Satan probably will give his power and authority to Antichrist before he is slain. But it may only be after Antichrist is assassinated and resuscitated that the ten kings will give their power, authority, and kingdom to Antichrist (17:12-13, 17). Then every power and authority will be concentrated in one person.
Revelation 13:5 says, “Authority was given to him to act forty-two months.” Forty-two months here and in 11:2 are the three and a half years in 12:14 and the thousand two hundred and sixty days in 11:3 and 12:6, which will be the time of the great tribulation (Matt. 24:21). At the end of this age Antichrist will make a covenant with the nation of Israel for seven years (Dan. 9:27). Three and a half years after the covenant is made, he will break it, terminate all Jewish worship and service to God (Dan. 9:27), persecute the saints (13:7), and destroy the holy city (11:2) for three and a half years. Once again, I say strongly that, contrary to what many think, the great tribulation will not last seven years; it will be three and a half years, or forty-two months, or twelve hundred sixty days. In these three and a half years Antichrist will do many things.
Revelation 13:5 says, “And there was given to him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies,” and verse 6 says, “And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle and those who tabernacle in heaven.” I do not know what great things Antichrist will utter. Undoubtedly, he will speak things that no one has ever imagined, things that will surprise people. He will blaspheme God, God’s tabernacle, and those who tabernacle in heaven. I believe that “those who tabernacle in heaven” are the overcomers who will be raptured to the tabernacle of God in heaven. Although I do not know what great things Antichrist will speak, in principle he probably will say, “You have heard that the so-called God has done this and that. Now let me tell you that I can do greater things than He.” In this way he will utter great things to blaspheme and insult God. At that time, probably a good number of the worldly people will know that the overcoming Christians have been raptured, for this will certainly be on the front page of the newspapers. Many will be saying things like, “My cousin has suddenly disappeared”; “My wife has been taken away”; or “My roommate was there last night, but when I woke up this morning he was gone.” Furthermore, the Christians remaining on earth will begin to preach. Antichrist may then rise up and use the mass media to give a lecture in which he will claim to do something greater. He may say, “Listen to me. I will do greater things than this.” It may be that he will use space technology to do certain outstanding things.
To repeat, before Antichrist is slain and resuscitated, the overcomers will be raptured to the heavens. When they arrive, they will command Satan to be cast down to earth. As soon as this word is pronounced, the archangel Michael will take the lead to fight against Satan. About this time, the seventh Caesar, Antichrist, will be slain. When Satan descends to earth, the spirit of Nero will be released from the abyss and enter into the assassinated seventh Caesar, resuscitating him to be the eighth. While all this is taking place, everyone on earth will be talking about the rapture, and the Christians still on earth will testify about it. Then this resuscitated eighth Caesar will speak great things to deceive the earth dwellers, promising to do greater things than those God has done. This will be the blasphemy he will utter against God, His dwelling place, and the overcomers who have been raptured to God’s dwelling place.
If the Christians remaining on earth during this time know about all these things, they will be greatly helped. If any of us are still on earth after the rapture of the overcomers, we would never be cheated by Antichrist. Perhaps we would recall what we have read in these life-study messages. These messages can help us become the firstfruits. But those who are not the firstfruits will not be left in darkness. After reading these messages, we are no longer in darkness about Antichrist. We surely have seen the light.