In Christian teaching, as in most other religions, there are not only positive images, but also negative ones. The key embodiment of evil is narrated in the scriptures, telling who the Antichrist is. There are several versions about his mission, time of arrival, appearance and consequences of his arrival.
Antichrist - who is it?
Every religion says that there is good and evil. In Christianity, saints and God in the form of the Holy Trinity, which includes Jesus Christ, are considered embodiments of goodness. The negative image is contained in the Antichrist, who he is can be described in different ways:
- The Greek prefix "anti" means against, instead of. It is not uncommon to call antichrists those people who go against the teachings of Christ or the main, accepted religion. That is, these are all representatives of unrecognized faiths, sects and other teachings, distinguished by their denial of accepted norms and commandments.
- A more common interpretation of who the Antichrist is is the belief in some general collective image of evil. This is one specific individual, a false prophet, who has concentrated all earthly evil in himself. He will try to take the place of the true God by deceiving himself to be him. The Antichrist will be the main opponent of Christ in the struggle for the souls of believers. His other names are: man of sin, son of perdition, lawless one.
Satan and Antichrist - what's the difference?
There are other representatives of dark forces in Christian teaching, so many often think that the Antichrist is the Devil. In fact, these are completely different concepts:
- According to Scripture, God had a favorite archangel or cherub named Lucifer. However, he rebelled against his creator, changing his light nature to evil. For this God overthrew him. Over time, the fallen angel acquired nicknames - Satan, Devil.
- The Antichrist will appear and will act in the interests of Lucifer. He will pretend to be the true God, performing “miracles” and tempting the souls of believers. That is, to act guided by the will of evil demons and Satan himself.
Bride of Christ
These are those who have not denied or turned away from the Gospel of Christ. Those who are interested in ending the sin they see in themselves in order to connect with God. They will not be deceived; for such sin becomes extremely sinful. (Rom. 7:13) Because they were extremely vigilant against the spirits who tolerated sin, they would be allowed to see the Antichrist exposed and see who he really was.
When this happens, then we can expect the coming of Jesus, who will come for his bride. When the bride is raptured and rewarded for her faithfulness, then the Antichrist will have power on earth. (2 Thess. 2:6-7) This will be a terrible time. The true evil essence of the Antichrist will be revealed. When things on earth are worse than ever and the need is greater than ever, then Jesus will return to earth. together with his bride.
The millennial kingdom will come on earth, and humanity will be able to know the correct, just, true and good perfect will of God, which is free from the deception of Satan.
Then he will consume the Antichrist with the fire of His lips and the whole world will be able to see how powerless the Antichrist is. Jesus will receive authority over kingdoms. Satan will be bound and thrown into the abyss. The millennial kingdom will come on earth, and humanity will be able to know the correct, just, true and good perfect will of God, which is free from the deception of Satan. Those who have kept themselves pure from the spirit of Antichrist, and who have faithfully followed in the footsteps of Jesus, will live and reign with Christ in the millennial kingdom. (Rev. 20 ch.) The Kingdom of Heaven will be theirs forever and ever!
Predictions about the Antichrist
Certain prophecies about the Antichrist can be found in various works of saints and church ministers, their statements recorded by other people. The most popular and quoted in Christianity can be found in:
- Narration of the Evangelist John the Theologian “Apocalypse”.
- The letters of the Apostle Paul addressed to Timothy.
- Speeches of Jesus Christ himself about the end of the world and the destruction of Jerusalem.
- Narratives of St. Ignatius Brianchaninov.
- The works of the early Christian author Hippolytus of Rome.
What will the Antichrist look like?
Most of the legends and myths about the coming of the Antichrist are based on the appearance of the lawless one. Opinions vary here:
- Some people are convinced that it will be a false prophet, that is, a person. He will be born from a woman without male seed, just like Jesus. However, this woman will be a harlot and the cradle of earthly prophets. This statement is closest to the generally accepted understanding of who the Antichrist is. This will be a completely ordinary person in appearance, striving to take the place of Christ and misleading believers with his peaceful and “holy” appearance, reminiscent of Jesus.
- John the Theologian has another description of the enemy of believers. In the work “Apocalypse” the author describes the image of a terrible beast with seven heads and ten horns. The monster's body resembles a leopard, its legs resemble a bear, and its mouth resembles a lion. The atheist will be endowed with incredible dragon power from Satan himself.
- Islam also has an image of the Antichrist. There he appears as a large, red-skinned, broad-bodied man with curly hair and a special letter on his forehead.
Why will the Antichrist come?
In the Christian religion, the assumption about the purpose of the coming of the Antichrist to Earth is precisely formulated:
- Adam and Eve, tempted by Satan, were expelled from paradise to Earth. Having disobeyed the creator and tasted the forbidden fruit, they betrayed to Lucifer the opportunity to rule them and the Earth, which was created by God for people.
- During the first coming of Christ, the savior taught people how to get out from under the yoke of the Devil. To do this, you need to leave sin, then Satan will not be able to command a person. By his example, he showed that the sinless is under the protection of God, and atoned for the sins of earthly people by drinking the cup of suffering on the cross. That is, Lucifer lost power over the earth and people, which passed to the Church of Christ.
- To regain his lost power, Satan will try to tempt the church and believers awaiting the second coming of Christ. According to this version, it becomes clear who the false prophet Antichrist is and why he will be an outwardly ordinary person. By performing “miracles,” the atheist will sit on the throne of God in the church and mislead all believers, thereby restoring the power of Satan, who will again rule the earth and people.
When will the Antichrist come?
Many religious philosophers and figures try to calculate when the Antichrist will come to earth, confirming their assumptions with lines from the Holy Scriptures. It also states that “The ways of the Lord are mysterious... anyone who tries to calculate the date of the end of the world will violate the command of the Lord and will be punished.” The only fact remains that the coming of the Antichrist will be the beginning of the end of the world and the second coming of Christ. From the writings of the prophet Daniel, we know how many years the Antichrist will rule - 7 years, after which we can expect a savior. According to other sources, this period is 42 months.
How will the Antichrist appear?
The main idea of who the false prophet Antichrist is is the deliberate misleading of people by false church acts. Many people also recognize the so-called harbingers, or events preceding the appearance of the false prophet. Signs of the coming of the Antichrist:
- Destruction of the Mosque of Omar, located in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount.
- In the year of Advent, the Holy Divine Fire will not descend on Orthodox Easter.
- Before the reign of the atheist, the prophets Elijah and Enoch will come to the world.
- The Jewish people will rebuild their country.
- World wars and famine will come. Christians will be persecuted and tormented.
- A total inventory will be carried out and humanity will be “branded” on the forehead and right hand with a special sign so that the sign of the cross cannot be performed.
- Natural disasters will become more frequent.
What will happen after the Antichrist?
In religious teachings, the Antichrist is not only a curse on Christianity, but also a natural stage in the development of humanity and the history of the Earth, which is only one of the inevitable stages of the following events:
- Following the atheist, the messiah will come to earth again to save the souls of believers, that is, the second coming of Christ, expected by many, will take place.
- The next stage will be the onset of the Last Judgment or Judgment Day. In eschatology, this is the last day of humanity, in which God will judge people, dividing them into sinners and righteous people. The first will receive punishment, and the second will receive a well-deserved reward.
- The Last Judgment will be the last event of the world, leading to its death.
Jesus Christ came in the flesh
The dominant spirit in the world is the “spirit of antichrist,” which has been at work since the time of the first church. (1 John 4 ch.) This spirit is like any other spirit that does not confess Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. This spirit claims that Jesus had something that we do not have. That Jesus had divine flesh, that He did not have desires and lusts like an ordinary person, and therefore Jesus could not sin.
The spirit of Antichrist... is like any other spirit that does not confess Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.
But if we believe what is written in the Word of God, Jesus had the same flesh and blood as we do. “And just as the children partake of flesh and blood, He also took part in them.” (Heb. 2:14)
He, too, felt the desires and lusts that tempted Him. He had to fight not to sin. The Spirit of God guided Jesus and He received help and strength from His Father in heaven. By His life, Jesus made this possible for us, and we can follow Him along the path He has revealed to us, which leads through the flesh back to the Father.
But to admit this means that we must, like Him, wage the same struggle against the sin living in our human nature that occurred as a result of the Fall of mankind. Most people don't want to do this. Then the Antichrist gains power. He shows people an easier path.
Sign of the Antichrist
The writings of John the Theologian speak of a certain “seal of the Antichrist” as a symbol of renunciation of the true God and following Satan. Its application on the hand and forehead means a person’s conscious or incorrect choice of the path against Christ. Some consider the so-called cross of the Antichrist to be such a sign. It is a cross inverted 180 degrees, meaning mockery and ridicule of religion.
Some representatives of religious movements believe that the Antichrist has already been born due to the widespread distribution of bar codes and credit cards, electronic passports, which have gained popularity throughout the world. Such images are assessed as signs of a false prophet, which most people on the planet have. That is, it is considered that the prescribed “branding” has already occurred.
Division between God and humanity
Sin causes division between God and humanity. When sin is put aside, then we will be united with God. The spirit of Antichrist allows the sins that separate us from God to live, covering them with tolerance, love and freedom. The Word of God clearly states what is right and wrong, what is sin and what is purity. But when enough people live in sin, such as fornication, then it is no longer considered a sin in the world. God's laws are violated, and the laws of society, and eventually even the laws of the land, are changed to accommodate this changed view of what is right and wrong.
Impurity and sin are rampant and humanity is moving further and further away from God, and this is precisely Satan's goal. Most of the world is under the influence of this spirit because it makes it possible to live comfortably without feeling remorse. Previously, all this was covered by religion, under the guise of forgiveness of sins, without victory over it. But in the times we live now, humanism plays this role. Society is becoming more and more independent, and prefers to lead itself rather than submit to the leadership of a “Higher Power.”
Antichrist number
In many religious teachings and cinema, the explanation of who the Antichrist is according to the Bible is accompanied by a special license plate or number of the beast. It is believed that 666 is the numerological encryption of the name of Satan’s protege. It is often used in satanic paraphernalia, as well as an inverted cross. At all times, in the guise or name of the alleged Antichrist, people have tried to calculate this number, guided by various calculation methods and assumptions. The official church denies numerology and its influence on the coming of the false prophet and savior.
Prayer against the Antichrist
To save the human soul before His second coming, Christ left certain guidelines for action:
- Participate in church sacraments, letting Christ into your life and soul.
- Live in accordance with the commandments given by the Lord.
- Maintain moderation and asceticism in life, including fasting.
- Say prayers daily for the salvation of your soul.
The prayer from the Antichrist was written by the Optina elders, who are representatives of the spiritual leadership. There are two most common variations:
- Reverend Anatoly Potapov wrote it down like this: “prayer1.”
- The Monk Nektarios proposed a slightly different option: “prayer2.”
Mention in the Bible
Old Testament
The prophet Daniel sees a “little horn,” that is, a king who defames the Most High and seeks to destroy His saints (Dan. 7:8,24 et seq.; cf. Dan. 11:21-35). This image was directly associated with the Syrian king Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175-163 BC). He is considered a prototype of the Antichrist of the last times. Mention in Mark. 13:14 about the “abomination that makes desolate” (cf. 2 Thess. 2 and Rev. 13) is connected with the indicated passages from the Book of Daniel. However, the opponents of God in the Old Testament are different from those in the New Testament. The New Testament idea of the Antichrist, revealing himself instead of Christ, arose after the appearance of Christ Himself.
In theological circles, another interpretation of the “little horn” is widespread, based on the exegesis of the biblical text Dan. 8:9, and not from the highly controversial assignment of the book of Daniel to the 2nd century BC. e. Exegesis based on the phrases contained in Dan. 8:8-9, indicates the origin of the “little horn” not “from” the horns, but “from” the four winds, which takes the origin of the “little horn” from the hereditary Syriac, that is, from Antiochus Epiphanes. Therefore, in short, we look at the origin of the “little horn” in the light of the successive succession of world empires from the Book of Daniel, which is clearly illustrated by the second, fifth, seventh and directly the eighth, which indicates the origin of the “little horn” in the Roman system. And since the “little horn”, according to the prophecy, has both religious and political power over people, the religious-political system is often considered the explanation.
According to Christian eschatology, the Antichrist will come from the tribe of Dan. Hippolytus of Rome (De Christo et Antichristo, 14, 15) and some other Church Fathers know a tradition, undoubtedly of Jewish origin, according to which the Antichrist will come from the tribe of Dan, and base this tradition on Jer. 8:16: “The snoring of his horses was heard from Dan” (the enemy), a verse that is also in Beresch. r., xlii, is interpreted as referring to the idolatry of the Danites. It is also no coincidence that Dan is omitted from Book I. Chronicles, 4 et seq. Bousset, who devotes a special chapter to the legend of the Antichrist of the tribe of Dan, suggests that the connection of Dan with Belial in the Testament of the 12 Patriarchs also points to this tradition. His assumption seems to be fully confirmed in Targ. Jer. to Deut. 34:3, where the war against Ahriman (סונלמרא) and Gog or Magog in the vision of Moses seems to refer to Dan (cf. Sifre, l.s. to ןורחאה םויה). Saint Irenaeus of Lyons, speaking about the Antichrist, notes: “Jeremiah revealed not only his sudden coming, but also the tribe from which he would come, saying: from Dan.”
New Testament
In the texts of the New Testament there is only a single mention of a certain specific person from the future, called the “Antichrist”: “Children! Lately. And as you have heard that the Antichrist will come...” (1 John 2:18), and the later traditional understanding of the Antichrist posing as Christ is completely absent in the New Testament. The Apostle John the Theologian in his First Epistle (1 John 2:18) claims that already in his time many Antichrists appeared.
- Revelation of John the Theologian Rev. 13
- Second Epistle of John 2 John. 1:7
- Second Epistle to the Thessalonians 2 Thess. 2:3
