Antichrist defined
Absolutely the only places in the Bible where antichrist is defined and described are in John’s letters. Many people are note as saying, "I wonder who antichrist will be?" Jerry Falwell, the noted TV evangelist, recently had to apologize when he said that antichrist is a Jew who is presently living in Israel.

The Bible says that antichrist is many people and that they have existed from the first century. There is no need to wonder who antichrist will be. II John 7 says, "Many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist." To deny the absolute mortality of Jesus in his first century ministry is antichrist and there have been countless millions of people who have done so since the first century. These people and this doctrinal error is antichrist.

Mistaken teaching
But Christian churches everywhere are teaching, contrary to John’s letter, that antichrist is one person who, in the future, is going to proclaim himself king of the world and he must be resisted. Now we know that Jesus will soon return to earth and proclaim himself king in Jerusalem and call on all the world to submit to his rule. Since antichrist has been operative since the first century, the only person who will have the power in the future to call on the world to obey him is Jesus Christ.

Yet churches worldwide are teaching that the next man to do so will be antichrist. The tragedy is that all the wold will see Jesus, but few will recognize who he really is. What a great shame. Great effort is going into preaching the return of Jesus to the earth but all that will be in vain if those expecting him mistake Jesus for antichrist.

Israel’s Blessings Continue
Despite Israel’s territorial difficulties, brought about by her faithlessness, God continues to provide her with the necessary means for national survival.

Economic boom
Israel’s economy is booming. Two companies, IBM and Marvell, have invested $4.5 billion in computer chip factories in Israel. Only the USA is ahead in electronics and the Internet.

In the third quarter 2000, the economy grew by 9.1% over the same quarter in 1999. Israel’s unemployment rate, always high due to new migrants, fell to 8.6%. In recent months, 7,000 Jewish scientists arrived and Russia and nearly all are now employed.

Industrial exports totaled $14.7 billion for the first 7 months, 28% higher than the same period last year. Israeli company, Converse, was ranked sixth on Barron’s list of the top 500 companies in the world from an investor’s viewpoint. The Israeli company, Mercury, was ranked ninth.

Oil and gas
Gas has been discovered off the coast of Israel. While one of the wells is in an area controlled by the Palestinians, most are controlled by Israel. The reserves are large-enough to give Israel independence in gas supplies.