The Antichrist will achieve his ends through deception, charisma, flattery, political manipulation, and satanic empowerment, not primarily through open warfare.
Les Feldick explains that the Antichrist will come with such charisma that the world will fall at his feet, and he will receive his power from Satan. Daniel 8 shows he prospers through policy and craft and destroys many by peace, while Revelation 17 reveals that ten kings will willingly give their power and strength to him. He is a manipulator who uses peace, prosperity, flatteries, a counterfeit religious system, and miraculous signs to deceive humanity.
Daniel 8:24-25 — Describes the Antichrist's power as mighty but not his own and says he prospers through policy and destroys many by peace, directly showing his methods.
2 Thessalonians 2:4 — Shows his self-exalting, God-opposing nature, which Paul connects with the deception that will captivate the world.
Revelation 17:12-13 — Explains that ten kings will give their power and strength to the Antichrist, showing how he consolidates his empire.
The biblical account of the Antichrist shows that his power, while mighty, is not his own. Daniel 8:24 says, "And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people." Daniel 8:25 adds, "And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many." In the New Testament, Paul describes him as one "who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped" (2 Thessalonians 2:4). Revelation shows that his empire receives its authority when ten horn kings give their power and strength to the beast (Revelation 17:12-13). Revelation 13:12 and 13:14 show a false religious leader exercising the beast's power and using miracles and an image to cause the earth to worship the Antichrist. Scripture therefore portrays the Antichrist as one who rises through craft, peace, flattery, and supernatural empowerment rather than through open and obvious evil alone.
Les Feldick emphasizes that the Antichrist will achieve his ends through deceptive charm, flattery, political maneuvering, and satanic power rather than through open wickedness. He says the man will come on the scene with such charisma that the world will fall at his feet, and he will seemingly have all the answers (Clip 1). Les repeatedly notes that the Antichrist receives his power from Satan, and that Satan can promote good and beautiful things to accomplish his purposes, so the system will not necessarily look evil from the outside (Clips 1 and 3). Les points to Daniel 8 to show that the Antichrist's power is mighty but not by his own power, and that he prospers through policy, craft, and peace, making him a political manipulator (Clip 2). He explains that the Antichrist will not take over through civil war; instead, he will come in with peace, prosperity, and flatteries, maneuvering until the ten kings willingly give him their power and strength (Clip 4). Les also teaches that a counterfeit trinity will be at work—Satan as the counterfeit Father, the Antichrist as the counterfeit Son, and the false religious leader as the counterfeit Holy Spirit—so that the world is deceived into worshiping the Antichrist (Clips 5 and 7).
Scripture says the Antichrist's power shall be mighty but not by his own power (Daniel 8:24), and that through his policy he causes craft to prosper and destroys many by peace (Daniel 8:25). Les interprets these verses to mean the Antichrist will be a political manipulator who comes with peace, prosperity, and flatteries rather than by civil war (Clips 2 and 4). He will also have such charisma that the world will fall at his feet (Clip 1).
Les teaches that the Antichrist will not appear openly wicked. Satan will promote good and beautiful things that the world is in awe of, and he works primarily in upper religious leadership so his influence funnels down to the people in the pew (Clip 3). A false religious leader—the counterfeit Holy Spirit—will cause the earth to worship the Antichrist, and Satan's miracle-working power will support making an image to the Antichrist (Clips 5 and 7).
In Revelation 17:12-13, the ten horns are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom but receive power as kings with the beast for one hour; they will have one mind and give their power and strength to the Antichrist. Les says this is how the Antichrist gets his empire—he has been maneuvering and they will all agree to hand it to him (Clip 4). He also sees this as the revived Roman Empire, a continuation that God treats as if the nearly two-thousand-year gap never happened (Clip 0).
According to Les, the Antichrist will come with charismatic leadership and seemingly all the answers, so the world will fall at his feet (Clip 1). Because Satan promotes good and beautiful things rather than just skid row and gross immorality, the system will look attractive on the outside (Clips 1 and 3). As Daniel 8 predicts, he will magnify himself and prosper by craft and peace, so people will not see him as a conqueror but as a peacemaker (Clip 2).
The Revived Roman Empire Context
Les sets the stage for the Antichrist's empire by showing that the revived Roman Empire will appear after a gap God considers a blink of an eye.
Charisma and Satanic Empowerment
Les says the Antichrist will come with such charisma that the world will fall at his feet, and he will receive his power from Satan, who can promote good things.
Daniel 8: Peaceful Manipulation
Les explains Daniel 8 shows the Antichrist's power is not his own, that he prospers through policy and craft, and kills many by peace, making him a political manipulator.
Satan's Use of Religious Leaders
Les teaches that Satan works in upper religious leadership and promotes beautiful, impressive things to accomplish his ends, so the Antichrist's system won't look obviously evil.
Ten Kings and Political Maneuvering
Les says the ten kings will give their power and strength to the Antichrist, who has been maneuvering behind peace, prosperity, and flatteries rather than taking over by civil war.
Counterfeit Trinity and False Religion
Les describes a counterfeit trinity in which the false religious leader, under inspiration of Satan, causes the world to worship the Antichrist.
Nebuchadnezzar's Dream That Predicted Every World Empire — Daniel 2
And he exercises all the power of the first beast before him, which is the political leader, the Antichrist, and they're going to be working hand in glove now, remember. And so he exercises all the power of that first beast before him, and he causeth the earth and them who dwell therein to worship the first beast, or the first man of power.
Miracles and the Image
Les says Satan has miracle-working power and the false religious leader will cause the world to make an image of the Antichrist, just as Nebuchadnezzar did.
Daniel 8:24: And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
Shows that the Antichrist's power comes from outside himself, not from his own native strength.
Daniel 8:25: And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.
Describes his use of policy, craft, and peace as tools to rise and destroy.
2 Thessalonians 2:4: Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
Reveals the Antichrist's self-exalting, deceptive character that will lead the world astray.
Revelation 17:12: And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
Explains the source of the Antichrist's empire: ten kings receiving temporary power with him.
Revelation 17:13: These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
Shows how the ten kings willingly hand their authority to the Antichrist.
Revelation 13:12: And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
Shows the false religious leader causing the world to worship the Antichrist.
Revelation 13:14: And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
Demonstrates how deception and miracles are used to persuade the earth to honor the Antichrist.
No. Les Feldick says the Antichrist will not take over with civil war. He will come in with peace, prosperity, and flatteries, and he will manipulate the ten horns until they give him their power and strength.
Les says the Antichrist receives his power from Satan. Satan promotes good and beautiful things that the world is in awe of, and he works primarily in upper religious leadership so his influence funnels down to the people in the pew.
Les teaches that the false religious leader is the counterfeit Holy Spirit. Under Satan's inspiration, he causes the earth to worship the Antichrist and uses miracles and an image to deceive humanity, just as Revelation 13 describes.
Watch the Teaching: The Antichrist Revealed: What 2 Thessalonians Really Says