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Have you ever heard of the Antichrist? What, or who, comes to mind when you hear this word? Are you a sci-fi fan who sees a crimson-eyed, twirly-horned devil with dripping fangs and a pointed beard? Maybe you’re a realist who sees a historical figure like Nero or Hitler or a current-day personality like Obama or Trump. Rather than a man, do you envision a powerful entity like AI or the Papacy? There is much conjecture about these people and institutions, but what are the facts about this Antichrist, this person who holds so much mystery and inspires so much speculation? In order to turn opinions into truth about this curious person, we need to crack open our Bibles and do a little searching. We need to look to the prophets of both the Old Testament and the New to find all of the Antichrist’s mentions. And then we can decide what we think, and what, if anything, we need to do about what we think.
Here are 12 often-asked questions and their answers from scripture concerning this staunch opponent of Jesus Christ as he rises to power
- What does “Antichrist” mean literally? Anti can mean “instead of” or “against”, so the term could mean “replacement Christ” or “opposed to Christ.” (II Thessalonians 2:4)
- Why will people believe the Antichrist is an admirable person? He will appear to bring peace to the earth. (Rev 6:2)
- What is significant about the rise of the Antichrist? His appearance will mark the beginning of the tribulation, the seven years (may or may not be a literal 7 years) of intense persecution before Christ’s return. (Daniel 9:27)
- What is the Antichrist’s profession? He will be a political leader. ( Daniel 11:36-37)
- What will the Antichrist’s first accomplishment be? He will broker a seven-year peace treaty with Israel, but he will break the deal after 3.5 years. ( Daniel 9:27)
- Describe the Antichrist’s personality. He is called the beast and will have traits of a leopard, a bear, and a lion, possibly representing cunning, strength, and authority. (Revelation 13:2)
- Will the Antichrist be powerful and if so, where will he get his power? He will be given great power and authority by the dragon, aka Satan. (Revelation 13:4-5)
- What unique event will help us identify the Antichrist? He will survive what appears to be a mortal (fatal) wound. (Revelation 13:3)
- How will people feel about the Antichrist? People will marvel at, follow, and worship him. (Revelation 13:8)
- Could the Antichrist have been Nero, Hitler, or Mussolini, etc? The Bible says there will be many antichrists, but the Antichrist will still be alive when Christ returns. (I John 4:4)
- What is the Antichrist’s name and how will we positively identify him? Despite speculation about current politicians and entities, we’re not told his name, but we are specifically told his number: 666. People will be required to bear his mark on their right hand or forehead in order to buy or sell. (Revelation 13:16-18)
- What is the battle of Gog and Magog and what does it have to do with the Antichrist? The prophet Ezekiel describes a battle called Gog and Magog in which a few countries will attack Israel during a time of peace. This, along with the rise of the Antichrist and the peace treaty with Israel, will mark the beginning of the 7-year Tribulation. (Ezekiel 37-38)
According to the disciple and apostle John’s book of prophecy known as the Revelation, the Antichrist will not at first appear as an ugly, demonic figure, but rather he will appear as a pleasant, peace-seeking, powerful politician. In other words, people will not recognize him as the Antichrist that he is. People will look to him for solutions to our earth’s unrest. People will place their hope in him, and people will trust him.
But people will be deceived.
So how can we recognize the Antichrist and avoid being deceived when there are evil powers working diligently every single day to do exactly that, to deceive us? We’re told in II Corinthians 4 that the god of this earth — Satan — blinds the minds of unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. In other words, if a person rejects Jesus and opens his or her heart and mind to ideas that contradict God, they will find themselves in a space where they will no longer be able to distinguish right from wrong or good from bad. They will become so confused that they might think it’s acceptable to verbally rip apart another human, or to mutilate their bodies, or to kill a defenseless human. They might think it’s acceptable to destroy an entire race of people. These things are absolutely happening now, today, currently. Satan is intelligent and manipulative and powerful. He has thrown humans’ minds into such a scramble of ideas that those under his control have lost their ability to reason. The forces of evil are using people — quite successfully — in the most manipulative of ways. It happens slowly and over time. It happens so subtly that people don’t realize it’s happening. Humans are excellent at manipulation, but Satan is the master. If we allow him, he will take our minds and twist them so far out of shape that we won’t know what is up or down or in or out.
The answer to how do we avoid this deception, and how do I keep from being used as a puppet of evil, is simple. It’s not easy, mind you, but it is simple. Stay grounded in the Word of God. Read, or listen to the Bible. It’s easy, you can download a plain-spoken version for free on your phone and start listening or reading literally anytime and anywhere you want. Start with Matthew, Genesis, Daniel, or Revelation. Read Ruth, Esther, Acts, or Hebrews. The Psalms are delightful and comforting. God’s Word is alive, active, sharper than a sword, and penetrating. (Hebrews 4:12) The words hold His power. This is why we can read the same verses over and over again, and learn something new each and every time.
“The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth.
They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry.
It is the same with my word.
I send it out, and it always produces fruit.
It will accomplish all I want it to, it will prosper everywhere I send it.“
Isaiah 55:10-11
These verses contain a promise straight from God to us through His prophet Isaiah. His Word, His words will accomplish His purposes. If we read scripture consistently and then add prayer — which is simply talking to God — to the mix, we have the perfect recipe to keep us from becoming ensnared in the chaotic and confusing ways of the evil one. If you decide to commit to a relationship with God, find friends that are committed to Him as well. Avoid self-serving people who allow their anger to turn to rage, whose eyes are looking everywhere but up and are only interested in themselves. They will bring you into a dark place, far away from our loving Heavenly Father who wants the very best for us and wants to surround us with His peaceful love.
Is the Antichrist already at work on earth today? Maybe. Will he rise to power in our lifetime, brokering a peace deal with Israel? Possibly. Stay tuned and pay attention, we’ll know soon enough. In the meantime, take advantage of the privilege to remain focused on God and His Word, to talk to Him, to learn more about Him, and to simply love Him. We can trust Him to keep our minds clear amid the chaos and confusion. And we can remain assured that no matter what difficult days lie ahead for the earth and humankind, God loves us and has offered us an open invitation to become a part of His family. If we trust Him as Savior, He will one day remove all death, mourning, crying, and pain, and bring us to a place where we will forever peacefully dwell with Him. A place where there is no more Satan, no more Antichrist, no more chaos. (Revelation 21:3) Now that, my friends, is a time to which we can look forward and a promise we can wholeheartedly celebrate.
Shlama alakhun, peace be upon you.
Katy Shelton is the author of Forever Matters – How the Return of Jesus Completes You, a devotional based on the book of Revelation and what it means to us today.
Katy does not use AI in writing.
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Katy Shelton 