VLADIMIR PUTIN, THE ANTICHRIST, AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD

And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you 
have heard was coming and is already in the world.

I John 4:3b

In II Thessalonians 2:1-4 Paul speaks of an evil, end-time world ruler whom he calls “the man of sin.” This individual whom Paul says, opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, is obviously the same person that John refers to as “the Beast” in Revelation 13 and “the Antichrist” in I John 2:18; 4:3.

In I John 2:18, John says, You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now there are many antichrists in the world. John seems to be saying that this evil, controlling ruler at the end of the age will be preceded by many of the same character and spirit. He confirms this later by saying that the spirit of Antichrist, is now already in the world (I John 4:3).

Vladimir Putin is not the Antichrist, but his desire for dominance and control are certainly in the spirit of the Antichrist; and he is not the only one exuding that spirit in the world today.

 

Both the “man of sin” and “the Beast” are described as putting themselves in the place of God over people’s lives. This fits perfectly with the meaning of “Antichrist,” for according to Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon, the word anti in Greek means “instead of” or “in place of.” In other words, this individual is not just “against” Christ; he has a messianic complex and seeks to take the place of Christ as the one destined to rule the earth.

Remember, the word “Christ” is the Greek word for the Hebrew “Messiah.” In Scripture, the Messiah is God’s appointed king and ruler over Israel, and the entire cosmos. Various O.T. prophecies, such as II Samuel 7:12-13, Psalm 2:6, Daniel 7:13-14, and Micah 5:2, speak of the coming Messiah as God’s appointed king and ruler. The messianic prophecy of Isaiah 9:6-7, says,

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder . . . of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end.

The Antichrist has a messianic complex and projects himself as the one  who has the right, the intelligence, and the ability to rule the world and save the planet. He is, however, the antichristos, the one who puts himself in that place that belongs only to Jesus Christ. John says his spirit is now already in the world (I John 4:3).

This Antichrist spirit has shown itself throughout history in the Caesars of Rome, the medieval Catholic popes, Islamic movements seeking world domination, and European monarchs and their official state churches. It is seen in modern political leaders with visions of world domination such as Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Adolph Hitler, Xi Jinping, and Vladimir Putin. 

It is to be seen in the so-called "progressive" movement in America and the emerging "cancel culture" which seek to control our thoughts, words, and actions.  It is to be seen in Big Tech companies who control the flow of information and ban any person and any message they deem to be unacceptable.

We have seen this same spirit raising its ugly head through political leaders in the United States, Canada, and other Western nations with their harsh Covid-19 lockdowns and mandates. Justin Trudeau, prime minister of Canada, just forcefully ended a peaceful Freedom Convoy, arrested many of the protestors, confiscated their vehicles, froze their bank accounts, and threatened to take their pets and children. 

A March 30, 2020 interview with British Supreme Court Judge, Lord Sumpton, now sounds prophetic. He warned that the Covid-19 mandates were paving the way for despotism--the exercise of power in a cruel and oppressive manner (Hyatt, To Comply or Not Comply, 59).

This spirit of Antichrist showed itself in the Democrat National Committee (DNC) announcing they did not need God. In 2019 this committee unanimously passed a resolution in which they affirmed atheism and declared that neither Christianity nor any religion was necessary for patriotism and morality. In doing so, they rejected America's national motto of "In God We Trust" and declared that they would govern without (or "in place of") God.

In Revelation 14:18 John says that the number of the Beast is the number of a “man” and his number is 666. Since, however, there is no indefinite article in Greek and because John left off the definite article, the passage literally says that the number of the Beast, is the number of man and his number is 666. This, therefore, probably refers to mankind in general, as well as the evil, end-time ruler. 

This would coincide with the fact that the number 6 is first mentioned in Genesis 1:31 where God created mankind on the 6th day of creation. Whereas the number 7 normally refers to completion and perfection, the number 6 is one shy of that. 

The number 6, therefore, could well be the number of mankind and his incompleteness apart from God. Since, however, the number of the Beast is a trinity of 666, it probably refers to him as a mere man asserting himself into the place of God over people’s lives—a man acting as if he were God. That is the spirit of Antichrist.

America’s founders and their parents and grandparents had lived under the Antichrist spirit, which is why they were so adamant about individual liberty. It is why in Article I, Section 9 of the U.S. Constitution, the Founders banned aristocracy and the handing out of honorific titles by the U.S. government. It is why the Constitution opens with, “We the people . . .”

In this new land, there would be no “Lord so and so” or “Lady so and so.” There would be no royal aristocracy to which the masses must curtsy, doff their hats, and bow the knee. When some wondered how they would manage without a monarchy, Thomas Paine, in his book, Common Sense, wrote, “But where says some is the King of America? I'll tell you Friend, He reigns above.”

We must resist the antichrist spirit in both the church and the world, and we do this by proclaiming Jesus Christ as God’s appointed Messiah/King who alone has the right and wisdom to govern our lives. This happened in Colonial America through the influence of the Great Awakening, for when a British-appointed official reported on the state of things to his superiors in England, he wrote,

If you ask an American who is his master, he will tell you he has none, nor any governor but Jesus Christ (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 81).

When a society recognizes Jesus as God’s Messiah/King and commit themselves to be governed by his moral values, there will be peace, prosperity, and safety. It is what Jesus and the New Testament writers called “the Gospel of the Kingdom.” 

As we see the end nearing, our focus should be on understanding and proclaiming this Gospel of the Kingdom, for in Matthew 24:14 Jesus said,

And this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Dr. Eddie L. Hyatt is an author, revivalist, and ordained minister. His books are available from Amazon and his website at http://eddiehyatt.com.

THE CANADIAN FREEDOM CONVOY, THE CHURCH, AND A GREAT AWAKENING

We were created for freedom and the human spirit longs to be free. The Canadian Truck Convoy, also known as the Freedom Convoy, is a cry for freedom. It is a populist uprising of common, everyday people wanting freedom.

It is not an insurrection. They have no desire to take over the government. Neither is it an anti-vax movement for 90% of the truckers have been vaccinated. It is a movement of freedom. They want to be free from the tyranny of government-imposed mandates that have destroyed so many lives and livelihoods.

Canada has had some of the most draconian mandates and shutdowns of any country in the world. A friend, who is Canadian, told me about returning to his home province after a business trip and being forced to quarantine in a government-designated hotel even though he did not have the virus.

Even though he had an empty home a few blocks away, he was forced to pay $200.00 per night for the hotel room. In addition, the police regularly checked to make sure that he and others who were forcefully quarantined did not leave their rooms. He said, “I feel like I am in a communist country.”

Through the Freedom Convoy people are saying, “Enough is enough!” We want back the freedom to live our lives and make our own choices for our families, our health, and our future.

Any peaceful movement for individual freedom from government tyranny is a positive thing and should be wholeheartedly supported by the Church and individual Christians. Freedom, after all, is a God-thing. Jesus said in John 8:36, Whom the Son sets free is free indeed.

As Christians, we need to support the Convoy and bring the emphasis that ultimate freedom is to be found only in Jesus Christ. This is what happened in Colonial America when the Great Awakening occurred alongside widespread civil protests against British tyranny. Out of these two parallel movements the United States of America was formed.

The protests began as a result of King George III levying oppressive taxes and mandates on the colonists. With the American colonies experiencing significant growth in both population and prosperity, George saw them as an easy source of revenue for the British crown. He saw the colonists, not as free citizens, but as his subjects. 

He, therefore, imposed the Sugar Act (1764), the Stamp Act (1765) the Townshend Act (1767) and other taxes and tariffs without any input from the colonists. He also sent custom officials who set up custom offices to make sure the taxes were collected.

These actions led to vehement protests throughout the colonies, especially in New England. When George imposed a tax on American tea but left British tea untaxed, it was seen as an effort to put American tea companies out of business and rejuvenate the British-owned company. For many, they had seen enough.   

When a ship loaded with British tea docked in Boston Harbor about 50 Bostonians, led by Samuel Adams, decided to take action. Dressed as American Indians, they boarded the ship and proceeded to dump the cargo of tea into the harbor. This became known as “The Boston Tea Party” and it stirred the passions of many for complete freedom from the British.

The British responded with a series of mandates that became known as “The Intolerable Acts.” King George sent 6 regiments of British soldiers who occupied the city of Boston and closed its port. They housed their soldiers in people’s homes against their will. George also revoked the representative style of government the people of New England had practiced since the time of Pilgrims.

In place of the people’s elected leaders, George appointed leaders of his choosing who would carry out his plans for the colonists. These Intolerable Acts, however, only provoked more anger and protests.

But something else was happening alongside the civil protests in Colonial America. At the same time Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty were formenting civil protests,  George Whitefield, Gilbert Tennant, Freeborn Garretson, and others were igniting a Great Awakening by preaching that ultimate freedom can only be found in Jesus Christ.

The preachers of the Great Awakening did not oppose those protesting the tyranny of the British crown, but they infused into the movement the Christ-centered message of ultimate freedom through faith in Jesus. The Great Awakening, in fact, had such a profound impact on the civil protest movement that a British-appointed official wrote to his superiors in England,

If you ask an American who is his master, he will tell you he has none, nor any governor but Jesus Christ (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 81). 

I am glad the Awakening preachers did not reject the civil protest movement. It was the influence of the Great Awakening on the movement that caused the delegates to the First Continental Congress in September of 1774 to open their proceedings with an extended time of Bible reading and prayer.

Samuel Adams, John Adams, George Washington, Patrick Henry, and other American founders had met to discuss whether to declare independence from Great Britain. John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail of the spiritual power that was present at the gathering, especially during Bible reading and prayer. He said he had never seen such an impact on an audience and that tears gushed into the eyes of many (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 108).

I am glad the Awakening preachers did not condemn and reject the civil protest movement against British tyranny. As a result, prayer and Bible reading permeated every aspect of the birthing of this nation. Because the Awakening preachers supported those seeking their civil liberty, Christian values became the founding principles of the new nation.

For a similar reason, we should not reject or condemn the Canadian Freedom Movement, which is now spreading into many nations. It is spreading because freedom is not a Canadian or American thing. It is a God thing and human hearts in every nation are crying out for freedom.

So let us be supportive of the Freedom Convoy and see it as the wonderful opportunity it is to proclaim the Good News of Jesus and the freedom only He can bring. As we do our part, there is no telling what God may bring forth through this movement, perhaps even the Great Awakening for which so many are praying.

Dr. Eddie Hyatt is the founder of The 1726 Project and the author of numerous books on Spiritual Awakening, including 1726: The Year that Defined America, from which this article was partially derived. 

THIS FOUNDING FATHER HELPED LAUNCH ONE OF AMERICA'S GREAT BLACK CHURCHES

One of America’s Founding Fathers, Dr. Benjamin Rush, helped launch one of the most successful Black denominations in America today. Rush (1745-1813) was a Philadelphia physician, member of the Continental Congress, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and served as Surgeon General during the Revolutionary War at George Washington’s request.

Rush was a passionate abolitionist who helped form the first Abolition society in America in his hometown of Philadelphia. He called slavery a “hydra sin” and called on the pastors and minsters of America to take a public stand against it. He wrote,

But chiefly—ye ministers of the gospel, whose dominion over the principles and actions of men is so universally acknowledged and felt, - Ye who estimate the worth of your fellow creatures by their immortality, and therefore must look upon all mankind as equal; - let your zeal keep pace with your opportunities to put a stop to slavery. While you enforce the duties of “tithe and cumin,” neglect not the weightier laws of justice and humanity. Slavery is a Hydra sin and includes in it every violation of the precepts of the Laws and the Gospels (Hyatt, 1726: The Year that Defined America, 100-01).

Rush was a supporter of the Great Awakening, which ignited a powerful anti-slavery movement in 18th century Colonial America. He was very influential in turning many against slavery including other Founding Fathers. As the esteemed Black scholar, Dr. Thomas Sowell, has said,

Among those who turned against slavery in the 18th century were George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, and other American leaders. You could research all of 18th century Africa or Asia or the Middle East without finding any comparable rejection of slavery there (Hyatt, Abolitionist Founding Fathers, 9).

Rush became friends with the former slave and successful evangelist, Richard Allen, who settled in Philadelphia after a time of successful ministry to both Black and White audiences. In fact, his ministry was so successful in bridging racial and cultural divides that Paul Strand, former Washington D.C. correspondent for CBN, called Allen “America’s black Founding Father.”

Being a Methodist preacher, Allen became a member of the Methodist Church in Philadelphia. However, as the Great Awakening, which had ignited the interracial currents in Colonial America, waned, the elders of the Methodist Church in Philadelphia decided to segregate their seating based on race. At this point, Allen and other Blacks walked out.

Rush, a Presbyterian, came to their aid with both moral and financial support. He assisted them in obtaining property and erecting their own building in which to worship. They established Bethel Methodist Church out of which came the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) denomination. Allen later wrote,

We had waited on Dr. Rush and Mr. Robert Ralston, and told them of our distressing situation. We considered it a blessing that the Lord had put it into our hearts to wait upon those gentlemen. They pitied our situation, and subscribed largely towards the church, and were very friendly towards us and advised us how to go on . . . Dr. Rush did much for us in public by his influence. I hope the name of Dr. Benjamin Rush and Mr. Robert Ralston will never be forgotten among us. They were the two first gentlemen who espoused the cause of the oppressed and aided us in building the house of the Lord for the poor Africans to worship in. Here was the beginning and rise of the first African church in America (Hyatt, Abolitionist Founding Fathers, 27).

Think about it! One of America’s Founding Fathers helped launch one of the largest and most respected Black denominations in America. The idea that America's founders were a collection of evil, racist slaveowners is a blatant distortion of history. They were actually at the forefront of the battle to put an end to slavery at a time it was accepted and practiced in most of the world.

This article is derived from Dr. Eddie Hyatt’s books, Abolitionist Founding Fathers and 1726: The Year that Defined America, available from Amazon and is website at www.eddiehyatt.com.