I really appreciate your site and the way God is using it to help His people understand His Word. I’ll ask this question because if I don’t, someone else will.
When I saw the charismatic candidate rising in popularity I thought he would be like the last one of his party. When or if elected he would just serve his term(s) and do his damage and fade away, but now I wonder. He is practically worshiped in Europe and has done nothing but talk yet.
The infamous dictator of the last century was worshiped in his own country but only after he did temporarily help his country’s economic problems (albeit through war).
I thought I understood the Bible’s prediction concerning the nationality of the final world dictator but I find myself wondering if I could possibly have misunderstood especially in light of the recent apparent acceleration in prophetic events in the world. In your opinion is this man qualified only to be a type by Bible restrictions or is it possible he is the one?
I’ve always felt that the anti-Christ would be instantly recognizable to the Church and therefore would not come on the scene until after we’re gone because we’d wave such a big red flag. But with the direction the Church is going and the fact that this person demonstrates so many characteristics we would attribute to the anti-Christ without any one sounding an official alarm makes me wonder.
A careful reading of 2 Thes. 2 shows that the anti-Christ can’t be officially identified until after the Church is gone. But that doesn’t preclude him being “in the wings” so to speak, waiting for his cue. If we’re where we seem to be in the End Times Scenario then he has to be making serious preparations for his grand entrance, which could easily happen sometime during the two terms that the next US president could serve, if popular.
The first clear indication the world will receive is when he confirms (enforces) a treaty that supports Israel building a Temple. In my opinion The Battle of Ezekiel 38 has to happen before Israel will even want a Temple so I think such a treaty is still several years away.