real moving of God's Spirit upon them.
The third evidence of the lack of God's presence is a life of confusion, containing no guidance, no personal word from God. One of the saddest portions of Scripture recounts how Saul sought counsel from the witch of Endor because God refused to answer him (see 1 Samuel 28:5-20). Hear Saul's somber words, "... God is departed from me, and answereth me no more ... " (verse 15). This is the sad sign of a Christian who has lost God's presence. He walks in confusion and distress, going about begging for a Word from God, even seeing out horoscopes and astrologers, anything or anyone claiming to be prophetic.
Three things happened before the cloudy pillar of God's presence returned: "When the people heard these evil tidings [that God would not go with them], they mourned: and no man did put on him his ornaments. And Moses took the tent, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the Lord went out unto the tent, which was without the camp. And as Moses entered into the tent, the cloudy pillar descended ..." (Exodus 33:4, 7, 9).
First, they mourned, wept, sorrowed and repented at the sad news of God's departure. They learned that God will not dwell with a stubborn people who lightly esteem His Word. They discovered that God means what He says. Although they were chosen, God said He would leave them. Listen to His Word: "Turn ye even to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth Him of the evil. Who knoweth If He will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind Him... " (Joel 2:12-14). That blessing is the presence of the Lord. Where are those Christians who will get serious about His Word, who will weep, fast, seek Him, until there is a promise of His presence?
Secondly, they put aside all their ornaments. The Lord said, "Now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee" (Exodus 33:5). This means they took practical steps to put away every worldly distraction. Their ornaments were gold and silver replicas of the evil Egyptian gods - mice, goats, and calves dangling on chains. Their excuse was, "I don't worship this thing on my neck. It's just a piece of gold. It's meaningless; it's just a sentimental reminder from Egypt!" But God knew it was more than that. The Prophet Zephaniah warned that God would judge those Israelites: "I will cut off... them that worship and that swear by the Lord, and that swear by Malcham" (Zephaniah 1:4-5). God's people had made little ornaments, images of the Moabite and Amonite god Malcham (Molech), the god of human sacrifice. Up to this time God had patiently endured this flirtation, but now the issue was life and death. Their little charms had caused them to build a golden calf. So God said, "Enough! The least you can do is put away whatever charms you! Whatever you sacrifice your time to!"
Christians say they want God's presence, but they won't even put away those things that obviously distract them from Him. Joshua commanded the people, "Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve Him in sincerity and in truth: and put away your gods ..." (Joshua 24:14). "Put away" in Hebrew means "Turn off your gods." God is not joking when He commands, "Thou shalt bring no abomination into your house" (Deuteronomy 7:26); "Touch not the unclean thing;" "Set no wicked thing before your eyes;" "Walk before Me blameless." Therefore, they stripped themselves of everything that offended God.
Thirdly, Moses erected a tent outside the camp. The tabernacle had not yet been built. This was a special tent, a habitation for God's presence, located outside every distraction, far from the camp. Only those who truly sought the Lord went out to the tent. Moses went out daily, and Joshua never left. That tent represents the Christian's secret closet of prayer. The child of God must leave his family and his busy schedule behind. He must go outside of it all to meet the Lord, to seek His face, for God laments that "...there is none to stretch forth My tent any more, and to set up My curtains" (Jeremiah 10:20).
Only then was the issue settled, "When Moses entered into the tent, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tent, and the Lord talked with Moses ...And He said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest" (Exodus 33:8,14). If you really want God's presence, where is your tent? Why don't you seek Him? Why don't you pray? Why don't you study His Word? Why is church your only contact with Him? Do you not know, or even care, about His presence in you?
Going here provides some direction as well:
And this begins the walk back:
The first love which characterized the Ephesians was the zeal and ardor with which they embraced their salvation as they realized they loved Christ because He first loved them (1 John 4:19) and that it was, in fact, His love for them that had made them “alive together with Christ.” So overwhelmed were they by the joy that came from understanding their former state—dead in trespasses and sins—and their new life in Christ, that they exhibited the fruit of that joy (Ephesians 2:1-5). Because of God’s great love for the Ephesians, they were “made alive in Christ” and that new life was exhibited in the passion of gratitude. That passion for the Savior spilled over onto one another and out to those in the culture they inhabited, corrupt as it was.
("For the fruit of the Spirit is love..." and we are commanded "to bear fruit." That command has always been to walk in love and let the love overflow. To let that love characterize the life we live. And to realize what human's tell us is the purpose has nothing to do with that love. That our Fallen Flesh will overwhelm the Spirit or, worse, misdirect our attention to a false spirit if we fail to keep the True One fed. That our Walk is a good deal more delicate and vulnerable to our willfulness than we are ever willing to admit. W.)
Jesus commends the Ephesians for their many good works and hard work. They tested teachers to see whether their professions were real; they endured hardship and persevered without growing weary. But they had lost their warmth and zeal for Christ, and when that happened, they began to “go through the motions” of good works, motivated not by the love of and for Christ, but by the works themselves. What was once a love relationship cooled into mere religion. Their passion for Him became little more than cold orthodoxy.
Surrounded by paganism and false teachers, the Ephesian church would have had ample opportunity to correct false doctrine and confront heretical teachers. If they did so for any reason other than love for Christ and a passion for His truth, however, they would have lost their way. Instead of pursuing Christ with the devotion they once showed, much like a bride who follows her groom “through the desert” (Jeremiah 2:2), the Ephesians were in danger of falling away from Christ completely. This is why He warns those who have “ears to hear” to prove the reality of their salvation by returning to Him and rekindling the love that had begun to cool. No doubt there were among the Ephesians those whose profession was false and whose hearing had become dulled. He warns the rest not to follow them, but to repent and return to Him with the passion they once had for Him.
(Preparing our minds for the discussion next time about the False Prophet. W.)
We face the same challenges in the twenty-first century. There are few churches that aren’t subject to, and in danger of, a certain amount of false teaching. But Jesus calls us to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), and to not let the frustration of false teaching overpower the love of Christ in us (Ephesians 4:31-32). Our first love is the love Christ gives us for God and each other. We should be zealous for the truth, but that zeal should be tempered so that we are always “speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ” (Ephesians 4:15).
Eph 4:13 Till we all come to the harmony of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to full growth, to the full measure of Christ:
14 So that we may be no longer children, sent this way and that, turned about by every wind of teaching, by the twisting and tricks of men, by the deceits of error;
15 But saying true words in love, may come to full growth in him, who is the head, even Christ;
16 Through whom all the body, being rightly formed and united together, by the full working of every part, is increased to the building up of itself in love.
(BBE)
Paul's wish for ALL to be of harmony, in knowledge of Christ, growth in Christ to the measure of Christ as the Spiritual heights we are to reach.
Because we are to seek to be the pro, the real deal, the one concerned with the details, with everything about this life in Christ, so we can recognize the counterfeit and not listen, so we can pick up the litter that may deflect a shot past our defenses. We just have to put in the hours, the days, the lifetime. We fully believe the saved will not be here for the REALLY counterfeit, but we must be intent on the today of not being mislead BEFORE the arrival of the Deadly Duo. Even as we prepare in the next post to discuss the False Prophet.
But we leave you with the words of Jude:
21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for life eternal through the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ.
22 And have pity on those who are in doubt;
23 And to some give salvation, pulling them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the clothing which is made unclean by the flesh.
24 Now to him who is able to keep you from falling, and to give you a place in his glory, free from all evil, with great joy,
25 To the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, let us give glory and honour and authority and power, before all time and now and for ever. So be it.
(BBE)
