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The cryptic explanation of the unseen activity at the revealing of the Antichrist lawless one may be understood from the revealing of the Christ because that is his template. If you followed my earlier suggestion to read Baptism - The Prophecy, some of this will be familiar.
Baptism Reveals
The baptism of John was actually a sign, an event that revealed. The lawless one will also be revealed at his baptism. John 1:31 records John's testimony about when Y'shua was baptized.
John 1:31 (NIV) I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.
John 1:31 (NASB) I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water.
John 1:31 (YLT) and I knew him not, but, that he might be manifested to Israel, because of this I came with the water baptizing.
John 1:31 (NASB) I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water.
John 1:31 (YLT) and I knew him not, but, that he might be manifested to Israel, because of this I came with the water baptizing.
Baptism is for manifesting, making manifest, revealing! It makes manifest the one baptized so it may be understood as a sign given for the purpose of identification. We just read about how the baptism by water was an identifying sign to Israel. Consider how the declaration is repeated to clarify how this was likewise an identifying sign to John, personally, Y'shua's own cousin.
32 John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. 33 I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God. ~ John 1:32-34
As it was with the Messiah, so will it be with the Antichrist, when revealed through baptism. This revelation insight into the baptism model has been confirmed to me by way of how the sponsor of that antichrist baptism spills the beans. The big event is modeled in paintings and corporate logos, public ceremonies, plays, movies, music videos, commercials and other kinds of animated presentations like I, pet goat II. The Lord has used these pre-enactments to validate what He opened to me in the scriptures, way back in the early summer of 1991, and to bring me now in this late hour, with a returning to the 2nd chapter of 2 Thessalonians, to an expanded and refined understanding of what is about to unfold in another year's time! As you can tell, this presentation is taking some time and effort to get through, but it's worth it, so worth it!
In Luke's Gospel we find an account that illustrates the example for what is referred to in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 as apostasia, the standing away from.
21 Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.” ~ Luke 3:21-22
Heaven opened and holy spirit descended in bodily form like a dove. Call it a stargate transit. A voice came out of heaven that obviously belonged to Jesus' Father in heaven. Okay. That's not too complicated. So, the dove-like holy spirit, where did it come from? Was anybody else there? These aren't hard questions. Before heaven opened, was the spirit with Jesus' Father in heaven? Of course. When the spirit descended, was the spirit still with Him in heaven? Of course not. It's on this simple model that we read the following in 2 Thessalonians.
2 Thessalonians 2:3 (NASB) Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy [literally: “standing away from”] comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction
2 Thessalonians 2:3 (KJV) Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition
2 Thessalonians 2:3 (KJV) Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition
Because a counterfeit is modeled on a genuine, there must come a similitude. The dove-like holy spirit was together with Jesus' Father in heaven, Who is also known as the Holy Spirit. When heaven opened and the spirit descended, the holy spirit was apostasia the Holy Spirit and the presence of any other spirits in that realm, standing away from with respect to position. Using the King James version, there was “a falling away” as the spirit descended from heaven, departing from its former heavenly abode and separating from those with whom it had formerly been abiding. There was no revolt, rebellion or apostasy involved, merely a change of position. The revealing of the lawless one will be with a counterpart anointing of unholy spirit. As I wrote earlier, the word apostasia neatly encapsulates the description of the unseen activity, and this is the theme of its structural companion in verses 6-7.
One of the major obstacles I had to overcome before I could get my mind wrapped around what the Lord was trying to show me was the idea that two different kinds of things were being identified in the apostasia and the revealing of the man. I held the notion that the apostasy of the church was going to happen, and then after that the lawless one was going to be revealed. When I realized that a baptism and anointing was in view and that “apostasia” was actually describing the supernatural dynamic involved, I had an epiphany.
It's like as if you told me there was an incident and the car was wrecked. If I make the connection between the incident and the car wreck it's immediately obvious that the car was wrecked in the incident because it was a car accident. The two are directly related. The incident didn't come first, to be followed by the wrecking of the car as somehow independent of that incident. You see, the lawless one isn't going to be revealed as some event independent of apostasia. It's more like a cause and effect relationship. There's going to be a “standing away from” as the unholy spirit of antichrist separates and descends, a falling away with the subsequent result that the lawless one is revealed. If popular versions were less interpretive, we might be reading something more along the lines of this uninterpreted rendering found in a Greek-English Interlinear, where apokalyphthe is translated, “shall have been revealed.”
no one you should deceive in not one way because if not shall have come the apostasy first and shall have been revealed the man of lawlessness the son of destruction ~ 2 Thessalonians 2:3 (Interlinear)
See it? Are you having an epiphany yet? Give this account of the model another reading.
31 I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water. 32 John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. 33 I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God. ~ John 1:31-34
The anti-dove-like unholy spirit is different from its holy counterpart. It's being restrained in an assigned zone, an underworld realm that is described in the following passage.
11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. ~ Ephesians 6:11-12
The epistle of 1 John has a pertinent revelation for us.
and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. ~ 1 John 4:3
The phrase, "this is the spirit of the antichrist," is more literally, "this is that of the antichrist," because the translators furnish the word “spirit” that is not technically in that text. This version isn't being represented as a literal translation but as an interpreted version, so there's no misrepresentation involved. That the subject is a spirit is readily apparent from the immediate context, with “that of the antichrist” being identified with “every spirit that does not confess Jesus,” and what is likewise “not from God.” It is pneuma antichristos. We read that it is coming, yet now it is already in the world. According to 2 Thessalonians we are told that the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but yet we still await an arrival, when “shall have come the apostasy first and shall have been revealed the man of lawlessness.”
6 And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. ~ 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7
This spirit of antichrist is a demonic entity, pneuma antichristos, which may be considered the antithesis of the spirit of Christ, the pneuma christos of Romans 8:9 and 1 Peter 1:11.
After the pattern of the genuine Christ, there must be a man with a body of flesh who will be in relationship to this pneuma antichristos as a host after the anointing (or perhaps “anti-anointing” is more technically correct). We could perhaps extrapolate how he is genetically groomed, bred for this destiny in accordance with the heritage of his father the devil. This man as a custom avatar host with “designer genes” will fully embrace the indwelling of pneuma antichristos as a perfectly prepared vessel. This avatar arrangement will be in the earth a concrete physical manifestation of Satan's power and presence!
Here's the model of the genuine that is about to be counterfeited in John 14's “red letter” testimony.
7 If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.” 8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. ~ John 14:7-11
John's declaration in the following verse echoes Paul's from 2 Thessalonians in identifying the coming of antichrist as a sign, an indicator of the nearness of the end of the age.
Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. ~ 1 John 2:18
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Again, there's plenty more to follow, which will be posted soon, Lord willing.
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