Who will be the first to acknowledge the Antichrist as God of the world after he signs the treaty with Israel?
Those who have heard the gospel, understood and contemplated it, yet rejected it and had pleasure in unrighteousness will be the first. As soon as the Antichrist signs the treaty with Israel, they will acclaim him as the God of this world, the one they have been looking for, and immediately embrace him.
Les explains that Satan has repeated one lie throughout Scripture—telling a person, “you can be God”—and these people will believe it again. Having heard the gospel, rejected it, and had nothing to do with it, as soon as the Antichrist signs the treaty with Israel, they will be the very first to acclaim him as the God of this world. Les connects this to Ephesians: after the church is removed, this group will not have an opportunity of salvation from the message of the 144,000. Having heard, contemplated, understood, and rejected the gospel, they will be immediately blinded and immediately embrace the man Antichrist.