THE ANTICHRIST
The Antichrist is a character that is seen in the New Testament as well as the Old Testament. He is going to be a central figure in the future as he will attempt to unite the world in a one world government. He will also attempt to defy the Most High God by proclaiming that he is god and go to great measures to force the people to recognize this by making them put on a mark - 666. Who is the Antichrist? What will he do? Where will he come from? These questions and more will be answered in this page.
The Antichrist is known by many different names in the Bible. Here are the many different names of the Antichrist:
The Little Horn (Daniel 7:8; 8:9-12)
A King of Fierce Countenance (Daniel 8:23)
The Prince That Shall Come (Daniel 9:26-27)
The Willful king (Daniel 11:36)
The Man of Sin (2 Thessalonians 2:3)
The Man of Perdition (2 Thessalonians 2:3)
Antichrist (1 John 2:18)
The Beast (Revelation 13:3)
Jesus Christ says in Matthew 24:24, "For their shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." Jesus was making a general statement that many people will arise and deceive many people into thinking that they are the Christ. But the ultimate fulfillment of this verse is in the Antichrist who will be a false Christ (or Messiah). In other places in the Old Testament, the Antichrist is mentioned forthrightly. For example Ezekiel calls him the Prince of Tyrus in Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah calls him the King of Babylon in Isaiah 14. We'll get back to this later. Lets examine the references to the Antichrist in the Bible and see what we learn about him.
THE NATIONALITY OF THE ANTICHRIST
The Bible contains clues as to where the Antichrist will come from. In Daniel 9:26-27 we see that the Antichrist will be Roman descent.
And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are decreed. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the 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.
The prince who is to come in Daniel is the Antichrist. The prince of verse 26 is the same person in verse 27. "The people of the prince" are the Romans for they destroyed the city of Jerusalem and its magnificent Temple in AD 70. This means that the Antichrist will be Roman descent. There are those that believe that the Antichrist will be Jewish descent. There are several reasons for this:
Daniel 11:37 says that he will not regard the God of his fathers. Usually this is referring to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob so the Antichrist will be an apostate Jew.
Since the Antichrist is a counterfeit of Jesus, he must be Jewish like Jesus.
The Jews wouldn't let a non-Jew be involved in rebuilding the Temple.
But there are more reasons to reject the notion that the Antichrist is Jewish. Here are they:
Daniel 9:26-27 as stated earlier proves that the Antichrist is Roman descent.
The context of Daniel 11:36-39 suggests that the Antichrist will exalt himself over all deity and blaspheme the true God.
The one who will make a covenant with the Jews in Daniel 9:27 cannot be Jewish for it has to be an outsider not one of their own.
The Jews let the Jewish governor Zerubbabel and Judean King Herod the Great rebuild the Second Temple and they weren't Jewish. They were not thought by the Jewish people to be the Messiah.
The Jews have in the past accepted Gentile rulers as messiahs like Cyrus who made the rebuilding of the Second Temple possible through his edict and provision of supplies and materials and funds.
It is highly unlikely that a Jew will persecute his own people.
The Antichrist's purpose is not to imitate Christ but to conquer and replace him.
If the Antichrist is going to be the final ruler in the "Times of the Gentiles" then he has to be a Gentile.
If the Antichrist is the beast out of the sea (Revelation 13:1) and the sea is a literary image that often reflects the Gentile nations (Daniel 7:2-3) then the Antichrist is Gentile.
I have even heard some people say that the Antichrist will be an Arab. But this is not true for the Bible already says where the Antichrist will come from in Daniel 9:26-27. He will be Roman descent. Besides the Antichrist will have to be an outsider if he is going to make peace in the Middle East. Do you think that an Arab will willingly negotiate with the Jews and succeed at it! No, it has to be an outsider who can negotiate with the two parties without any bias and we all know that with Arabs and Jews they never get along. So we see here that the Antichrist cannot be a Jew nor an Arab.
THE COVENANT
We also learn from Daniel 9:27 that the Antichrist will confirm the covenant with many for one week. The word week in Hebrew is shabua and it means seven so one week is one seven, which is seven years. The Antichrist will confirm a covenant with Israel. The covenant is none other than the protection of Israel. This is not a new covenant for the Antichrist will "confirm the covenant" which suggests that the covenant existed in some form in the past. This covenant is none other than the one that God made with Abraham. God says in Genesis 12:3, "And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee." This is God's way of saying that he will protect Abraham and his descendants and their existence. The Antichrist will pose as a friend to Israel and will recognize Israel as a nation and its existence. So in essence those that mess with Israel will have to answer to the Antichrist. The signed "confirmed covenant" will start the seven years called the "Tribulation." There will probably other terms to this covenant like the authorization to build their Temple and start sacrifices. Right now there is no Temple and no sacrifices being made in Israel but there will be.
In the middle of the week, which is three-and-a-half years into the Tribulation, the Antichrist will break the covenant by causing sacrifice and the oblation (Temple rituals) to cease. He will also perform the Abomination of Desolation by setting up an idol of himself in the Temple and declare himself God. More on this later.
Daniel 7:8 says, "I [Daniel] considered the horns, and, behold, there came up from among them another little, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots; and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things." The horns that Daniel is talking about are the ten horns he mentioned in the previous verse. These ten horns are identified in Revelation as ten kings. Revelation 17:12-13 says, "And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast." We see that the Antichrist will rule with ten kings for an hour but then the ten kings who are probably in awe of the Antichrist will give up their power and strength and give it to the Antichrist.
THE ANTICHRIST'S BEGINNING
Let us set a chronological timing of events. First the Antichrist will confirm a covenant with Israel for seven years. He will seek to obtain his kingdom by flatteries and promises of peace. Revelation 6:2 says, "And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer." The rider on the white horse has a bow with no arrows in it meaning that he will use peace not war to obtain his kingdom.
Second, his power will be checked by the Great Harlot. As we look at Revelation and the other prophecies, we see that the Antichrist is powerful in the first three-and-a-half years of the Tribulation but his powers will be limited. Revelation 17 describes the Great Harlot, which is the One-World Apostate Church or the One-World Religion. Revelation 17:7 says, "And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and off the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns." The beast with the seven heads and ten horns is the Antichrist. The beast is carrying the harlot. In other translations it says that the harlot is riding the beast so we can see that the harlot is in a position of authority over the Antichrist. The ten kings will hate the harlot and desire to destroy her. Revelation 17:16-17 says, "And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled." The destruction of the Great Harlot falls near or at the end of the first three-and-a-half years of the Tribulation. They will rule with the Antichrist for one hour (Rev. 17:12) but then will give all their power to the Antichrist (Rev. 17:13) and he will reign supreme.
THE ANTICHRIST WILL RISE AGAIN
Towards the end of the first three-and-a-half years of the Tribulation, the Antichrist will be assassinated. Revelation 13:3 says, "I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast." We are not sure how the Antichrist will get this wound (maybe a sword as suggested by the word "slain") but we do know that is fatal enough to kill him. The world will no doubt be saddened by the death of the world leader who promised peace. It is my belief that the Antichrist will be dead for three days and then rise again. Satan is a counterfeiter of miracles and all that God does so it wouldn't surprise me if he raised the Antichrist from the dead. He will try to pull off a counterfeit resurrection. It is also my belief when looking at the events in Revelation 12 and 13 that Satan will probably go into the Antichrist's body. So the Antichrist will be Satan Incarnate. Here are my reasons for this:
Satan in Revelation 12:9 is thrown down to earth. You have to understand that Satan currently is at liberty in the heavenlies (Job 1:6) and has a place in heaven as an accuser (Zechariah 3). But on that day, he'll be hurled down to the earth. When he realizes this (Revelation 12:13) he will attack the faithful of Israel who flee into the wilderness (Revelation 12:13-14) and then will go after their remnant (Revelation 12:17). But before he does this he will cause the beast to be healed (Revelation 13:3).
The Antichrist is called the Son of Perdition in 2 Thessalonians 2:3. Judas Iscariot was called the same name in John 17:12. In Luke 22:3-4 and in John 13:26-27, Satan entered Judas' body. Since the Antichrist is also called the Son of Perdition then Satan will most likely enter the Antichrist's body.
Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14 speak of a King of Tyre and King of Babylon. I believe these to be scriptures of the Antichrist and a foreview of who is inside the Antichrist - Satan. The only one in Eden (Ezekiel 28:13) was Satan. He used to be a cherub angel, the guardian of God's throne (Ezekiel 28:14). He was the most magnificent angel ever created but pride got into his heart and he was cast down to the earth (Isaiah 14:12). Isaiah 14:14 says, "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High." But he was hurled down. He wanted to raise his throne above God. The created wanted to be above the creator. In the same way the Antichrist will exalt himself over every god and the true God (Daniel 11:36). Satan is the force behind the Antichrist during the last half of the Tribulation. Satan wants to be worshipped as God and will get his wish when he indwells the Antichrist. Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14 point to the fact that Satan will indwell the Antichrist!
THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION
The Antichrist in the middle of the Tribulation will declare himself to be God. 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 says, "Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness [the Antichrist] is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God." We see that the Antichrist will set himself up to be God. He will go into the future rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem and declare himself to be God. This event was refer to by Jesus as the "Abomination of Desolation" (Matthew 24:15). What Jesus was talking about was found in the Book of Daniel. Daniel 11:31,36 says, "Forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation...Then the king will do as he pleases, and he will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will speak monstrous things against the God of gods; and he will prosper until the indignation is finished, for that which is decreed will be done." Daniel 11:31,36 is similar to 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4. This event will occur at the midpoint of the Tribulation. The Antichrist will set up an idol in the Temple and declare himself God. He will stop the Temple sacrifice (Daniel 9:27).
From that time on the Antichrist will be the full embodiment of evil since Satan is in his body. It is my belief that the Antichrist will be a Satan worshipper. Remember how Satan tempted Jesus Christ in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). Satan tried to show him all the kingdoms of the world and told Jesus that he will give Jesus all these and more under one condition - that Jesus worship Satan. Jesus refused! My belief that Satan will do the same to the Antichrist. Revelation 13:4 says, "They worshipped the dragon [Satan] because he gave his authority to the beast [the Antichrist]." Revelation 13:2 says that Satan gave the Antichrist his power, his throne and great authority. This is pretty much what Satan offered to Jesus. But the Son of Man (Jesus) refused these for God the Father will give him all the kingdoms (Daniel 7:13-14) in contrast to the Son of Perdition (the Antichrist) who will worship Satan to get these. Daniel 11:39 says that the Antichrist will do this with the help of a "foreign god." That god is the god of this world - Satan.
THE ANTICHRIST'S REIGN OF TERROR & HIS END
It is during this time - in the last half of the Tribulation that the Antichrist will start a reign of terror in his kingdom. First the False Prophet will issue a mark - 666 to anyone who is loyal to the Antichrist. You cannot buy nor sell without this mark (Revelation 13:16-18). Those without the mark will likely starve or find a way to start a black market of food and supplies. They also have to worship an idol of the Antichrist that the False Prophet set up (Revelation 13:15) There is going to come a point where the Antichrist is going to start killing Jews and Tribulation Saints. Revelation 13:7 says, "It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him." Many Tribulation Saints will be killed. He will also try to wipe out the Jewish race. That is why this is the "time of Jacob's trouble" (Jeremiah 30:7). But while some Jews will flee to the wilderness for 1260 days (Revelation 12:14 and Matthew 24:15-24), he will go after the remnant of her seed (Revelation 12:17) as well as the Tribulation Saints.
During this time the Antichrist will have complete control over his kingdom. He will be a brutal conqueror (Daniel 11:39-42) and control the world's finances (Daniel 11:43). Towards the end of his reign he will murder the Two Witnesses. Revelation 11:7 says, "When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them." The world will rejoice at their death (the unbelievers) but will be shocked and scared when three days later they rise again and ascend to heaven (Revelation 11:11-12). From this point on the Antichrist's world will come crashing down. Daniel 11:44 says, "But rumors from the East and from the North will disturb him, and he will go forth with great wrath to destroy and annihilate many." Rebellion will be in the wind. Some nations will plot to overthrow the Antichrist from his iron rule. God at this time will through the sixth vial of God's wrath dry up the great river Euphrates to allow the kings of the East to allow them passage on their way to fight the Antichrist in Israel. Revelation 16:13-14 says, "And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; for they are the spirit of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty." So the nations will be gathered together. They will not know why they are gathered. They think that they are being gathered to fight against the Antichrist and his allies. But they will face JESUS CHRIST when he descends from heaven at Armageddon (Revelation 19:11-21).
Daniel 11:45 says, "He will pitch the tents of his royal pavilion between the seas and the beautiful Holy Mountain; yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him." The Antichrist will come to his end. All the armies of the nations will fight each other but when they see Jesus Christ descend they will band together and attempt to do battle with Jesus Christ and his army. The end of the Antichrist will be that he will be taken and thrown into the Lake of Fire along with his friend - the False Prophet (Revelation 19:20 and Daniel 7:11). The Antichrist will face his end. Jesus Christ will come back and set up his millennial reign - his kingdom. Jesus will be the first one in human history to usher in a utopia for the whole earth. Where the Antichrist failed, the TRUE CHRIST will succeed! His name is Jesus Christ!
Copyright © 2001 by STAT