There are Christians who cannot be brought down by bodily appetites or the desire for material possessions. Antichrist appeals to their desire for personal glorification. He fills them with his own envious attitude toward those whom God has anointed. The ambitious religious leaders use their soulish abilities to imitate the stars of the heaven. But in the end they will have to yield to the Lord as He shakes the self-will and personal ambition out of them, or else they will be trampled to the ground.

The problem of personal ambition troubled the disciples of Jesus. He told them that His Kingdom is not guided by self-seeking lords but by servants. He advised them to hold fast in faith until they were converted from personal ambition to rest in the Father's will.

Some of the end-time saints who possess spiritual understanding shall fall away from their stand in the Lord, some by the sword and some by deception. But the falling is to make them "white," that is, to perfect their personalities in the sight of the Lord God.

We see in our own day Christian ministers being seduced into sin and falling from their position in Christ. They have been cast to the earth and are being trampled on by wicked spirits. If they will repent, God will restore them and their personal relationship with the Lord Jesus will be perfected.

We are living in the time of the greatest spiritual opportunity (to rule with God) and the greatest danger (to fall morally; or to become part of the False Prophet, as is happening to some Christians). Let us pray always that we may escape the snares and spiritual dangers of our day and finally stand in triumph before the Son of Man.

Antichrist will present himself as being as great as the Lord Jesus.

Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his [God's] sanctuary was cast down [profaned]. (Daniel 8:11)

"The daily sacrifice was taken away." "God's sanctuary was profaned."

So great will be the power given to Antichrist (to unwittingly perform God's will) that he will be able to remove the ability of people to receive Christ for salvation and he will profane God's sanctuary (perhaps referring to the hearts of people).

Our rebellious nature. Because of the rebellion that still can be found in the saints (as we see today in the churches), they will be given into the power of Antichrist. In this manner God will "shake" the rebellion out of them. During this period, truth will be cast down and seduction and perversion will triumph in the earth.

And an host [the saints coming under the power of Antichrist] was given him [Antichrist] against the daily sacrifice [along with the daily sacrifice] by reason of transgression [because of the rebellion of the saints], and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered. (Daniel 8:12)

The saints shall be given into the power of Antichrist until all sin and rebellion has been destroyed from their personalities.

To be continued.