I have a question about your answer to “I’m Confused”. You said the introduction of the anti-Christ doesn’t officially happen until the middle of the 70th week, several years after the Church is gone. I always thought the anti-Christ signs a peace agreement with the Jews at the beginning of the 7 years which he then breaks and establishes himself in the temple, the abomination of desolation. How can the peace agreement occur without the anti-Christ identifying himself? Can you clarify what is wrong with my thinking?
Between them Jesus (Matt. 24:15) and Paul (2 Thes. 2:4) place the official introduction of the anti-Christ at the beginning of the Great Tribulation. Before then the world will think of him as a great leader and peace maker but won’t suspect anything beyond that. How ever, when he stands in the Holy Place proclaiming himself to be God, the people will know he’s no ordinary man. This is the point at which he’s indwelt by Satan and completes the fulfillment of the anti-Christ prophecies. This is when the whole world will follow him and worship him (Rev. 13:1-4).