The Jews did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah when He appeared over 1900 years ago.
They called Him a blasphemer.
The Romans crucified Him.
Today the most COLOSSAL LIE of all time is being spawned to counterfeit the identity of the returning Christ.
This challenging article unmasks the deception.
THE MOST sinister, diabolical LIE ever foisted on a confused world is now being spread. This cunning master-lie makes Jesus Christ appear to be the ARCHENEMY of the world! It falsely labels Jesus as the "ANTICHRIST." It cunningly makes the Antichrist appear to be Christ!
It's time you knew the shocking truth about this monstrous hoax! And what it has to do with "Christian Unity" and the coming revival of the Holy Roman Empire in Europe.
Plot to Unite Church and State
For over 30 years, Mr. Armstrong has been warning the nations via The WORLD TOMORROW broadcast and The PLAIN TRUTH magazine of the prophesied end-time revival of the "Holy Roman Empire." It is a union of Church and State, of economics and science, that will stamp out true Christianity — that will exalt a mortal man to the office of Christ. It will deceive the world into believing that the Christ of your Bible — who is coming again to destroy this diabolical system — is "the Antichrist."
In the Bible, God cloaks this coming European religio-political empire in mysterious symbolism. It is called in your Bible "Babylon the Great." Notice God's prophecy.
"And I saw a WOMAN [the symbol of a Church (II Cor. 11:2)] sit upon a scarlet colored beast [the symbol of a political government], full of names of blasphemy . . . and upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH" (Rev. 17:3, 5).
God labels her (verse 1) what she is — "the great whore that sitteth upon many waters" — a symbol of "peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues" over which she rules spiritually (Rev. 17:15). In verse 2, she is described as having committed spiritual "fornication" with "the kings of the earth"! That is, alliances, concordats with the nations of this world, instead of waiting for the returning Christ to establish the Kingdom of God on earth.
She is also described as "that great CITY which reigneth over the kings of the earth" (verse 18).
A woman is God's symbol for a church. Here is a fallen woman — an apostate church — ruling over many nations! A great false church riding, dominating, the "Beast" — the Roman Empire which is soon to arise for the last time!
Those who know history and understand Bible prophecy know what power ruled over the civil government of the "Holy" Roman Empire during the Middle Ages!
This great counterfeit religion — instead of becoming "engaged" to the true Christ, and keeping herself true to Him as coming World Ruler — formed illicit unions with the governments of this world.
She entered into world politics! She sought to dominate this world's governments! Thus she committed spiritual "fornication" — illicit union prior to marriage.
God portrays this church as having a "lamb-like" — Christ-like — appearance. It appears as if it were God's Church, but actually speaks as a "dragon" — the DEVIL! (Rev. 13:11; 12:9)
History tells us this power patterned its ecclesiastical government after the "BEAST" — the Roman civil government.
Although palmed off as the government of God, this church government is in reality only an "image," or copy, of a satanic, human government — NOT the government of God!
She has always used religion as her means of gaining political control over society — first through education and finally by government and economics. Her basic policy is to establish her order — her rule — over the world.
Revelation 17 reveals her goal is to become universal — the one and ONLY church — ruling the whole world POLITICALLY!
Religion to Unify Europe
No military or political leader could unite Europe. Only religion can do it!
Only some great religious leader can be the supreme authority acceptable to all!
The prophecy in Revelation 17 shows that all seven successive revivals of the "Holy" Roman Empire would be dominated by a great fallen church.
And history tells us that a succession of great religious rulers did dominate every one of the former six revivals of the "Holy Roman Empire"!
Ten European nations are finally to unite in the last restoration of the Roman Empire. They are symbolized in Revelation 17 as "ten horns" (verse 7). Leading them will be a great miracle-working religious leader.
This union will, by common consent, give its united strength into the hands of the political and military leader — the "Beast," a "Hitler" — who will be approved by this great religious leader! (Rev. 17:12-13)
When the religious leader — the "man of sin" — gives the word, every devoted follower will OBEY his orders! He will step into the picture with his miracles as the supreme unifying authority — the final arbiter — the only one who can finally unite the differing, squabbling nations of Europe and bring "peace" to the world.
All Europe will become fanatically religious!
The remaining "wayward daughter" churches of the great "Mother" church will be forced back into the fold. Only ONE RELIGION will be the accepted form of worship!
The great "fallen woman" will have mounted the resurrected "Beast" — the Roman Empire! (Rev. 17:3, 5)
"ANTICHRIST" Revealed!
The apostle Paul warns us of this "man of sin" in II Thessalonians 2:1-12 — a mere human who will exalt himself above all — even above God!
Listen to Paul's grim warning: "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day [the day of Christ's return — verses 1-2] shall not come, except there come a falling away first [a rebellion against God's government], and that MAN OF SIN be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God . . . whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming" (verses 3-5, 8).
Did you grasp the full impact of this amazing prophecy?
Paul said there would rise up in our day — just immediately before the return of Jesus Christ — a great miracle-working religious ruler with the audacity to claim he is God on earth!
To Perform Satanic Miracles
This "man of sin" will use his miracle-working power as a supposed "proof" that he is God!
The apostle Paul warned: ". . . Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and LYING wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish [are perishing]; because they receive not the love of the truth, that they might be saved" (II Thess. 2:9-10).
Here is pictured, in prophecy, the head of a vast ecclesiastical empire. Through Satan's power, he will perform false miracles and lying wonders to deliberately deceive the world into believing he is GOD on earth and that the returning Christ is the Antichrist!
This "man of sin" will even call down fire from the sky! "And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And DECEIVETH them that dwell on the earth by means of those miracles which he had power to do . . ." (Rev. 13:13-14)
Millions will be swept off their feet by his mighty signs. They will worship him "as [very] God" because of these spectacular, attention-getting, satanic miracles!
Have you the wit to see exactly who the apostle Paul is referring to as this "man of sin"?