This article concerns the character and significance of and the part to be played by the yet  to be identified Antichrist, according to the scriptures, and in the light of current events.

Part of my recently published book “Priests of the Bible” considers many of the named kings of the Bible. The most significant of these is the Christ (to be discussed in the next installment from a Hebrew Bible perspective). This is followed by the Antichrist, who is referred to in both Testaments.  

According to Got Questions: “First John 2:18 speaks of the Antichrist: “Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.” The specific term antichrist is used five times in Scripture, twice here in 1 John 2:18 and once in 1 John 2:22; 4:3; and 2 John 1:7. So, what is this Antichrist that the apostle John refers to? The meaning of the term antichrist is simply “against Christ.” As the apostle John records in First and Second John, an antichrist denies the Father and the Son (1 John 2:22), does not acknowledge Jesus (1 John 4:3), and denies that Jesus came in the flesh (2 John 1:7). There have been many “antichrists,” as 1 John 2:18 states.

But there is also coming the Antichrist. Most Bible prophecy/eschatology experts believe the Antichrist will be the ultimate embodiment of what it means to be against Christ. In the end times/last hour, a man will arise to oppose Christ and His followers more than anyone else in history. Likely claiming to be the true Messiah, the Antichrist will seek world domination and will attempt to destroy all followers of Jesus Christ and the nation of Israel. Other biblical references to the Antichrist include the following: The imposing, boastful king of Daniel 7 who oppresses the Jews and tries to “change the set times and the laws” (verse 25). The leader who establishes a 7-year covenant with Israel and breaks it in Daniel 9. The king who sets up the abomination of desolation in Mark 13:14 (cf. Daniel 9:27). The man of lawlessness in 2 Thessalonians 2:1–12.

The rider on a white horse (representing his claim to be a man of peace) in Revelation 6:2. The first beast—the one from the sea—in Revelation 13. This beast receives power from the dragon (Satan) and speaks “proud words and blasphemies” (verse 5) and wages war against the saints (verse 7). Thankfully, the Antichrist/beast, along with his false prophet, will be thrown into the lake of fire, where they will spend all eternity in torment (Revelation 19:20; 20:10). What is the Antichrist? In summary, the Antichrist is the end-times false messiah who seeks, and likely achieves, world domination so that he can destroy Israel and all followers of Jesus Christ”.

Before I get going with my reflection on the scriptures that I have highlighted (all to do with the Antichrist, also referred to as “the Beast” or “that man of sin”), I would like to make a few preliminary remarks, although what I would like to say, by way of providing a context to today’s subject, could warrant a whole book. The first thing to point out is that throughout history, ever since these scriptures were written, theologically more knowledgeable, more Bible savvy and holier in living than I Christians saw/see things, often a whole lot differently to me, including declaring that the notion of a yet to be revealed Antichrist as being a fallacious one. Some do so because they believe that references in the Bible to the Antichrist merely relate to historical events and the world will get progressively better through successfully spreading the Gospel of the Kingdom, even before the prospect of Christ returning to earth.

Then there is what to make of the 30% of the Bible that is prophetic including many references to End Times events, one of which relates to Daniel’s “Seventy Weeks” (see here) where the elapsed time until the coming of the Messiah (483 years) is foretold, plus the final week, which time is often referred to as “The Great Tribulation” (see here) (and there is a lot more pertaining to what people in my church family referred to as “The Last Things”) and what is often understood in Bible times to as the “Day of the Lord” (see here).

Besides the above (Got Questions) references that are worth checking out, and my two books also that touch on the subject of the Antichrist: “Prophets of the Bible” (see here) and “Priests of the Bible” (see here), I suggest that if folk want to know how I have reached my views on Bible prophecy (still very much work in progress) and, more in-depth, what these are, folk ought to read the content that relates because without further ado I would like to dive into the subject of the Antichrist, exhorting those who want a true and balanced understanding of the subject that they study the Bible.  

According to Wikipedia: “In Christian eschatology, Antichrist refers to a kind of person prophesied by the Bible to oppose Jesus Christ and falsely substitute themselves as a savior in Christ’s place before the Second Coming. The term Antichrist (including one plural form) is found four times in the New Testament, solely in the First and Second Epistle of John. Antichrist is announced as one “who denies the Father and the Son.” The similar term pseudokhristos or “false Christ” is also found in the Gospels. In Matthew (chapter 24) and Mark (chapter 13), Jesus alerts his disciples not to be deceived by the false prophets, who will claim themselves to be the Christ, performing “great signs and wonders“.”

While Christians and the majority of Jews who do not believe Jesus to be the Christ, and thus differ in accepting much of what the New Testament teaches, there is a lot of the teaching in the Old Testament that relate to the war between God and Satan, as well as between angelic beings, that both will subscribe to and is a significant part of what both Testaments teach us. This includes allusions, if not references, to the Antichrist, beginning with the Seed War and the infiltration of the human genome by non human entities. There have been, since the beginning, many Antichrist like figures, and still we do not know the identity of the final Antichrist, despite there being much speculation, not just who this might be but the very scenario that will be the precursor to the Antichrist revealing himself. While that is to be expected in the New Testament era including the times we are living in, there is one outstanding figure in the Old Testament that fits the bill as an Antichrist.

That man is Antiochus Epiphanes IV (see here) and we can read about him in the Book of Daniel. Daniel the man is part of an incredible book and so is his story and so are his prophecies that relate to events in the future, beginning with the Greek Empire taking over the Persian one and, before that Babylon, as well as the coming of the Messiah (both his First Coming and his yet to happen Second Coming – always we should bear in mind that like the other Hebrew prophets, Daniel saw as just one coming) (see here and see here).  One fascinating aspect of Daniels’ prophecies, highlighted in the three Daniel references given above, is that regarding the Antichrist this can be both Antiochus and the person yet to be identified spoken of in the New Testament. Daniel texts refers to the Abomination of Desolation in Daniel 9:27, Daniel 11:31 and Daniel 12:11, which can be what Antiochus set up while he as ruling over Israel but also referred as something yet to happen by Jesus in Matthew 24:15-16 and John in Revelation 13:14.

As for the New Testament account of the Antichrist, we see this set out in 2 Thessalonians 2, which builds on what had been written in the Book of Daniel, e.g.  “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; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God” (3,4).

There are several references of the Antichrist in the Book of Revelation, which like our other New Testament references refers to Daniel’s prophecies, e.g. in 6:2, 19:20 and 20:10, and particularly most of Chapter 13, where we find, with the help of the False Prophet, he manages to win over and then subjugate much of the world as he imposes his mark on them: “And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name” (16,17). Besides deceiving earth’s inhabitants, he opposes the people of God, killing many, and where we read: “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. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. 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” (5-7).

There is much more that could be said relating to the time of the Antichrist reign and some of the associated symbology, e.g. the meaning of the ten horns and how it fits in with current events, mindful that nearly 2000 years have elapsed since the last of the “Antichrist prophecies” and there have been during that time many Antichrist that figure, starting perhaps with Nimrod who played a part building the Tower of Babel. What we have said thus far is at best a basic introduction. We do so with a warning that while the subject of the Antichrist is both contentious and fascinating and also relevant when trying to figure out where the world is heading and responding accordingly, our focus must be on The Christ.

One is mindful that, between the time of the prophecies being written and now, people at different times who see this as yet to be literally fulfilled prophecy (and many haven’t/don’t) have done/do so in the light of very different sets of events occurring at the time when people tried to make sense of these prophecies. I certainly don’t claim special knowledge, yet as I have reflected in some of my writings such as those mentioned above and in a few of my blogs (see here) I can see what is happening in the world right now not leading a time of further enlightenment but rather one where the Antichrist publicly announces himself as a man of peace including Israel’s saviour (and given what is happening in Israel and the surrounding region right now, this is pertinent).

But my message remains the same. Just as did Daniel and John (in Revelation), we look forward to Jesus, who is the Christ, who is prophesied concerning in Daniel and in many other places, returning to Planet Earth, defeating the Antichrist and setting up His righteous reign, and in effect restoring things to how things were in the Garden of Eden before the Fall of Adam.