Paving the Way for the Antichrist
Some today within the so-called Christian nationalist movement are actually crying out for a dictator – yes, a dictator – to lead the Church to victory and impose so-called righteousness by force. One leading voice, Joel Webbon, a prominent Christian nationalist pastor, openly declared that America needs “a Caesar-type” dictator, adding, “Constitution be damned, just rules with an iron fist.” (Source 0:35, 1:25). He elaborated in a sermon, saying the average citizen is “degenerates,” “not intelligent,” and “not free thinkers,” so they “must be governed…by someone who comes in with a sword.”
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Similarly, Nick Fuentes, a prominent far-right commentator, declared: “That’s why we need a dictatorship. That’s unironically why we need to get rid of all that. We need to take control of the media or take control of the government and force the people to believe what we believe…” (Source).
Nick Fuentes
These cries should send chills down the spine of every believer who knows their Bible and their history. Many of these leaders are preterists, meaning they believe all (or almost all) of future prophecy has already been fulfilled and there will be no Antichrist, so they are unwittingly setting the Church up for the ultimate deception.
These are the same kind of people who wouldn’t recognize the Antichrist if he sprouted horns, handed them a golden scepter, and asked to tattoo his name on their hand while promising to bring back biblical values and boost the economy. They are so eager for power, they’re willing to make a deal with the devil—and that is not satire, it is a prophetic warning.
We’ve seen this before. After World War I, Italy was in ruins—hungry, humiliated, and afraid. Prime Minister Luigi Facta warned that the people were tired of weak governments and demanded someone who would act. That someone was Mussolini. Shortly after, in Germany, the cry for national restoration turned into a cry for a strongman. Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi propaganda minister, chillingly wrote, “The people want a leader—and they shall have one.” (Richard J. Evans, The Third Reich in Power, Pengiun, 2005, p. 8) These regimes didn’t arrive uninvited—they were welcomed by people longing for order, identity, and strength. What followed was genocide, war, and tyranny. And now, under the guise of Christian dominionism and political messianism, some are preparing to welcome another one—the final one, who comes in his own name.
Jesus made it abundantly clear: “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). He refused political power on the devil’s terms. When Satan offered Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory in Matthew 4, Jesus didn’t negotiate, He rebuked the devil and chose the path of the cross. But tragically, much of the professing Church today is eager to take the very deal Jesus rejected. They want to reign now, rule now, and install a counterfeit kingdom before the King returns. This is not the gospel of Christ, it is the bait of the beast. And in their lust for dominion, many will fall into the very deception that Jesus warned about: mistaking satanic counterfeit for messianic fulfillment.
Jesus warned us plainly in John 5:43: “I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.” Israel demanded a king and got Saul – tall, impressive, but spiritually bankrupt – and it led to disaster. And today, the Church is in danger of making the same mistake, crying out for human strength instead of humbling itself before God.
Jesus also warned us in Matthew 24:24–25 that in the last days, “false christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. Behold, I have told you in advance.” The deception will be so compelling, so patriotic, so religious, that even the elect could be fooled—if possible. The phrase “if possible” does not imply it’s impossible, but rather indicates the intense effort the enemy will make. And Christ’s follow-up, “Behold, I have warned you in advance,” shows this deception is not only possible, but expected.
Part of that deception may come through political seduction, just as the Sadducees once compromised truth for power. These men want the crown before the cross and, in doing so, they prepare the way for the counterfeit king. Jesus warned His disciples, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Not just their bad theology but their corrupt alliances with political power. The Sadducees were aligned with the Romans, seeking to preserve their influence even if it meant turning against truth. And today, the spirit of compromise has returned, this time not in the name of Rome, but in the name of cultural Christianity and power politics.
It’s like watching someone dig through the ashes of history, pull out Hitler’s old crown, dust it off, and say, “Maybe we just didn’t wear it right.” They don’t realize it still smells like smoke. It’s the crown of tyranny, and no matter how you polish it, it was forged in rebellion and bathed in blood. To long for that crown is to forget the Cross. It’s to put the throne before the thorns. And that’s exactly what the Antichrist will offer: power without repentance, rule without righteousness, dominion without the Deliverer.
The Church doesn’t need a dictator. She needs discernment. She needs eyes that see past the glittering promises of political saviors and ears that hear the Shepherd’s voice.
Church, wake up! Don’t be seduced by false strength. Don’t trade the cross for a sword. And don’t look for a political savior when the King of kings has already told us how the story ends. Look to His Word, not to the golden mouth of the deceiver.
Behold, Jesus has told us in advance…
For His glory,
Joe Schimmel
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