HOW WILL THE ANTICHRIST RISE TO POWER?

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Throughout history, speculation about the Antichrist’s rise has captivated theologians, scholars, and believers alike. Will he come as a political leader? A global dictator? A man of peace turned tyrant? The Bible provides us with clear patterns, and Genesis 47 offers a foreshadowing of how this world ruler will rise and take control.

The seven-year famine in Joseph’s time serves as a prophetic blueprint of the seven-year Great Tribulation, revealing how crisis, economic collapse, and desperate circumstances will drive the world into submission under a single figure.

The Bible told us that history repeats itself (1 Corinthians 10:11, Romans 15:4). We must be vigilant and understand how prophetic events will unfold so we will not be deceived.

The story in Genesis 47 during the 7-year great famine provides an uncanny parallel to the coming global crisis that will pave the way for the Antichrist’s rule and the Great Tribulaton. Although Joseph’s story as a whole symbolized the story of our Lord Jesus Christ as a suffering servant, Genesis 47:13-25 also gives us a striking glimpse on how the Antichrist will rise up to power someday using Pharaoh’s story of rule in Egypt during the famine.

The process of how Joseph, under Pharaoh, centralized power during the famine in Egypt is strikingly similar to how the Bible describes the future control of the Antichrist. It began with a natural disaster—a famine—that led people into economic despair. As resources dwindled, their money became useless, forcing them to trade whatever possessions they had left just to survive. Eventually, when they had nothing left to barter, they surrendered their very freedom, becoming Pharaoh’s subjects in exchange for food. They lost everything, yet they were grateful just to be alive.

Let’s examine Genesis 47:13-25:

13 There was no food, however, in the whole region because the famine was severe; both Egypt and Canaan wasted away because of the famine.

14 Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan in payment for the grain they were buying, and he brought it to Pharaoh’s palace.

15 When the money of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all Egypt came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? Our money is all gone.”

16 “Then bring your livestock,” said Joseph. “I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock, since your money is gone.”

17 So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, their sheep and goats, their cattle and donkeys. And he brought them through that year with food in exchange for all their livestock.

18 When that year was over, they came to him the following year and said, “We cannot hide from our lord the fact that since our money is gone and our livestock belongs to you, there is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land.

19 Why should we perish before your eyes—we and our land as well? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we with our land will be in bondage to Pharaoh. Give us seed so that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate.”

20 So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. The Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields, because the famine was too severe for them. The land became Pharaoh’s,

21 And Joseph reduced the people to servitude, from one end of Egypt to the other.

22 However, he did not buy the land of the priests, because they received a regular allotment from Pharaoh and had food enough from the allotment Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land.

23 Joseph said to the people, “Now that I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you so you can plant the ground.

24 But when the crop comes in, give a fifth of it to Pharaoh. The other four-fifths you may keep as seed for the fields and as food for yourselves and your households and your children.”

25 “You have saved our lives,” they said. “May we find favor in the eyes of our lord; we will be in bondage to Pharaoh.”

Here’s the summary of the major events that will going to happen to the world that will give way to the rise of the Antichrist according to the parallel given to us by Genesis 47:13-25:

1. Food will fail – famine will devastate the world (Genesis 47:13, Matthew 24:6-8).
2. Money will fail – economic collapse will render cash useless (Genesis 47:14-15).
3. Possessions will fail – people will trade everything to survive (Genesis 47:16-17).
4. Freedom will be lost – people will surrender themselves for survival (Genesis 47:18-20).
5. Antichrist will own everything – heavy taxation will be rampant (Genesis 47:22-26).
6. People will be “happy” in their enslavement – they will think they have been saved (Genesis 47:25).

Gen. 47:13 There was no food, however, in the whole region because the famine was severe; both Egypt and Canaan wasted away because of the famine.

(cf. Matthew 24:6-8)

The first major crisis that will bring the world to its knees is a severe famine. In Genesis 47:13, we see that there was no bread in all the land, and the famine was so extreme that both Egypt and Canaan languished under its effects. This is a direct foreshadowing of the great global famine prophesied in the last days.

The Lord Jesus warned in Matthew 24:6-8 that the end times would be marked by wars, famines, and plagues. Today, we are already witnessing the early signs of this prophecy being fulfilled. Global food production is being threatened by climate disruptions, pestilence, wars, and economic instability. Supply chains are breaking down, and inflation is driving up food prices worldwide. The World Economic Forum (WEF) and other global organizations have openly discussed an incoming “polycrisis”, where multiple global catastrophes—including food shortages—will occur simultaneously.

Once food becomes scarce, control over food will mean control over people. The Bible shows that the Antichrist will use famine as a weapon of submission, just as Pharaoh did in the days of Joseph.

Gen. 47:14-15 “Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan in payment for the grain they were buying, and he brought it to Pharaoh’s palace. When the money of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all Egypt came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? Our money is all gone.”

(cf. Revelation 13:16-17)

After the famine took hold in Egypt, the people spent all their money on food. Eventually, they came to Joseph and said, “The money has failed!” (Genesis 47:15). Their currency became worthless because food was more valuable than money.

History has shown that when food is scarce, money loses its value. A shocking example of this is the Weimar Republic of Germany in the 1920s, where hyperinflation made their currency useless. A loaf of bread that once cost 250 marks skyrocketed to 200 billion marks, and people carried wheelbarrows full of money just to buy basic goods. Inflation was so severe that it was cheaper to burn cash for warmth than to use it for transactions.

This same economic chaos paved the way for the rise of Adolf Hitler in Germany who also prefigured the Antichrist. This also gave rise to conspiracy theories propagated by the extremist called the Nazis, who propagated that the crisis was caused by the Jews. This leads to Holocaust that killed about 6 million Jews.

The Bible warns that this same economic catastrophe will unfold in the End Times. Even during the 2020 Pandemic, conspiracy theories like the vaccine is the “mark of the beast” flourished even among the believers. Some believed that those who took the vaccine have received the mark and some even speculated that those vaccinated will turn into zombies in two years. Those who were not vaccinated condemn those who got vaccinated telling them they lost their salvation just like the Nazis who believe in Hitler. These confusion, fear, and extremism during the pandemic are just glimpses of how quickly people will turn into mass hysteria and entertain conspiracies rather that the truth. They will turn to anyone who promises stability—even if that person is the Antichrist.

Revelation 13:16-17 tells us that the Antichrist will establish a new financial system where only those who receive the mark of the beast will be able to buy and sell. No one will be able to buy or sell without the mark of the beast. Governments and global elites are already pushing for a cashless society, with Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) poised to replace physical money. This will allow complete control over every financial transaction, making it impossible to live outside the system.

Gen. 47:16-17 “Then bring your livestock,” said Joseph. “I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock, since your money is gone.” So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, their sheep and goats, their cattle and donkeys. And he brought them through that year with food in exchange for all their livestock.”

Once the people of Egypt ran out of money, they turned to their possessions. Genesis 47:16-17 tells us that they traded their livestock—their horses, cattle, and flocks—in exchange for food. They were forced to give up everything they owned just to eat.

This pattern has repeated throughout history. In times of severe crisis, people are willing to sell their homes, land, vehicles, and valuables to survive. When hyperinflation hit Germany during the 1920’s for example, people exchanged gold, family heirlooms, and even furniture for food.

Today, we are seeing an attack on private property at an unprecedented level. Billionaires such as Bill Gates have bought up massive amounts of farmland, while government policies in countries like the Netherlands, Canada, and Ireland are pushing small farmers out of business. The ultimate goal is to consolidate land ownership into the hands of the few, ensuring that ordinary people have no means of self-sufficiency.

When possessions fail, people become completely dependent on the system—which is exactly what the Antichrist will want.

Genesis 47:18-20 “When that year was over, they came to him the following year and said, “We cannot hide from our lord the fact that since our money is gone and our livestock belongs to you, there is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land. Why should we perish before your eyes—we and our land as well? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we with our land will be in bondage to Pharaoh. Give us seed so that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate. So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. The Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields, because the famine was too severe for them. The land became Pharaoh’s.”

(cf. Revelation 13:7-8)

When the people had nothing left to trade, they turned to Joseph and said, “Buy us and our land for bread, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.” (Genesis 47:19). In the end, they sold themselves into service to Pharaoh just to survive. This is the ultimate enslavement. When money and possessions are gone, people will sell themselves to survive.

The Bible warns that during the Great Tribulation, the Antichrist will enslave the entire world under his rule (Rev. 13:7-8). People will willingly give up their freedom, believing that submission is their only hope for survival. They have lost their freedom but they are still happy. They will present themselves to serve the Antichrist.

During the 2020 pandemic, we saw how fear could be used to force compliance. Government lockdowns restricted movement and social pressure was used to manipulate people into accepting new controls. The 2020 pandemic was just a test run—the real enslavement will still come, during the reign of Antichrist.

Just as in the days of Joseph, people will trade their freedoms for security, but unlike Joseph—who was a righteous man under God—the Antichrist will use this control for totalitarian evil.

Genesis 47:22-26 “Only the land of the priests he did not buy… Then Joseph said to the people, ‘Indeed I have bought you and your land… and it shall come to pass in the harvest that you shall give one-fifth to Pharaoh.'”

After losing their freedom, the people were allowed to work the land, but with a 20% tax imposed by Pharaoh. They had no choice but to give a portion of everything they produced back to the government.

This is exactly what will happen under the Antichrist’s rule. People will be forced to work for the system, and high taxation will ensure that they can never escape financial dependence. But Antichrist’s enforcers (priest) at that time will be exempted from taxes. Eventually, the people will own nothing and still be happy— they are enslaved but will still be grateful to their master.

Genesis 47:25 “You have saved our lives,” they said. “May we find favor in the eyes of our lord; we will be in bondage to Pharaoh.”

Despite losing everything, even their freedom, the people of Egypt told Joseph, “You have saved our lives; let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants.”

People will still be grateful just to be alive and not killed by the Antichrist. This reflects the psychological conditioning that will take place in the End Times. People will become so desperate that they will willingly accept complete dependence on the Antichrist, believing it to be their only chance for survival.

This is exactly what the global elite are planning today. Once the Antichrist consolidates power, people will be so conditioned by fear and hardship that they will accept their enslavement as a blessing. They will be enslaved but will still be happy. Once the Antichrist establishes his rule, those who refuse to comply will face extreme persecution. Those who resist will be cast out of society, unable to work, trade, have access to necessities, or worse, be killed.

In times of uncertainty, it’s natural to seek ways to protect ourselves and our families. Some might expect me to advice, “Buy a house in the mountains, stockpile food, and secure your assets.” These will not protect you from the Great Tribulation that will come. The Bible makes it clear that no amount of money, wealth, stored goods, or strategic relocation can truly shield us from what is coming. The days ahead will not be about how much money you have saved or how much gold you own—it will be about where you stand with God.

Scripture warns us in Proverbs 11:4,

“Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.”

This verse reminds us that earthly riches offer no real security when judgment comes. Money, property, and possessions can all be lost in an instant. Governments can seize assets, inflation can render currency useless, and disasters can wipe out food supplies. What will save us from the coming Great Tribulation is for us not to experience it. And we will only not experience it if we are included on the Rapture that will happen before the Great Tribulation, before the reign of Antichrist.

Zephaniah 2:1-4 encourages us to seek the Lord while there is still time. This is the only way that we can be saved from the Great Tribulation. We should seek the Lord NOW. It urges us to pursue righteousness and humility today. Throughout history, He has hidden and preserved those who trust in Him—we can see that in the story of Noah in the ark, Lot fleeing Sodom, or the Israelites protected during the plagues of Egypt.

Ultimately, the only way to truly prepare for the coming days is to know the Lord now. Not just to know about Him, but to walk in deep relationship with Him, trust in His promises, and align our hearts with His will. In the end, those who belong to Christ will not be abandoned. The world may crumble, but our hope is not in this world—it is in the eternal kingdom that cannot be shaken. Now is the time to seek Him, to draw near, and to ensure that our faith is firmly rooted in Jesus Christ, the only true refuge in the storm.

The rise of the Antichrist is drawing near. The time to seek the Lord is now. What are you doing today?