It is very easy for me to see how the antichrist will control the world. He is prophesied to be a man who will come in peace uttering flatteries, (
Daniel 8:25,
Daniel 11:32) but instead will reveal his evil at the Abomination of Desolation. He is called the man of sin (
2 Thessalonians 2:3) because he will be the embodiment of all that is most thoroughly evil.
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We are born depraved. Every person is born with evil in them as our sin nature controls us. But not all of us do the worst evil that can be done. There are some nice people who try to do good in philanthropy or by religious works. Rocker Bono is known as the former and 'Mother' Theresa was known as the latter. This is not to say that they don't or didn't have a heart of evil, only that unconverted people with a sin nature CAN do good, it's just not the kind of good that Jesus accepts as good. (
Romans 3:10-12;
Psalm 14:1-3;
Psalm 53:1-3). Hitler was an example of how far along the 'evil spectrum' a man can go, but even Hitler didn't come near to plumbing to the bottom of the evil that a man can do. The antichrist will be that man. This surprises many to think there can be a worse man than Hitler, but it is no surprise to Jesus, for He knows what is in a man. (
John 2:25)
The coming antichrist will rule every aspect of the left behind people's lives. In the geo-political realm, he will
rule the whole world, all peoples, nations, tongues, tribes.(
Daniel 2:40,
Revelation 13:7-8). The only nation that is prophesied to escape the antichrist's hand will be Jordan. (
Daniel 11:41). It is no coincidence that this is where Jesus urged the people to run when the Abomination of Desolation occurs and where the remnant will be personally protected during the Tribulation. It will be the location of the conversion of Israel. (
Matthew 24:16,
Isaiah 63:1,
Revelation 12:6,
Zechariah 12:10).