The vision concerns "the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, and the surrender of the sanctuary and of the host that will be trampled underfoot." When Antichrist, a person who is the product of our current emphasis on "the rights of people," sits in the Most Holy Place of the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem, covered by the golden wings of the cherubim of glory, and declares there is no god except the god within himself, within all people, the great tribulation will commence. This is the abomination that produces desolation standing in the holy place.

As we see in America today, the self-love of man always produces desolation in the financial, educational, military, political, artistic, and vocational establishments. People who enjoy personal liberty cry "peace and safety!" when their environment is that of an unswept chicken coop. How self-seeking does blind us!

The Bible says there is something blocking Antichrist that must be removed before he is revealed. We know this means before he is fully revealed, because in the days of the Apostle John there were many antichrists and they had come out of the Christian churches. Antichrist will always come from the Christian churches just as Judas, that forerunner of Antichrist, came from among the twelve who were closest to the Lord.

And now you know what is holding him back, so he may be revealed at the proper time. (II Thessalonians 2:6—NIV)

If a man or woman in high political office declared himself or herself to be God there would arise such an outcry from the Jews, the Christians, and the Muslims that the individual would soon be driven from office and scorned as being mentally unbalanced.

But after the massive latter-rain revival the religious people of the world will become so enamored of the "rights of people" that the climate will be ripe for a person to declare himself to be God. After all, everyone will have been taught that the only god to be worshiped is that which is in himself. So it will not seem so strange. Everyone will understand this outstanding leader to be giving voice to what educators, psychologists, and social scientists have been claiming all along. Of course all of this will be familiar to the New Agers. They have realized all along that man is his own god.

The apostasy, the revolt against all authority other than the rights and personal freedom of the individual, represents the removal of that last shred of common sense and fear of God. Now Antichrist, the lawless one can be revealed and worshiped as God.

Every true Christian (and perhaps some unsaved people as well) wants to get rid of the bondages of sin. Sin actually is an unwanted curse, a symptom of the real enemy. The real enemy is self-centered, self-willed lawlessness. Self-willed lawlessness is the source of all sin. In America we call self-willed lawlessness "civil liberty."

To be continued.