Desecration: Antichrist Takes The Throne by Tim Lahaye, Jerry B. Jenkins

believe he was speaking of the very desecration planned by Antichrist.
    Many were confused before the rapture of the church and believed that the apostle Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians referred to that event when he spoke of “the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to him.” We may rejoice, because it is now clear that Paul was speaking of the Glorious Appearing. Paul writes, “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and
    the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”
    Our hope is in the promise that “the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of his mouth and destroy with the brightness of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”
    We often wonder, when the truth is now so clear, why not everyone comes to Christ. It is because of that very deception! People did not, as Paul says above, “receive the love of the truth.” He says it is “for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” Can you imagine it? There are people who know the truth, know their futures are doomed, and yet still they take pleasure in sin! A warning, if you are one of those: Due to your rebellion, God may have already hardened your heart so that you could not change your mind if you wanted to.
    Now, if the following is not a description of the two who would steal the souls of every man and woman, I don’t know what is: “So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?’ And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, his tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.
    “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”
    What could be clearer? If you are in Christ, you are eternally safe and secure, despite all that we will have to endure these next three and a half years. If you are undecided, I plead with you to make your choice while you are still able. That many have already had their hearts hardened by God-a truth that may go against what we once believed about him-is nonetheless clearly the danger of putting off receiving Christ.
    One day I pray God will grant me the privilege of speaking in person to the Israeli believers who will soon be led to safety and out of the way of harm from Antichrist. Brothers and sisters in the Lord, pray as the final events of this halfway point of the Tribulation period unfold and usher in the rest of the time before the Glorious Appearing.
    Your friend in Christ,
    Tsion Ben-Judah
    Tsion was intrigued that the young women were clearly finished reading, but rather than give him their assessment, they whispered among themselves. He cleared his throat and looked at his watch.
    “Ming has a wonderful idea, Tsion,” Chloe said. “She believes her brother could pirate his way into the Global Community News Network and counter Nicolae’s next message to the world with your own teaching.”
    “What, put my message text on the screen?”
    “No,” Ming said. “You. Live. In