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Understanding The Antichrist
By Tim WebbThe best way to think of the Antichrist is that he will be Satan’s quarterback, point guard, and starting pitcher, all rolled into one during the tribulation. The Antichrist is known in the Bible as The Beast, the Man of Lawlessness, and The Ruler. He is the end times false messiah who will achieve world domination so that he can attempt to destroy Israel and all followers of Jesus Christ.
He is known symbolically in the Bible as The Beast, but in reality, he will be a singular human male who will display an extreme amount of arrogance and pride as he receives great power from Satan. And while he will receive power from Satan, it’s important to remember that God is the ultimate architect of the end times as he wraps up the final details of his plan of salvation with the second coming of his son Jesus Christ.
The final seven years of the end times will be known as the tribulation and will begin when the Antichrist comes to power. Prophecy from the Book of Daniel indicates that the Antichrist will rise to power from a series of wars and from a ten-nation coalition, after which, he will establish his headquarters in Jerusalem. He will then create a covenant with many. Scholars have long assumed that he will create peace with this covenant, but nowhere in the Bible does it say that he will create peace. It’s believed that this covenant will allow the nation of Israel to rebuild its temple and reestablish the sacrificing of animals that God instituted in the Book of Leviticus. While no one is certain how or when the nation of Israel will rebuild its temple, one thing is certain…there has to be a temple in Jerusalem for the Antichrist to do the things that he is going to do.
During the first three and a half years of the tribulation, the Antichrist will more-than-likely be a wolf in sheep’s clothing, seen as a warrior, a hero, and a liberator to many, including the Jews. He will not be a man of peace. He will indeed be a man of war. Unfortunately, many of the Jews will see him as the prophesied messiah because he will subdue their enemies, which is the one thing that Jesus did not do during his first coming.
Then, at exactly halfway through the final seven years, which is known as the mid-point, the Antichrist will put an end to Israel’s sacrificial system and will set himself up inside the temple, proclaiming to be God. When this event happens that’s when the Antichrist will be revealed, and we as Christians will have no problem knowing who he is.
Those final three and a half years of the tribulation will be known as the great tribulation. The first part of the great tribulation will be highlighted by persecution from the Antichrist, and finally, the last part will be dominated by the wrath of God. The saints who are alive during the great tribulation will have to endure persecution from the Antichrist. This will be consistent with the persecution that the church has suffered for centuries. While we will have to endure persecution from the Antichrist, we will not suffer through God's wrath. Persecution from the Antichrist will be a walk in the park compared to the wrath of God.
The Church will eventually be removed from the Earth in an event known as the rapture, which will happen sometime after the Antichrist is revealed at the midpoint, but before the wrath of God begins. This is known in theology as a pre-wrath view. In Second Thessalonians 2:3-4, the Apostle Paul says the day of the Lord will not come until the Man of Lawlessness is revealed. Daniel and Jesus both described this event as the “Abomination that causes desolation.” The Bible says this will take place at the mid-point, which is three and a half years, or 42 months into the final seven years.
The Antichrist will also work hand-in-hand with a second beast, known as the False Prophet. At the mid-point of the tribulation, the Antichrist will suffer a fatal wound and die, but the False Prophet will bring him back to life, imitating the resurrection of Jesus. The Antichrist will be part of a grotesque parody with Satan and the False Prophet, who, together, will mimic the holy trinity. Coming back to life will secure the power that it takes for the Antichrist to rule the world. He will achieve world domination and will establish a one-world government. His coming back to life will convince people even more that he is the true messiah, but in reality he will be a false messiah because he will not completely fulfill all of the end times prophecy.
Together, the Antichrist and the False Prophet will dominate the world, with the False Prophet forcing everyone to have a mark on their right hand or forehead in order to buy or sell anything. The mark will be the number 666 and will be known as the mark of the beast. The Bible says that the False Prophet will enforce the mark of the beast on behalf of the Antichrist. The False Prophet will also cause all of those who do not worship the Antichrist to be killed. In turn, God will ultimately punish anyone who takes the mark of the beast with eternal damnation, which will create a situation where Christians who are alive at that point in history will have to make a firm decision not to sell their soul for food or other merchandise such as fuel, and to not worship the Antichrist.
As saints, we won’t be tricked into taking the mark of the beast because the Antichrist and the False Prophet will make it very obvious what it is. The mark of the beast will be a very overt, dictatorial process conducted by the False Prophet on behalf of the Antichrist when it happens. It won’t be a secret or a trick. From God’s standpoint, his true followers that are still alive at that time will have to choose him over Satan, making it a decision of the heart, not a technicality. While there is much speculation on how the mark of the beast will be implemented, all that the Bible actually tells us is that it will be global, and that it will be on the right hand or forehead. The mark could be something as simple as a tattoo or as complex as a biochip. Finally, at the end of the great tribulation, the False Prophet, the Antichrist, and all of his followers will be quickly defeated by Jesus at the Battle of Armageddon. After which, the Antichrist and the False Prophet will be thrown into a lake of fire for the rest of eternity. In the end, Jesus wins!
Throughout history, people have speculated about the identity of the Antichrist with a few catholic popes, Hitler, and various U.S. presidents being among them. Former speaker of the house Nancy Pelosi has been a popular candidate in modern times, but the Bible clearly states that the Antichrist will be a man not a woman, and not a political system. It is likely that most people who are alive when the Antichrist is revealed will be very surprised at his identity. The Antichrist may or may not be alive today. Martin Luther, who was the father of the Protestant Reformation in 1517, was convinced that Pope Leo of his time was the Antichrist. During the 1940’s, many believed Adolph Hitler was the Antichrist. But neither Hitler nor Pope Leo came close to meeting the criteria that the Bible uses to describe the Antichrist. Just because someone is evil that doesn’t make him the Antichrist. Others who have lived in the past few hundred years have been equally sure as to the identity of the Antichrist. So far, they have all been incorrect. We should put speculations and wishful thinking driven by hatred behind us and focus on what the Bible actually says about the antichrist.
It’s fine to speculate because that’s what makes studying the end times so much fun, but always let your litmus test come from scripture, not pop culture. Keep in mind the required criteria that the Bible says about the Antichrist:1. He will be a human man, not a woman, nor a political system.2. He will be extremely arrogant and boastful, and will rise to power through a series of wars, and will then establish his headquarters in Jerusalem.3. He will then create a covenant with many, and will later take away Israel’s sacrificial system at the temple.4. He will be revealed to the world when he is resurrected from the dead by the False Prophet and then sets himself up in the Jewish temple and proclaims to be God.5. He and the False Prophet will then require worship and institute the mark of the beast to buy and sell anything.
When the Antichrist is revealed every Christian in the world will know it with certainty.
The following is all of the major scripture concerning the Antichrist and the False Prophet. The translation is from the New International Version. Daniel 7:1-8, 11-12, 15-27…Daniel sees the Antichrist & the distant future in a dream. “In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying in bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream. 2 Daniel said: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. 3 Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea. 4 “The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a human being, and the mind of a human was given to it. 5 “And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up and eat your fill of flesh!’ 6 “After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule. 7 “After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns. 8 “While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a human being and a mouth that spoke boastfully. “Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. 12 (The other beasts had been stripped of their authority but were allowed to live for a period of time.) 15 “I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me. 16 I approached one of those standing there and asked him the meaning of all this. “So, he told me and gave me the interpretation of these things: 17 ‘The four great beasts are four kings that will rise from the earth. 18 But the holy people of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever—yes, for ever and ever.’ 19 “Then I wanted to know the meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others and most terrifying, with its iron teeth and bronze claws—the beast that crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. 20 I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and about the other horn that came up, before which three of them fell—the horn that looked more imposing than the others and that had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully. 21 As I watched, this horn was waging war against the holy people and defeating them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the holy people of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom. 23The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. 24 The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. 25 He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time. 26 “‘But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. 27 Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.’” Daniel 8:23-27…The Antichrist will destroy many & stand against Jesus. “In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a fierce-looking king, a master of intrigue, will arise. 24 He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy those who are mighty, the holy people. 25 He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power. 26 “The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is true, but seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.” 27 I, Daniel, was worn out. I lay exhausted for several days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business. I was appalled by the vision; it was beyond understanding. Daniel 9:27…A warrior who will try to be like God. “He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him” Daniel 11:36-45…The Antichrist will exalt himself.36 “The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place. 37 He will show no regard for the gods of his ancestors or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all. 38 Instead of them, he will honor a god of fortresses; a god unknown to his ancestors he will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. 39 He will attack the mightiest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him. He will make them rulers over many people and will distribute the land at a price. 40 “At the time of the end the king of the South will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood. 41 He will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand. 42 He will extend his power over many countries; Egypt will not escape. 43 He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt, with the Libyans and Cushites in submission. 44 But reports from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will set out in a great rage to destroy and annihilate many. 45 He will pitch his royal tents between the seas at the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.Matthew 24:15...Jesus tells his disciples that the Great Tribulation will begin when the Antichrist sets up the abomination that causes desolation in the temple. “So, when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation, spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.” 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12…The Apostle Paul says the day of the Lord will not come until the rebellion occurs and the Man of Lawlessness is revealed. “Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. 3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God. 5 Don’t you remember that when I was with you, I used to tell you these things? 6 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.”
Revelation 6:2…The Antichrist is believed to be the first of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. “I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.”
Revelation 13:2…Satan sets the Antichrist up with a great deal of power. “The beast I saw resembled a leopard but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.”
Revelation 13:3-4…He will be a man of swagger. One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast. 4 People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?”
Revelation 13:5-8…The Antichrist will be very powerful man. “The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.”
Revelation 13:11-15…The False Prophet will serve as The Antichrist’s right hand, muscle man. Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. 13 And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people. 14 Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed.
Revelation 13:16-18…The Mark of the Beast. “It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.”
Revelation 14:9-12…Don’t sell your soul for a loaf of bread. “A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, 10 they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.” 12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.”
Revelation 15:2…Those who withhold from worshipping the Beast will be rewarded by God. I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues—last, because with them God’s wrath is completed. 2 And I saw what looked like a sea of glass glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and its image and over the number of its name. Revelation 16:2…God will punish those who worship the Antichrist. “The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly, festering sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.” Revelation 16:10-11…God pours his wrath out on the Antichrist. “The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in agony 11 and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.” Revelation 17…The Antichrist and Babylon The Great. One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters. 2 With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.” 3 Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. 5 The name written on her forehead was a mystery:BABYLON THE GREATTHE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTESAND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. 7 Then the angel said to me: “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns. 8 The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come. 9 “This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. 10 They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while. 11 The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction. 12 “The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. 13 They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.” 15 Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. 16 The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17 For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority, until God’s words are fulfilled. 18 The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.” Revelation 19:19-21…The Antichrist is defeated by Jesus in the end. “Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army. 20 But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.”
The Apostle John talked about the term antichrist in both specific and general terms in his three epistles that were written outside of the book of Revelation.1 John 2:18, 2218 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. 22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. 1 John 4:33 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. 2 John 1:77 I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.
He is known symbolically in the Bible as The Beast, but in reality, he will be a singular human male who will display an extreme amount of arrogance and pride as he receives great power from Satan. And while he will receive power from Satan, it’s important to remember that God is the ultimate architect of the end times as he wraps up the final details of his plan of salvation with the second coming of his son Jesus Christ.
The final seven years of the end times will be known as the tribulation and will begin when the Antichrist comes to power. Prophecy from the Book of Daniel indicates that the Antichrist will rise to power from a series of wars and from a ten-nation coalition, after which, he will establish his headquarters in Jerusalem. He will then create a covenant with many. Scholars have long assumed that he will create peace with this covenant, but nowhere in the Bible does it say that he will create peace. It’s believed that this covenant will allow the nation of Israel to rebuild its temple and reestablish the sacrificing of animals that God instituted in the Book of Leviticus. While no one is certain how or when the nation of Israel will rebuild its temple, one thing is certain…there has to be a temple in Jerusalem for the Antichrist to do the things that he is going to do.
During the first three and a half years of the tribulation, the Antichrist will more-than-likely be a wolf in sheep’s clothing, seen as a warrior, a hero, and a liberator to many, including the Jews. He will not be a man of peace. He will indeed be a man of war. Unfortunately, many of the Jews will see him as the prophesied messiah because he will subdue their enemies, which is the one thing that Jesus did not do during his first coming.
Then, at exactly halfway through the final seven years, which is known as the mid-point, the Antichrist will put an end to Israel’s sacrificial system and will set himself up inside the temple, proclaiming to be God. When this event happens that’s when the Antichrist will be revealed, and we as Christians will have no problem knowing who he is.
Those final three and a half years of the tribulation will be known as the great tribulation. The first part of the great tribulation will be highlighted by persecution from the Antichrist, and finally, the last part will be dominated by the wrath of God. The saints who are alive during the great tribulation will have to endure persecution from the Antichrist. This will be consistent with the persecution that the church has suffered for centuries. While we will have to endure persecution from the Antichrist, we will not suffer through God's wrath. Persecution from the Antichrist will be a walk in the park compared to the wrath of God.
The Church will eventually be removed from the Earth in an event known as the rapture, which will happen sometime after the Antichrist is revealed at the midpoint, but before the wrath of God begins. This is known in theology as a pre-wrath view. In Second Thessalonians 2:3-4, the Apostle Paul says the day of the Lord will not come until the Man of Lawlessness is revealed. Daniel and Jesus both described this event as the “Abomination that causes desolation.” The Bible says this will take place at the mid-point, which is three and a half years, or 42 months into the final seven years.
The Antichrist will also work hand-in-hand with a second beast, known as the False Prophet. At the mid-point of the tribulation, the Antichrist will suffer a fatal wound and die, but the False Prophet will bring him back to life, imitating the resurrection of Jesus. The Antichrist will be part of a grotesque parody with Satan and the False Prophet, who, together, will mimic the holy trinity. Coming back to life will secure the power that it takes for the Antichrist to rule the world. He will achieve world domination and will establish a one-world government. His coming back to life will convince people even more that he is the true messiah, but in reality he will be a false messiah because he will not completely fulfill all of the end times prophecy.
Together, the Antichrist and the False Prophet will dominate the world, with the False Prophet forcing everyone to have a mark on their right hand or forehead in order to buy or sell anything. The mark will be the number 666 and will be known as the mark of the beast. The Bible says that the False Prophet will enforce the mark of the beast on behalf of the Antichrist. The False Prophet will also cause all of those who do not worship the Antichrist to be killed. In turn, God will ultimately punish anyone who takes the mark of the beast with eternal damnation, which will create a situation where Christians who are alive at that point in history will have to make a firm decision not to sell their soul for food or other merchandise such as fuel, and to not worship the Antichrist.
As saints, we won’t be tricked into taking the mark of the beast because the Antichrist and the False Prophet will make it very obvious what it is. The mark of the beast will be a very overt, dictatorial process conducted by the False Prophet on behalf of the Antichrist when it happens. It won’t be a secret or a trick. From God’s standpoint, his true followers that are still alive at that time will have to choose him over Satan, making it a decision of the heart, not a technicality. While there is much speculation on how the mark of the beast will be implemented, all that the Bible actually tells us is that it will be global, and that it will be on the right hand or forehead. The mark could be something as simple as a tattoo or as complex as a biochip. Finally, at the end of the great tribulation, the False Prophet, the Antichrist, and all of his followers will be quickly defeated by Jesus at the Battle of Armageddon. After which, the Antichrist and the False Prophet will be thrown into a lake of fire for the rest of eternity. In the end, Jesus wins!
Throughout history, people have speculated about the identity of the Antichrist with a few catholic popes, Hitler, and various U.S. presidents being among them. Former speaker of the house Nancy Pelosi has been a popular candidate in modern times, but the Bible clearly states that the Antichrist will be a man not a woman, and not a political system. It is likely that most people who are alive when the Antichrist is revealed will be very surprised at his identity. The Antichrist may or may not be alive today. Martin Luther, who was the father of the Protestant Reformation in 1517, was convinced that Pope Leo of his time was the Antichrist. During the 1940’s, many believed Adolph Hitler was the Antichrist. But neither Hitler nor Pope Leo came close to meeting the criteria that the Bible uses to describe the Antichrist. Just because someone is evil that doesn’t make him the Antichrist. Others who have lived in the past few hundred years have been equally sure as to the identity of the Antichrist. So far, they have all been incorrect. We should put speculations and wishful thinking driven by hatred behind us and focus on what the Bible actually says about the antichrist.
It’s fine to speculate because that’s what makes studying the end times so much fun, but always let your litmus test come from scripture, not pop culture. Keep in mind the required criteria that the Bible says about the Antichrist:1. He will be a human man, not a woman, nor a political system.2. He will be extremely arrogant and boastful, and will rise to power through a series of wars, and will then establish his headquarters in Jerusalem.3. He will then create a covenant with many, and will later take away Israel’s sacrificial system at the temple.4. He will be revealed to the world when he is resurrected from the dead by the False Prophet and then sets himself up in the Jewish temple and proclaims to be God.5. He and the False Prophet will then require worship and institute the mark of the beast to buy and sell anything.
When the Antichrist is revealed every Christian in the world will know it with certainty.
The following is all of the major scripture concerning the Antichrist and the False Prophet. The translation is from the New International Version. Daniel 7:1-8, 11-12, 15-27…Daniel sees the Antichrist & the distant future in a dream. “In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying in bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream. 2 Daniel said: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. 3 Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea. 4 “The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a human being, and the mind of a human was given to it. 5 “And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up and eat your fill of flesh!’ 6 “After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule. 7 “After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns. 8 “While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a human being and a mouth that spoke boastfully. “Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. 12 (The other beasts had been stripped of their authority but were allowed to live for a period of time.) 15 “I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me. 16 I approached one of those standing there and asked him the meaning of all this. “So, he told me and gave me the interpretation of these things: 17 ‘The four great beasts are four kings that will rise from the earth. 18 But the holy people of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever—yes, for ever and ever.’ 19 “Then I wanted to know the meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others and most terrifying, with its iron teeth and bronze claws—the beast that crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. 20 I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and about the other horn that came up, before which three of them fell—the horn that looked more imposing than the others and that had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully. 21 As I watched, this horn was waging war against the holy people and defeating them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the holy people of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom. 23The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. 24 The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. 25 He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time. 26 “‘But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. 27 Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.’” Daniel 8:23-27…The Antichrist will destroy many & stand against Jesus. “In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a fierce-looking king, a master of intrigue, will arise. 24 He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy those who are mighty, the holy people. 25 He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power. 26 “The vision of the evenings and mornings that has been given you is true, but seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.” 27 I, Daniel, was worn out. I lay exhausted for several days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business. I was appalled by the vision; it was beyond understanding. Daniel 9:27…A warrior who will try to be like God. “He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him” Daniel 11:36-45…The Antichrist will exalt himself.36 “The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place. 37 He will show no regard for the gods of his ancestors or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all. 38 Instead of them, he will honor a god of fortresses; a god unknown to his ancestors he will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. 39 He will attack the mightiest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him. He will make them rulers over many people and will distribute the land at a price. 40 “At the time of the end the king of the South will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood. 41 He will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand. 42 He will extend his power over many countries; Egypt will not escape. 43 He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt, with the Libyans and Cushites in submission. 44 But reports from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will set out in a great rage to destroy and annihilate many. 45 He will pitch his royal tents between the seas at the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.Matthew 24:15...Jesus tells his disciples that the Great Tribulation will begin when the Antichrist sets up the abomination that causes desolation in the temple. “So, when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation, spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.” 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12…The Apostle Paul says the day of the Lord will not come until the rebellion occurs and the Man of Lawlessness is revealed. “Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. 3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God. 5 Don’t you remember that when I was with you, I used to tell you these things? 6 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.”
Revelation 6:2…The Antichrist is believed to be the first of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. “I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.”
Revelation 13:2…Satan sets the Antichrist up with a great deal of power. “The beast I saw resembled a leopard but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.”
Revelation 13:3-4…He will be a man of swagger. One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast. 4 People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?”
Revelation 13:5-8…The Antichrist will be very powerful man. “The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.”
Revelation 13:11-15…The False Prophet will serve as The Antichrist’s right hand, muscle man. Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. 13 And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people. 14 Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed.
Revelation 13:16-18…The Mark of the Beast. “It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.”
Revelation 14:9-12…Don’t sell your soul for a loaf of bread. “A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, 10 they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.” 12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.”
Revelation 15:2…Those who withhold from worshipping the Beast will be rewarded by God. I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues—last, because with them God’s wrath is completed. 2 And I saw what looked like a sea of glass glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and its image and over the number of its name. Revelation 16:2…God will punish those who worship the Antichrist. “The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly, festering sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.” Revelation 16:10-11…God pours his wrath out on the Antichrist. “The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in agony 11 and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.” Revelation 17…The Antichrist and Babylon The Great. One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters. 2 With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.” 3 Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. 5 The name written on her forehead was a mystery:BABYLON THE GREATTHE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTESAND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. 7 Then the angel said to me: “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns. 8 The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come. 9 “This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. 10 They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while. 11 The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction. 12 “The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. 13 They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.” 15 Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. 16 The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17 For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority, until God’s words are fulfilled. 18 The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.” Revelation 19:19-21…The Antichrist is defeated by Jesus in the end. “Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army. 20 But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.”
The Apostle John talked about the term antichrist in both specific and general terms in his three epistles that were written outside of the book of Revelation.1 John 2:18, 2218 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. 22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. 1 John 4:33 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. 2 John 1:77 I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.