Interesting view - thank you, Douggg. I know the man of sin is expected as a future event, but I think the logistics cause me to question. Why would the devil come and introduce a "new" or "substitute" system at the end times when the corrupt and perverted versions of Christianity that he's fostered over two thousand years is plenty?
imo, after the resurrection and God's plan of Salvation from the fall became understood - Satan was forced to go to plan B, which is actually imo a repeat of the fall in the garden of Eden that man can be like God. Which Satan's agenda is to be like the Most High and be worshiped.
The Antichrist will be Satan's protege' to mankind convincing humans that they can reach God-hood, which would include eternal life on certain level.
Also, how could the devil prepare that man of sin without some advance awareness of the end time's occurrence that God's children don't have?
I would package that question a little differently. The eventual man of sin, before he reaches that stage, himself will not be a Christian. So he will be thinking from the outset that Christianity is false and will not be reading into the prophecies like Christians do of the end times. And even if he is totally aware, he won't believe them.
He is going to have a Jewish perspective which is that Christianity is all made up, beginning with the resurrection. He will not view himself as the Anti-messiah, a concept foreign to Judaism, but will fancy himself as the one chosen by God to be the real Jewish messiah.
As a Jew, the door to the occult is
Kabbalah. In Kabbalah practice, there is a notion that the adept at Kabbalah, can harness the power of the angels to carry out the adept's agenda. That is the craft it appears the Antichrist will practice before he even comes on the scene as the leader of Europe. Getting deeper and deeper, he will eventually, after great success in his rise to become the King of Israel messiah, that he will become convinced in his heart that he has reached God-hood - half way through the seven years.
In Judaism, their concept of Satan would seem outrageous to Christians. They will tell you that Satan is the obedient servant to God, carrying out a job as the adversary, as assigned to him. That Satan has no free will to oppose God.
So with that sort of mentality, it is easy to see how the Antichrist will think he can control the adversary, having Satan carry out his (the Antichrist's) own agenda, and even that to becoming the messiah.
The bible clearly warns not to be consulting with them in the spirit world.
Kabbalalists take that warning as being conditional, that a person can go into the spirit world to grow closer to God as long as certain protocols are followed. It is a twisted way of thinking, but that is what they are trying to do.
There is an online read of the rise and fall of Rabbi Joseph Della Reina, using
Kabbalah practice, who attempted to bring in the redemption, by capturing and binding Samael and Lilith. It exemplifies the Jewish
Kabbalists' thinking. It is a really good read and I think every Christian should read it as an eye opener. Not that we should ever try to emulate it; it's definitely something never to get involved in, but to be aware of what the kabbalists are thinking. This link is a Jewish site, not a Christian one.
Dreaming of Moshiach: The Story: Rise and Fall of Rabbi Joseph Della Reina
When the Antichrist gets to the point of thinking he has obtained God-hood, commits the sin of going into the temple and portraying himself as such - and God has him killed for that outrageous act, and brings him back alive.
It is then, that the beast comes out of the bottomless pit, the disembodied unclean spirit of Nimrod, to possess him. That's when not only is the end time Antichrist is involved, but what essentially is a demon possessing him that will drive the Antichrist-beast's actions and thinking.
From that online reading about the rise and fall of Rabbi Joseph Della Reina.... things went terribly wrong.
"Yosef and his remaining student buried the 2 dead students and afterwards, rested. The demon possessed the other 2 students and perished in great suffering that the demon inflicted on them.
After this, Joseph went to the city of Sidon, where he settled. His ways turned very evil. He saw that he did not succeed and since he heard from the Divine Voice that he lost this world and the world-to-come, he made a conventant with the malicious Lilith and handed himself to her and she became his wife. He polluted every way possible and used Holy Name of HKB'H to do evil. Every night he would conjure spirits and devils to fetch him his heart's desire.
He continued his evil ways and had more women than possible until the wife of the Greece king. He had her brought to him every night and in the morning, he would give orders to return her. One day the queen told her husband, "Every night I dream that I'm in a certain place and a man sleeps with me but find myself in the morning in my bed".
....there is more at that link.
Having read my post above, please consider these verses. I would firmly plant these verses as a central part of my end times understanding of the Antichrist. See the connections to
Kabballah and the Antichrist?
Daniel 8:23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and
understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but
not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and
practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause
craft to prosper in his hand; and
he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.
Ezekiel 28:2 Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord God; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God,
I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God,
though thou set thine heart as the heart of God:
3 Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel;
there is no secret that they can hide from thee:
2Thessalonians2:3 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;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that
he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
9 Even him, whose coming is
after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
Revelation 13:4 And they worshipped the dragon
which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
