[Steve Myers] Christ predicted that people will be deceived. They'll be fooled into accepting a counterfeit, a fake. And it's not just an individual, Christ said it would be a fake, false counterfeit Christianity. And in fact, many have already been deceived. Could it have already infiltrated your church or your worship?

Events are taking place in our world that should point you to Bible prophecy. Governments are exerting power and control over people in ways that we really haven't seen before. And these events go even beyond government itself. It seems that there's a new philosophy out there, an idea to reorder the world and that would change everything. It would change the way that we work, would change the way that we educate our children, how we protect our health Even our economic structure would be different, even changing the concept of government itself, and ultimately consideration would be whether we even need states or countries of our own.

Do you ever have that sense that there's something coming? Are you concerned about it? Well, it's more than just an idea, there's more than just a scheme that's going on. There's a plan. In fact, I think you could say there's a conspiracy at work. Many powerful people envision a reordered world, a better world, especially in the aftermath of the economic hardship and death of the COVID-19 pandemic. You want a view of the future, go to your Bible. Bible prophecy actually predicts what lies on the horizon and how those changes that are out there will affect your life. So stay with me because we're going to take a little bit of a journey, a prophetic journey, and we'll discuss on this path control and power, governments and the great conspiracy.

You see misguided leadership, it's always been a problem. It's been an issue for mankind throughout the ages. The challenge has been, who's in charge? Go back in time, all the way to ancient Babylon. It was an issue then, and it remains an issue today as well. In fact today's world leaders, they hold meetings after meetings and conference after conference to discuss the world's dilemma. But the problems, they still persist. Real lasting solutions, they don't materialize. So who will fix our health problems? Who will solve unemployment, you know, the mess that's out there with the job market. And then there's our borders, where the tensions between the United States and China, Russia, Iran. How do you feel about these things? Will there be someone to step up and unravel it all? Who is out there that has the answers?

Well Bible prophecy shows that today's lack of leadership will open a door. It will open a door to a coming powerful government system. In fact not just a system but a political leader, a ruler, a president who will emerge on the world scene, and he'll be a gripping leader that will seem to have all the answers. And you know, as we look to the future, government solutions, they're a big part of the story but they're not the whole story. In fact, I'll talk a little bit more about that in just a bit. Did you know that the Bible addresses this imminent situation?

There's an interesting account in the Book of Revelation. Revelation 13 begins with a description, a description of an animal. In fact, this particular animal is an unusual monster. It is a freak having seven heads and 10 horns and the Bible says each of those horns has a crown as this beast is rising up out of the sea. Pretty frightening, a wild beast. And it tells us that it derives its power and great authority from the dragon. A couple of verses later it identifies Satan the devil as that very dragon. Now of course this almost sounds fantastic. The imagery, the symbolism, you know, the representation, what is this all about? Well, when you really dig into it we find that this beast pictures a political empire, a kingdom, and not only that but the ruler that leads that kingdom as well.

In fact in Revelation 17, it tells us about those 10 horns and it tells us that those horns represent 10 Kings. Now in order to keep those world problems under bay to take care of them and solve them, these 10 Kings give their power and authority to the beast. And you might say, wow, is that possible? Could that really becoming? Well, maybe you sense something in the air out there because we've certainly seen those things that have been threatening the world order, haven't we? How about the supply chain? What's happened to the supply chain, from microchips to toilet paper. The housing costs that are out there have skyrocketed lately. The job market, what's happened to jobs? It's impacted our economy. And then of course, the difficulties between nations, the threat of conflict, all of those things are out there. Could it be possible one Supreme leader, a dictator perhaps, or a president of sorts could come with the possible solutions? Well the Bible says they would be thought of as the chosen one, the one who could bring order among the nations, the one who could bring peace and prosperity to the entire globe. Isn't that what the world needs? Now if that were to happen, you would have to have control in order to do it and the Bible speaks to the extent of the power that's going to be necessary. In fact, in Revelation 13, it tells us that that individual is given authority over every tribe, every people, language and nation. Now you talk about magnetism. You talk about a lure in charisma. Well, that individual is going to have it because the Bible says people will actually idolize that individual.

So who could that possibly be? Who will be this powerful, mysterious individual? Well I'd like to help you sort all of this out, the strange images, the symbolism, those aspects of prophecy that that seem confusing, especially when it comes to that biblical figure called the antichrist. And to help you, we'd like you to order our Bible study aid, "Who Is the Antichrist?" It will help you grasp the truth about this coming powerful individual. So you can call us on the number on your screen. We'll send you your very own free copy of "Who Is the Antichrist?" Or you can go online to our website beyondtoday.tv, there you can read it, or you can download it for yourself because this helpful study aid, you can use it side-by-side with your Bible, because it will help you to read prophecy with greater understanding. You don't have to be confused by the imagery and the symbolism. You don't have to fear the future either, but you do need to understand what's coming. And that way you can be spiritually prepared. So order your free copy of "Who Is the Antichrist?"

Would it be possible that someone could actually take control? Let's think about that for a minute. I mean if you consider what would have to take place, if let's say your way of life were threatened, what if the bottom were to drop out and just collapse? Well we had a little bit of a taste of that during the pandemic, didn't we? Think how quickly there were lockdowns all around the world, work stoppages, the government took control and many trusted that they had the solutions. Now take that to another level. Would you put your hope and your confidence in someone that promises to save your lifestyle, to bring wealth and health and prosperity? Well, the answer is, that's exactly what the people of the world will do. That's what your Bible describes. In fact, it describes a spiritual conspiracy at work. It works against the Almighty God Himself, because God has an amazing, wonderful plan for all of mankind, but evil wants to thwart God's plan and bring it to absolutely nothing.

Evil has that goal in mind to undermine human beings, you and me as well, and that brings us to an important aspect of what's happening down the line. As the Bible describes this future beast, it describes this government entity and this government entity isn't only a political thing. Yes, politics is involved. Control is certainly involved, but Bible prophecy also speaks of another mysterious, powerful figure. You probably heard the terms that it describes this individual as the false prophet, the man of sin, the son of perdition. Christ predicted these very things. In Matthew 24:24 Christ Himself said, "False christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, even if possible, the elect." So would you recognize this personality and how could it happen? How will this possible situation occur, where this powerful, evil enemy of Jesus Christ come on the world scene? And how would this individual take control of government? Well, Christ predicted that people will be deceived. They'll be fooled into accepting a counterfeit, a fake, and it's not just an individual. Christ said it would be a fake, false counterfeit Christianity and in fact, many have already been deceived.

Is it possible you could buy into that? Have you bought in to a counterfeit Christianity? Could it have already infiltrated your church or your worship? Well, that's something you need to know. And what does the Bible have to say about it? I mean, that was the first thing that Christ warned about, counterfeit Christianity. And do you know when you study history, you study the church itself, go all the way back to the first century. There were those deceivers out there that began trying to influence the early church all the way back in the first century. And you know what, before long, there were many versions of Christianity. One particularly faithful to the truth of the Bible, faithful to the teachings of Christ. But you know, the others blended the truth with unbiblical ideas and false philosophies. In fact pagan, Roman beliefs were adapted and fuse together with Christian teaching and you can prove this for yourself if you study history.

Go back to the Roman Emperor, Constantine. Constantine the Great decided, "I'm going to make my version of Christianity "the official state religion." So he did. You wonder, well, why would he do that? Well, it was to unify and strengthen his empire and he used his power to bring these different factions of Christianity together. And you know what the result was, well, that majority church adopted those pagan celebrations. They now labeled things Christian that weren't biblical at all. Good example, well Sunday observance, that took the place of biblical seventh-day Sabbath keeping. And that was just one thing. The Roman church had amazing control and influence, so much so that the Bishop of Rome, the Pope got to be so powerful he could enthrone and depose emperors themselves. I mean, can you imagine that combination, church and state, government and religion, more influence, more control, more power. And in fact, this state-sponsored church continued to grow and evolve and became known as the Roman Catholic Church. And that relationship between church and state continued throughout history. Now there were various versions and various revivals of the Roman Empire, but that combination was there throughout time. And you know, it's interesting that Christ warned about that mixture in prophecy. Again in Matthew 24:11, he said, "Many false prophets would rise up and deceive many."

You know the shocking truth of it all, Satan is the power that has corrupted Christianity. It's not just people, but it's also by his influence. The Apostle Paul wrote about this in 2 Corinthians 11:14, he said, "No wonder! Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transformed themselves into ministers of righteousness." You see the conspiracy is on and the devil has done an effective job of combining truth and error to confuse people about God, about the truth of his word, the Bible. And believe it or not, the teachings of most Christian churches today have been under the influence of evil forces. Now is yours? I mean, I'm concerned for you. Are you absolutely sure you know you have the truth of the word of God, his biblical teachings. You see this conspiracy was in effect back then, but it's still ongoing and will get even stronger in the future. History records it, the Bible itself, Bible prophecy predicts it. It says the day will come when events will bring that ultimate ruler, that ultimate dictator and he'll have impressive ideas, remarkable talent, an ability to influence, whole groups of people, groups of nations. And it will astound the world.

Now when we look back during the Roman empire, emperors themselves claimed to be gods and it's interesting to see that connection that they many times demanded to be worshiped. They considered themselves to be a kind of savior to the world. And so what was the result? Well, people actually worship the emperor. The masses, they wanted to be seen as loyal supporters of Rome. They praised the dictator as Lord and deity. Of course they were obligated to the empire for their prosperity and their protection. Now can you envision that happening again? You see, between the emperors and the Popes, they kept control over the people and so we have to be aware of the future aspect to that example.

We're actually told in the Book of Revelation in chapter 17, it tells us the extent that people buy in to this system. It says this in verse two, it says, "The inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication." And of course, a little more symbolism there, but it's telling us the people are happy to worship evil. You know, when life is good, things are good for me. Well whatever it takes. And so they worship this system and they worship this ruler. And so this conspiracy of government and false religion is definitely out there on the horizon and that's why you need to know what's ahead. And that's why you need to understand about this particular spiritual conspiracy. And that's why we put together this Bible study aid, "Who Is the Antichrist?" You can call us at the number on your screen and we'll send a free copy right to your door. Or you can go online, go to beyondtoday.tv and you can download it or read it right there online, or we can have you order it right there as well and we'll send you a copy. What you'll find in this study aid, it will help guide you in exposing the sources behind so many of our world problems today. And for you too, why do you face so many difficulties in your own life? You'll learn about the conspiracy, the spiritual conspiracy that's out there. You'll learn about the false prophet. You'll learn about this ruler, this emperor, and this future power of the government, this beast power kingdom that's on the horizon, but most importantly, you'll learn what you can do about it. So call us at the number on your screen or go to beyondtoday.tv and download your copy today.

Now prophecy certainly predicts that this beast will claim for himself the glory and the honor, and the majesty that really only belongs to God. And at first the conspiracy will succeed. There'll be terrible consequences ultimately, to come. You can think of it as a kind of a cult worship of this future president or emperor. Worshiping the beast will become a reality. In fact, Revelation 13 describes that. In verse four, it reminds us of what the people are willing to do for their own sakes, for their own prosperity. In verse 4:13, it says, "They worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast. And they worshiped the beast saying, 'Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?'" And so with that combination together with the false prophet, this worldwide system will ensnare everything. Everything. The spiritual aspects of life, the commercial aspects of life, the economic aspect, social aspect, culture, every aspect of life will be impacted with this system. And so no wonder God's word gives us a warning, a warning for every one of us. Christ says don't be deceived. Don't go along with the people. Don't follow along with the world as it begins to worship this individual and this beast power. We're called to worship the one, true God. Of course, that means you've got to really know God, you have to really know your Bible. You not only have to know the truth, you have to live the truth of God's word and so every one of us have to ask ourself, "Am I sure I worship the one true God in the way that he wants to be worshiped?"

The Bible certainly presents many frightening aspects of what lies ahead in the future. One particular one is this emperor is going to use this political and religious power of the government to actually stamp out and destroy God's people. Now he's not going to be able to do it completely, but that's his goal. In fact, Revelation 13 says the beast was given power to make war against the saints. That's true believers. And of course, remember the real leader behind the scenes, that's Satan, the devil. And of course, when that persecution begins, there'll only be two choices. One, honor Jesus Christ, or worship the system. You trust the government or have faith in God. You praise the president or you honor the one true God.

Now Christ said, "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake." God has our best interest in heart and the lesson, the challenge, is to learn and choose God's way. We must stand fast in the faith of Jesus Christ no matter what comes, no matter what may be on the horizon. And so do you really know the true faith? What are the things that are behind the true biblical teachings of God? You know that's one of the reasons you need to get our study aid, "Who Is the Antichrist?" It's designed to help you more deeply understand your Bible because you need to know the real truth about what lies ahead. So learn about prophecy and how it will impact you and your family. Now here's how you can get it. You can call us at the number on your screen. You can request your own free copy and we'll send it right to your door. Or you can go online to beyondtoday.tv. There you can read it right there online or download it so you can read it later.

Now, certainly we recognize the Bible prophesies ominous times ahead, but we don't have to be fearful. We don't want to have to worry about the future as long as we stay close to God. But we're reminded, now's the time. Now's the time to act. In fact, we're told just a little bit later in the Book of Revelation, Revelation 18:4, it says, "Come out of her my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues." So God wants us to come out of the ways of this world because there is one greater than the emperor that's alive now and must be worshiped. And that means knowing what God is all about, what He wants us to do, what He wants us to believe. He wants us to recognize our savior Jesus Christ, and how He lived and how He wants to be worshiped. And so are you willing to stand up against the power that's based on human rule and false religion? See Christ said we don't have to be deceived, we don't have to be anxious, because no antichrist can possibly succeed against the truth.

Through Christ and your faithfulness in Him, this coming beast can be withstood and be defeated because ultimately God will step in. He'll step in and He'll stop the satanic madness. This evil spiritual conspiracy will come to an end. In fact, your Bible reveals that Jesus Christ will return. He's coming back and will judge that evil empire and all humanity and all who oppose Jesus Christ, they'll be removed. And the ultimate antichrist Satan, the devil, will also be put away.

At long last finally, the world will know, they will recognize who the true savior and Lord really are. And of course, that's the time when mankind's governments will finally be done. Mankind's governments will finally be replaced by the wonderful kingdom of God that will be established right here on earth. So we can look forward to that time. We don't have to be fearful for the future, we have to recognize what's happening and we have to realize, I need to be spiritually prepared, spiritually ready. So let's look forward to that time. We can look forward to that time of real unity and true godly peace and we can remember the lesson, remember the lesson of Revelation 13. If you learn the truth and you love the truth, be sure and live the truth and you won't fall for the great conspiracy.

[Narrator] Call now to receive the free booklet, "Who Is the Antichrist?" Bible prophecy shows us that a powerful religious leader called the antichrist will rise up in the end time. This mysterious figure will deceive the masses and turn people away from the true God. Order now. Call toll-free 1-888-886-8632 or write to the address shown on your screen. You can know what lies ahead regarding the coming antichrist. When you order this free study aid, we'll also send you a complimentary one-year subscription to Beyond Today magazine. Beyond Today magazine brings you understanding of today's world and hope for the future. Six times a year, you'll read about current world events in the light of Bible prophecy and godly principles to guide you toward a life that leads to peace. Call today to receive your free booklet, "Who Is the Antichrist?" And your free one-year subscription to Beyond Today magazine. 1-888-886-8632 or go online to beyondtoday.tv.

[Gary Petty] Hi, I'm Gary Petty, a pastor with United Church of God. If you're looking for a church that encourages living with the word of God really teaches, you found the right place. We're a community of believers dedicated to seeking the truth and preaching the good news of the coming kingdom of God. We'd like to welcome you to come and join us on this spiritual journey. We have hundreds of congregations around the United States and across the world. Visit ucg.org to find a church near you. We're looking forward to meeting you soon.