Superman Returns (2006)
Look, Up In The Sky. It’s A Bird. It’s a Plane. It’s Superman!
Something is wrong on planet Earth. The world is turned upside down and people from every walk of life are looking for someone to fix it. People are looking for a super man.
Regardless of whether the crisis embodies the failures of the public school system or our looming economic and social collapse, our 21st century problems seem so insurmountable that only a super man can solve them. The documentary Waiting for Superman (2010) by Davis Guggenheim and Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns (2006) both echo an age old, oft-repeated collective cry for help.
We’ve Been Here Before
Every major catastrophe — Europe’s Black Death, the Civil War, the Holocaust, World Wars I & II, 9/11, the Sumatran tsunami — has revealed the character of two types of people: those who hang their heads in despair and those who look up to God for answers and guidance.
Ironically, as the world twists itself into a ball of societal and political confusion, humanity is unwittingly setting the stage for a coming world leader who will ultimately be its collective undoing.
We are shallow, superficial creatures who regard “image” as everything. Empty slogans elect “leaders.” We listen to Hollywood celebrities to tell us how to dress, how to think, how to live. The blind are leading the half-blind. It is a very carnal, fleshly way of life.
In the Old Testament book of 1 Samuel, the contrast is drawn between the flesh and the spirit. The embodiment of this comparison can be seen in the lives of two kings: Saul and David.
But the Lord said to Samuel, Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7 NKJV
The nation of Israel wanted so much to be like the other nations who had kings that they ignored the warnings of God through the prophet Samuel. The main deception involved Saul’s looks – tall, dark & handsome. Saul “looked” like a king. But he was ultimately rejected by God because he was a man of the flesh and did things his way.
Saul Tries to Kill David by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld
David, the shepherd boy, grew up to become the anointed king with a heart for God. This love was evident in the way he responded in crisis and in the way he worshiped. While both David and Saul were sinners by nature, David understood his sinfulness and his life displayed a pattern of humility and repentance before God. David’s ultimate destiny in the resurrection will be to rule his people once more in Israel during the thousand year reign of Christ.
Saul was an impetuous, self-centered king who had little regard for the ways of God. His life ended tragically on Mt. Gilboa.
The Coming World Leader in an Age of Deception
Yes, the world is crying out for a savior. Not to save them from sin, but one who will promise a utopian, enlightened existence on a planet free of war, bad economies, archaic rules, God, and narrow minded Christians.
The coming world leader will look good, speak well, be charismatic and have all the answers. He will be simultaneously in place of (misrepresenting, counterfeiting) and against (in opposition to) the true messiah whose first appearance was just over 2,000 years ago. The world is ripe for this Man of Sin.
Let no man deceive you by any means; for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that Man of Sin be revealed, the Son of Perdition. 2 Thessalonians 2:3
The Bible goes out of its way not to give a physical description of Jesus. But we do find this in the book of Isaiah:
For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form or comeliness; and when we shall see him, [there is] no beauty that we should desire him. – 1769 Oxford King James Bible ‘Authorized Version
Antichrist’s characteristics are the polar opposite:
Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 2 Thessalonians 2: 9-12
The Protestant Reformed Churches in America website explains Antichrist preferred method of communication – the lie:
Antichrist goes about his business by speaking the lie. II Thessalonians 2 says that he comes “…with all deceivableness of unrighteousness.” Revelation 13:12 says, “and he spoke as a dragon….”Revelation 17 tells us that he was a false prophet, a prophet being one whose calling it is to speak and to teach.
The armies of the world may have guns and tanks and bombs to bring people into submission; but the power of speech and ideas is a mighty power. In his initial attempts to destroy the cause of God, the devil used a serpent to deceive the woman with crooked speech: “You will be like God.” Now he uses a “dragon” who speaks crafty, lying words. His speeches will be heard by millions who will hang on his persuasive rhetoric. The content as well as the form of his speech will attract. Like most false prophets, he will even be sincere and passionate. But he is a liar. He adds dashes of truth to the mix, so that his lie tastes like truth. He will use all the right catchwords, using the language of the church, even throwing in a Bible text or two. But he is the ultimate Liar, and will deceive many.
He will use every tool available: school teachers, politicians, news broadcasters, artists, musicians, scientists and doctors, lawyers and businessmen. All will be pressed into the service of Antichrist to deceive men. But especially he will use those whose calling it is to persuade and to teach — men who claim to be preachers of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
What is this message that has such power to deceive? What is it that is preached by the now-apostate churches once rooted in true Christianity, that stirs up mankind to this ecumenical worship? What gospel will attract the hordes of men and women? What good news will knit the souls of such diverse peoples and nations and tongues?
The gospel of Antichrist is humanism — the happiness of man, the glory of man, the peace and prosperity, the health and wealth of man. The number of the beast, do not forget, is 6-6-6, the number of man.
We live in an age of deception. And its getting worse by the day. Who can trust the mainstream American media to report news that is unbiased and apolitical? Who can trust that Congress will abide by the rule of law as outlined in the Constitution? And its going to get worse before it gets better. But there is hope. His name is Jesus Christ.
In the book of Matthew, Jesus holds a private briefing with his disciples who want to know what will be the sign of his coming (again) at the end of the age.
4Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,a’ and will deceive many. 6You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8All these are the beginning of birth pains.
9“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
30“At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. 31And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. Matthew 24 [NIV]
The Son of Man – The True Super Man
Christ on the Cross by Francisco Zurbaran (1627)
Chuck Missler is fond of describing the Bible as a love letter, written in blood on a wooden cross in Judea. The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world is Jesus Christ. His blood sacrifice in our place (atonement) is sufficient to cover the sins of the entire world. Unfortunately only a very few will by faith avail themselves to this “cure” for sin. They will choose to embrace the counterfeit.
Who will you choose?
