Chapter Twelve – The Antichrist—Who, What, When!
Back to 1The Bible’s Greatest Prophecies Unlocked!
The Bible teaches that a powerful antichrist will arise to rule the world just before Jesus Christ returns. But what does the word “antichrist” mean? Is this just one person? And what is the biblically referenced “spirit of antichrist?” Most are confused. Yet, the Bible plainly answers all of the most important questions about the antichrist!
A final, great antichrist IS coming. You must understand what this means—and how the Bible makes plain that the last antichrist is far from the only one to avoid.
Prophecy watchers, popular preachers and authors, and other supposed experts also butcher the truth about the coming antichrist. Some reduce this prophecy, others badly twist it, still others declare it already fulfilled, and another group dismisses it entirely. On top of this, many so-called Bible authorities speak with competing, disagreeing voices about the subject, and thus—consistent with what they do to all other points of prophecy—add to the confusion.
The appalling ignorance of these voices—all of them—is painful to hear.
Wrong Understanding
Satan counterfeits every doctrine of the Bible. The antichrist would hardly be an exception. While generally understood to be a figure of horrific evil and a threat to all mankind, the antichrist is today seen by most to be largely focused against the Jewish people. Based on a completely wrong understanding of Daniel 9:27, tens of millions generally believe that this world-deceiver will make a “seven-year covenant” with the modern country of Israel, before breaking the agreement halfway through, thus introducing the Great Tribulation for the last 3½ years of his “reign.” It is commonly believed that at this point he will throw off his cloak and reveal his true colours.
This entire belief is wrong! We will later learn how. Daniel 9:27 simply does not say this. But this thinking is having an effect on great numbers of people who have come, largely over the last 150 years, to believe this idea.
Here is the great irony. Due to misunderstanding, one school of rapturists is even eagerly awaiting the antichrist’s arrival—practically salivating over it in anticipation because of what they have been told it means for them. Tragically, these are completely unprepared for his coming—in fact, for their coming, because technically, in effect, there will be two final antichrists. We have been discussing them, but using their more proper names—the Beast and the False Prophet. One, the religious arch-deceiver will point to and underscore the Beast’s authority with powerful, spellbinding miracles. In almost all of the modern scenarios, however, an antichrist—the Beast—is confused with verses talking about another antichrist—the False Prophet—such as II Thessalonians 2:9 and Daniel 7:8.
Understand. Most who write about the Bible do not know, let alone comprehend, almost any of what you have read in the book’s first 11 chapters. Attempting on their own authority to “interpret” the Bible without guidance, they ignore its Author—GOD!—and seem unable to grasp that He would never—I repeat—leave the most crucial questions, those involving all humanity, open to interpretation. Some preachers do get an occasional stray fact right, but none are able to put all the facts—all the scriptures on a subject—together.
Misconceptions About the Antichrist
In regard to the Beast and False Prophet, almost all have no idea where to look—for what system—in fact, the only system—that could spawn these final deceivers. They are busy trusting in a rapture. They expect to be snatched away—so there is “no need to worry.” Many others unnecessarily fear that they will be “left behind,” as one popular fiction writer likes to term it, after the expected rapture.
Hollywood has added to the interest in prophecy and the rapture fantasy through imaginative special effects, coupled with actors depicting popular ideas. Silly artwork and bad actors have only hindered correct understanding.
The most basic prophetic understanding reveals that the final two antichrists must be alive today—simply because of the obvious shortness of remaining time in this age. This monstrous final deceiver (the Beast) is not a single historical figure, such as Nero, Saladin, George III, Napoleon, Saddam Hussein or Hitler—who, it could be said, was certainly a type of the antichrist. Neither is he Putin, Ahmadinejad or any of several American presidents who have been suggested.
In all of this, everyone is looking in all the wrong places!
If you cannot understand what is an antichrist—what they are, and what they do—and that, according to the Bible, many of them are all around you now!—you will never recognize the final antichrist. You must know what to look for—and avoid. You must be able to understand the setting—and gravity—of what is now being spawned in Europe.
You will soon come to understand both the terms “antichrist” and “final antichrist.” You will have also learned all of the most essential knowledge about this subject—and much more.
Simple Definition
What comes to mind when you hear the word “antichrist”? Webster’s New World College Dictionary defines “antichrist” as “the great antagonist of Christ, expected to spread universal evil before the end of the world, but finally to be conquered at Christ’s second coming.”
Hollywood has produced countless films, most of them ridiculous, promoting this thinking. The entertainment industry consistently ignores, blurs—and even knowingly erases—the line between truth and fiction. When it comes to the Bible, filmmakers and others distort and reshape the facts of history to promote preconceived ideas—and their own agendas.
Most people assume that the entire Bible teaching about antichrist is summarized in the belief that an end-time Hitler-like super dictator—“the antichrist”—in league with the devil, will arise to rule the world. While Webster’s definition is partly correct, nowhere does the Bible actually refer to “THE antichrist.” Most do not know this—including professing Christians! Ministers and theologians are little better.