Rev 13:5-10 says, "And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. 6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. 7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. 8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 9 If any man have an ear, let him hear. 10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints."

This mouth speaking great things and blasphemies is the introduction of antichrist. In Rev. 13:1-4 he headed the government, but in verse 5 he BECOMES the government. II Th. 2:9-10 gives us information about him. "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." When he comes he will put on a convincing yet deceiving, occult show. I would expect him to excel in what we Christians know as the gifts of the Spirit: they have counterparts inspired by Satan in occultism.

I Cor 12:8-12 lists nine gifts of the Holy Spirit. They are:

1. word of wisdom - Dan. 8:23 says antichrist will be able to understand dark sentences; he will be able to solve puzzles, riddles, proverbs; able to solve the problems of the world.
2. word of knowledge - gnosis, knowing something. If devils can communicate with each other, he should have access to knowledge about anything going on any place at any time, subject to any restrictions placed by God.
3. prophecy - foretelling. Jeanne Dixon, various psychics, etc. The test of a prophet is whether or not what he says comes to pass. Antichrist may have a better track record than current psychics, but it will still be imperfect.
4. faith - being persuaded. He will be.
5. gifts of healing - Acts 10:38 says Jesus healed all that were oppressed of the devil. If the devil can make someone sick he should be able to reverse the condition.
6.  working of miracles - dunamis, force. I am convinced that some of this will be through technology, but not all. Miracles occur in occultism: materialization of objects, table tapping, spirit photography.
7. discerning of spirits - all of us are involved in a spiritual warfare. Evil spirits should be able to recognize who they are fighting against.
8. tongues - in scripture when people received or were baptized in the Holy Ghost they spoke in tongues. Tongues is the evidence of having received the Holy Ghost, but this also happens in occultism. Tongues alone are not proof of anything.
9. interpretation of tongues - same.

Devils and demonic possession are a reality. The same devils that Jesus cast out of people two thousand years ago are still roaming the earth today, they have memory, they can communicate and they can speak through people. Occultism is forbidden by God. It is therefore a real spirituality, but it is not OF God. We should not be surprised that these things can and do happen.

The spirit that will empower antichrist is being restrained currently, but that restrainer will be removed, and then antichrist will put on the greatest display of psychic power this world has ever seen. As for us, when we see something spiritual, like when Benny Hinn touches someone and he falls right out, we should be cautious. When we see Pat Robertson turn the word of knowledge on and off at will, we should be cautious. God may not be the source of these spiritual gifts at all. It could be a deceiving spirit. Jesus said by their fruit, not by their gifts, will we know them (Matt. 7:15-23). Their doctrine is to be examined because, according to Jude, deceivers are in the church. Doctrine is critical because fruit is a direct outgrowth of it.

II Th. 2:3-4 says antichrist is the man of sin, the son of perdition "Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God shewing himself that he is God." Jesus referred to 'the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet' which is found in Dan 9:27: "and he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and IN THE MIDST OF THE WEEK he shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate." His identity will be revealed when the covenant is confirmed which happens at the beginning of the seven years of the tribulation, and the abomination of desolation occurs at the middle point of the seven years when he stops the sacrifice and offering that will have been restarted and declares himself to be God.

The little horn of Dan. 7:8 has "eyes like a man and a mouth speaking great things." Here is another reference to this mouth, and Rev. 13 adds the words 'and blasphemies' to what he is speaking. The Pharisees accused Jesus of blasphemy for forgiving sins and otherwise claiming to be God. Jesus had the right to make such claims because they were true, but antichrist will commit blasphemy when he makes this claim because it is not true: he is not God. Blasphemy also means to rail against, revile, speak contemptuously of God, and antichrist will be a master of this.

"And power was given unto him to continue forty and two months." This identifies the time period: this forty-two months is the last half of the tribulation. Again, up until this point antichrist heads the government, but at this time he BECOMES the government when he is made king of the world.

The antichrist is the second person of the unholy trinity: he answers to Jesus Christ. Jesus was God manifest in the flesh. He said, "If you have seen me you have seen the Father". He said, "the Father that dwelleth within me, he doeth the works". It's interesting to note that Jesus ministered for about 3.5 years, presented himself to, and was rejected by, Israel. The antichrist also will have 3.5 years to 'minister'. He too will present himself to, and be rejected by, Israel. But but unlike Jesus who was led as a lamb to the slaughter, antichrist will himself become a slaughterer.

"And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven." To blaspheme is to revile, to speak in contempt against the name of God. 'His tabernacle' is the dwelling place of God - heaven, and within Christians. "And them that dwell in heaven" - the four beasts of chapters 4 and 5, the elders, the souls under the altar. To blaspheme these is to speak IN blasphemy against God. The beast would really like to destroy these but he can't get at them so must be content to rail against them, revile them, and speak contemptuously against them. Since he can't approach those he would like to destroy, he takes such action as he can.

"And it was given to him to make war against the saints and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations." We know from Matt. 24, Rev. 6 and Rev. 12 that antichrist will be going after Christians from the beginning of the tribulation. In this verse, at mid-tribulation, he declares war against them. This appears to reflect an official government policy. In Rev. 12 Israel gives birth to her Messiah at this same time and Jewish Christians equals double jeopardy. It is Satan, not God, who inspires this persecution.

Ps. 116:15 says "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." In Acts 9:4 Jesus said, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" Jesus identifies with his people in persecution. He does not cause it, but he will avenge it. Persecution comes against the people of God because the persecutor cannot get at the true target, God himself. In Matt. 10:40 Jesus said, "He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me." If we replace the word 'receive' with the word 'reject' we get another accurate view of what Jesus said.

In this verse antichrist is given power over all kindreds, tongues and nations. Kindreds means clans, tribes, families; tongues means languages; nations is the Greek word ethnos, meaning ethnic groups. This power is given to antichrist by Satan. This is the same offer Satan made to Jesus, who rejected the offer, but the antichrist will gladly accept.