BBP: 7 An Introduction to the Antichrist

Chapter 7

An Introduction to the Antichrist

Contents

A) The Antichrist’s prominence in Scripture & neglect in modern theology

B) The Antichrist’s purpose Opposing & imitating Christ by worldwide dominion

C) The Antichrist’s strategy Supernatural deception, catastrophic destruction, and human desperation (Rev 6:1-8)

D) The Antichrist’s 7 primary activities

Primary Points

• 
  The Antichrist is more prominent in Scripture than many realize. In fact, apart from Peter and Paul, there is more NT Scripture devoted to the Antichrist than any other human person.
• Because of popular but false approaches to prophetic Scripture, the Church today lacks studies on the literal interpretation of the Antichrist and his persecution of the Church.
• The Antichrist’s purpose will be to oppose the rule of Christ and to usurp the worship of Christ through worldwide dominion.
• The first 8 verses of Revelation 6 essentially portray the strategy the Antichrist will use to gain dominion over the world: supernatural deception, catastrophic destruction, and human desperation.
• Antichrist’s opening strategy of accomplishing peace through the deception of his Resurrection is portrayed in the First Seal.
• Antichrist’s second strategy to gain worldwide dominion, reflected in the Second Seal, will be catastrophic DESTRUCTION.
• The unprecedented war unleashed in the Second Seal, including the destruction of the people and wealth of Babylon the Great with probably nuclear weapons, leads to unprecedented worldwide DESPERATION. The kind of DESPERATION that will cause the pagan World to seek security in the supernatural DICTATORSHIP of the Antichrist.
• The Antichrist’s purpose and strategies will be accomplished and reflected in 7 primary activities.

A) The Antichrist’s prominence in Scripture & neglect in modern theology

The central figure of the Endtimes before Christ’s Return is the Antichrist. His emergence will occur during The Beginning of Birth Pains. The Antichrist is more prominent in Scripture than many realize. In fact, apart from Peter and Paul, there is more NT Scripture devoted to the Antichrist than any other merely human person.

In the OT he is referred to as Gog of the land of Magog (Ezek 38:2 NASB). ^[1] Ezekiel devotes two chapters to the Antichrist’s leadership of the Battle of Armageddon (chs. 38-39). His activities are portrayed in significant passages of Daniel chapters 7-9 and 11-12. ^[2] There the Antichrist is described as a beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful (7:7 NIV), a fierce-looking king (8:23 NIV), and a despicable man (11:21 NLT).

In the NT, the Apostle John referred to him as the Antichrist who is coming (1 John 2:18 NLT) and used this word five times (cf. 1 John 2:18 twice, 22; 4:3; 2 John 1:7). Such terminology gave the early Church the name Antichrist. The Apostle Paul devoted much of 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 to describing the Antichrist and called him the man of lawlessness (v. 3, 8 NIV). Finally, Revelation refers to the future Antichrist as the beast almost 40 times!

With so much Scripture devoted to the Antichrist one would think that modern and helpful studies on this topic would be available. Unfortunately, such is not the case. ^[3] Popular views of the Endtimes in the Church either deny that the Church will encounter the Antichrist (Pre-tribulationism), or like the Middle Ages, emphasize the metaphorical meaning of the topic (Amillennialism). ^[4] In fact, a recent survey claimed that 50% of Protestant Pastors deny or are not sure that Scripture predicts there will be a literal and physical Antichrist in the future. ^[5] Therefore, it is not surprising that the Church today lacks studies on the literal interpretation of the Antichrist and his persecution of the Church.

In contrast to today, the Early Church understood the Antichrist as a literal person that would attack the Church. The Early Church’s diligence to understand the prophetic Scriptures describing the Antichrist was demonstrated as early as about the year A. D. 200 when the very influential Church leader Hippolytus wrote On Christ and Antichrist. ^[6] About a dozen other prominent Early Church leaders wrote extensively on a literal Antichrist as well. Several quotes were provided elsewhere referring to this. ^[7] Summarizing this, the respected Bible scholar Jerome wrote in his commentary on Daniel about A. D. 400:

Let us say that which all ecclesiastical writers have handed down: that at the end of the world … there will be ten kings … and there will arise an eleventh little king… This is so that we may not suppose him to be a demon, as some have thought, but a man in whom Satan will dwell fully and bodily… for he is “the man of sin who sits in the temple of God, making himself as God” [2 Thess 2:4].^[8]

Unfortunately, this biblical view was replaced by a metaphorical interpretation of Scripture and the Antichrist in the Middle Ages. The insistence of the Protestant Reformers that the Antichrist was the Roman Catholic Pope of their day was not an improvement and proved to be false.

In this book, The Beginning of Birth Pains (BBP), Antichrist’s initial activities will be discussed. In a later book, The Greatest Persecution, the Antichrist’s attributes and later activities will be studied. These biblical studies are offered to correct the inexcusable lack of understanding of one of the most prominent characters of Scripture.

B) The Antichrist’s purpose Opposing & imitating Christ by worldwide dominion

As noted above, the Apostle John wrote: the Antichrist [antichristos] is coming (1 John 2:18 NLT). The Greek prefix anti can mean “against” or “in place of.” ^[9] Scripture confirms both meanings apply to the Antichrist and reveal his nature. He will come to oppose the rule of Christ and to usurp the worship of Christ. The Apostle Paul speaks of both when he writes of the Antichrist: 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 (2 Thess 2:4 NIV). The Antichrist will oppose God and Christ, but also seek to replace Christ and be worshipped as God.

The Antichrist will certainly be opposed to Christ and God the Father. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods (Dan 11:36 NIV). He will personally fight against Christ at the Battle of Armageddon (cf. Rev 19:19) where He will even take on the Prince of princes in battle (Dan 8:25 NLT).

But the Antichrist will also seek to imitate the real Christ. Hippolytus wrote of him as early as ca. A.D. 200, “In every way the Deceiver wants to become like the Son of God.” ^[10] Satan has always wanted to usurp Christ’s place in the Universe and steal His glory, power, authority, and adoration (cf. Isa 14:12-14; Ezek 28:11-17). Therefore, a foremost purpose of Satan’s representative on Earth, the Antichrist, will be to imitate the Real Christ.

This is more evidence of Christ’s GLORY. Satan could seek to imitate anything or anyone in the Universe. But he seeks to imitate Jesus Christ because He is the most glorious Person he could even try to imitate. No one deserves imitation more than Christ. And if Satan is so eager and devoted to imitating Christ, how much more should we be even more so!

Antichrist’s purpose to both oppose and imitate Christ will be accomplished through Antichrist’s ultimate goal: worldwide dominion. Notice carefully what biblical prophecy predicts the Antichrist will accomplish on this Earth: All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life. (Rev 13:8 NIV; cf. vs. 3-4). Accordingly, Revelation 6:2 describes the coming Antichrist as a conqueror bent on conquest (NIV).

The day is coming when every single person on Earth who is not a real Christian will worship, follow (v. 3), and obey the Antichrist. It will not matter if they are false Christians or atheists, Hindus or Muslims, Chinese, European, American, or African. If they have not been born again and sealed by God’s Spirit (cf. John 3:5; Eph 1:13), they will all worship the beast.

Daniel described the Antichrist’s Beast Empire as a kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms [in human history] and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it (Dan 7:23 NIV). Indeed, the Antichrist will possess an unprecedented amount of power. No one in all of human history has been worshipped and followed by over 7 billion people (allowing for the very liberal estimate of 1 billion real Christians in the world).

The Antichrist’s dominion over the pagan World will be so complete that his False Prophet (cf. Rev 13:11-15; 16:13; 19:20; 20:10) will be able to force 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 will not be able to buy or sell unless they have the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. (Rev 13:16-17 NIV). The Antichrist is coming to be a conqueror bent on the spiritual and political conquest (Rev 6:2 NIV) of the entire world.

The Antichrist will fulfill his purpose of opposing and imitating Jesus Christ by accomplishing his goal of worldwide dominion on this Earth.

C) The Antichrist’s strategy Supernatural deception, catastrophic destruction, and human desperation (Rev 6:1-8)

How will the Antichrist accomplish his goal of worldwide dominion? Antichrist’s strategy can be summarized in three basic steps: 1) Supernatural deception, 2) catastrophic destruction, and 3) human desperation. These are reflected in the “Four Horseman of the Apocalypse” described in Revelation 6:1-8. It may be helpful to read these verses again.

[Read Revelation 6:1-8]

The context here starts in Revelation chapter 5 where we are introduced to a scroll that only Jesus Christ can open (cf. vs. 1-5). The scroll contains the wrath of God that He will unleash on the world after the Seventh Seal is opened. Which is why the Sixth Seal portrays Christ’s Return and the Church’s Rescue. I explain more about this in the book, Christ’s Endtimes Teaching (cf. ch. 14, sec. E).

Revelation 6:1-8 describes what is popularly known as “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.” The imagery in this passage is memorable and even shocking. These are what Christ called the beginning of birth pains (Matt 24:8). One will notice that these visions display in vivid color what Christ’s Endtimes Teaching in Matthew 24 portrayed in rather black and white. The relationship between these two passages of Scripture was explained previously in Christ’s Endtimes Teaching (CET ch. 6, sec. B). The advantage of Christ’s “black and white” teaching is that it gives us a solid foundation to correctly interpret the symbolic visions of Revelation 6 (cf. CET, ch. 3, sec. B).

The first 8 verses of Revelation 6 essentially portray the strategy the Antichrist will use to gain dominion over the world. That strategy will consist of supernatural deception, catastrophic destruction, and human desperation.

Let us first read about the Antichrist’s supernatural deception in the opening of the First Seal:

I watched as the Lamb [Christ] opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, “Come!” 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. (Rev 6:1-2 NIV)

Here the Antichrist is portrayed as the rider on a white horse who is given a crown and will be a conqueror bent on conquest. Most Evangelical Bible scholars agree that this imagery is referring to the Antichrist and his desire to deceitfully imitate the real Christ. It is suggested the First Seal portrays the Antichrist’s conquering by supernatural DECEPTION. The primary way the Antichrist will accomplish this is through his miraculous Resurrection (cf. Rev 13:3-4, 14). Antichrist’s Resurrection will enable him to imitate Christ, and usurp His worship. Scripture predicts it will have a powerful effect on the world (cf. Rev 13:3-4). Antichrist’s opening strategy of deception through his Resurrection portrayed in the First Seal will be supported in chapter 11.

Therefore, the Antichrist’s first strategy will be supernatural DECEPTION portrayed in the First Seal. But to gain even greater worship in the world his second strategy will be catastrophic DESTRUCTION. We read of this with the opening of the Second Seal:

When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large [mega] sword. (Rev 6:3-4 NIV)

Accordingly, the rider in the second seal clearly depicting war, will be given power to take peace from the earth. This suggests again that during the events of the First Seal, peace was established. Jesus said these wars will be so horrific that Christians will be tempted to panic and believe the end of the world will follow immediately (Matt 24:6 NLT).

These catastrophic wars will probably include the complete destruction of the economic superpower of the world, Babylon the Great (Rev 17:5). This important and complex prophecy was introduced in chapter 2 (sec. A.5). As noted there, the third book in the Endtimes Essentials series (Endtime Babylon) is devoted to explaining its description in Revelation chapters 17-18. A key verse is Revelation 17:16 where we read:

The ten horns [10-nation Endtime Coalition]… and the beast [Antichrist] will hate the Prostitute and these will permanently remove all people from her and strip her naked and they will completely devour her body and will completely burn her up with fire… in one hour such that no one will live there again (Rev 17:16, ^[11] 18:10, cf. vs. 17, 19, 21-23).

Why will the Antichrist and his 10-nation Endtime Coalition attack and obliterate Babylon the Great (Rev 17:5) and kill all of the people living there? Because its great wealth and international businessmen ^[12] who were the important people of the world (Rev 18:17, 23) will be a rival for Antichrist’s worship in the world. This is why the prophecy predicts that, In one hour such great wealth will be brought to ruin! (Rev 18:17 NIV).

The prophecy states three times that Babylon the Great will be completely burned up with fire … in one hour (Rev 18:10, 17, 19). As noted previously, this implies the use of nuclear weapons. Accordingly, the Second Seal of war describes a fiery red horse whose rider is given… a large [mega] sword that leads to the slaughter of the people living on one fourth of the earth as described in verse 8. Antichrist’s second strategy to gain worldwide dominion, reflected in the Second Seal, will be catastrophic DESTRUCTION through war, perhaps even nuclear war.

Thus far in Revelation 6 we see the Antichrist will gain power over the world through supernatural DECEPTION then catastrophic DESTRUCTION. Daniel describes the Antichrist using both of these strategies in the following prophecy:

[A] fierce king, a master of intrigue, will rise to power. He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause a shocking amount of destruction and succeed in everything he does. He will destroy powerful leaders and devastate the holy people. He will be a master of deception and will become arrogant; he will destroy many without warning. (8:23-25 NLT)

The intrigue and deception with the destruction suggests the Antichrist’s dual strategy for rising to power: DECEPTION then DESTRUCTION.

We have suggested that the Second Seal portrays the Antichrist unleashing a catastrophic and unprecedented war, and that this will include his attack on Babylon the Great with probably nuclear weapons. Such DESTRUCTION will lead to famine and the unprecedented worldwide DESPERATION reflected in the opening of the Third Seal:

When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “Two pounds of wheat for a day’s wages, and six pounds of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!” (Rev 6:5-6 NIV)

When the third seal is opened there will be severe economic hardship. This is portrayed by the fact that two pounds of wheat will cost an entire day’s wages. The catastrophes and DESPERATION intensify and accumulate when the Fourth Seal is opened:

When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth. (Rev 6:7-8 NIV)

At this point in the Endtimes, the people living in a fourth of the earth will be killed by the war unleashed by the Antichrist in the Second Seal, and the resulting famine and plagues. These catastrophes of what Jesus called the beginning of birth pains (Matt 24:8), will lead to the kind of DESPERATION that will cause the pagan World to seek security in the worldwide DICTATORSHIP of the Antichrist.

According to Revelation 6, the strategies the Antichrist will use to dominate the world include: 1) Supernatural deception, 2) catastrophic destruction, and 3) human desperation, all leading to his purpose of worldwide dictatorship.

John MacArthur is worth the following quote that summarizes the conclusions above:

In the chaotic times of confusion, uncertainty, and unrest that will prevail during the Tribulation [better, The Beginning of Birth Pains], the world will long for a leader. People will be desperately hoping for someone powerful and influential to unite the divided and contentious nations of the world; someone to bring hope in the midst of helplessness; someone to provide a sense of security in an unsettled time of apprehension and fear.

People will be desperately seeking a strong, charismatic, authoritative leader to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Those longings will be fulfilled. The powerful leader people desire will come and unify the world under his rule. He will appear at first to be everything people thought they were looking for. And for a brief time he will bring peace and prosperity. But he will turn out to be far more than the world bargained for. He will be a dictator more cruel and powerful than any other leader the world has ever known.

This man, often called the Antichrist, will be the culmination of a long line of would-be world conquerors. What men like Alexander the Great and the Roman emperors in ancient times and Hitler and Stalin in modern times only dreamed of doing, the Antichrist actually will do—he will rule the entire world and receive its worship…

Some find it incredible that anyone could rise to such a position of absolute authority. But there are parallels in human history, albeit on a much smaller scale. Inevitably, turmoil in society aids such a ruler’s rise to power. Dictators gain control by offering solutions to society’s seemingly unsolvable problems.

Adolf Hitler, for example, took advantage of the chaotic economic and political conditions in Germany following World War I. He promised the German people that, under his leadership, their downtrodden nation would again rise to a place of prominence, power, and wealth. Desperate for a way out of their dilemma, many people believed his message. Eventually, the Nazi party grew so strong that Hitler was appointed chancellor of Germany. From that position he went on to seize absolute power. Antichrist, a dictator more powerful and evil than Hitler, will rise to power amid the frightening and unprecedented chaos of the Tribulation [The Beginning of Birth Pains]. ^[13]

D) The Antichrist’s 7 primary activities

The Antichrist’s purpose and strategies will be accomplished and reflected in the following 7 primary activities.

1) Antichrist’s Rising

The Scriptures indicate that the Antichrist will begin in relative obscurity. The Rising Antichrist is described as another horn, which started small but grew in power (Dan 8:9 NIV). In Daniel, horns are … kings (Dan 7:24; cf. 8:20) and the leaders of nations. Elsewhere Daniel writes of this horn portraying the Antichrist: While I was thinking about the [ten] horns of the Endtime Coalition, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them (Dan 7:8 NIV). Therefore, as a little horn we can expect the Antichrist to initially emerge as the leader of a relatively minor country.

But it seems even the Rising Antichrist will be extraordinarily successful. Again, Daniel writes of his initial activities:

A fierce-looking king, a master of intrigue, will arise. He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He … will succeed in whatever he does (Dan 8:23-24 NIV).

It would seem with supernatural aid, the Rising Antichrist will be able to accomplish some rather amazing things. His supernatural success will evidently enable him to become very strong. As a result he will gain considerable fame and admiration in the world.

At this point in Antichrist’s career it is suggested he will be assisted by demonic powers. It is possible that the Rising Antichrist will not even be aware that he is the Antichrist. He may believe that his supernatural successes are a result of God’s favor on his life. He may believe he has a special calling from God to lead the world to peace. In other words, the Rising Antichrist may believe in God and believe he is serving God. The Rising Antichrist will be discussed in chapters 8-9 of The Beginning of Birth Pains.

2) Antichrist’s Resurrection

Again, in Antichrist’s Rising he will emerge in the world as a little horn … which started small as the leader of a minor country. But this dramatically changes with the second stage of his career which will be Antichrist’s Resurrection. The Antichrist will burst onto the world scene by being undeniably killed and miraculously resurrected from the dead, resulting in his worldwide worship. John writes:

And I saw one of the heads of the beast as violently slaughtered to death and the wound from the deadly strike was healed. And the whole world was amazed by this miracle and became a follower of the beast. (Rev 13:3 ^[14])

As a result of this astounding miracle, the admired Rising Antichrist will become the worshiped and obeyed Resurrected Antichrist. The convincing power of his miraculous resurrection is described by Paul who wrote of the Antichrist: 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 will cause a powerful delusion (2 Thess 2:9, 11 NIV). Antichrist’s Resurrection will be among his miracles to deceive the world. While the Rising Antichrist may only be assisted by demonic powers, the Resurrected Antichrist will probably be indwelled with demonic beings.

As noted above, it seems that Antichrist’s Resurrection is portrayed in the first of the seven seals as a rider on a white horse who will “Come!” to conquer the world through deception and the imitation of Jesus Christ (Rev 6:1-2 NIV). The Resurrected Antichrist and its worldwide effects will be discussed in chapters 10-17. In chapter 11 it will be argued that Antichrist’s Resurrection will be the first certain sign the Endtimes have begun.

3) Antichrist’s Religious Covenant

Antichrist’s supernatural Resurrection will deceive people into thinking he is some kind of god. Therefore Antichrist’s Religion will emerge worldwide. This religion will be formally implemented when the Antichrist will make a firm religious covenant [berith] with the many (Dan 9:27 NASB). Antichrist’s Religious Covenant will include many in Israel and result in their freedom to rebuild their temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. This covenant will bring religious and political peace to the world. It will also involve the worship of statues of his image placed throughout the world by his False Prophet (cf. Rev 13:11-15). Antichrist’s Religious Covenant will begin a 7-year countdown to Christ’s Return and the Church’s Rescue. These events will be discussed in chapters 14-15.

4) Antichrist’s Attack on Endtime Babylon

After the Antichrist’s Resurrection and his worldwide worship, he will have sufficient spiritual and political power such that the ten kings of the 10-nation Endtime Coalition will give their power and authority to the beast Antichrist (Rev 17:12-13 NIV). This alliance will result in the catastrophic wars unleashed in the Second Seal.

This seems to include the complete annihilation of the world’s economic superpower and wealthiest nation as described in Revelation 17:16 quoted above. Again, the identification of Babylon the Great and the total destruction of its people, and economic, military, and political power, will be discussed in Endtimes Essentials book #3: Endtime Babylon.

5) Antichrist’s Claim to be God

Exactly 3.5 years after the implementation of Antichrist’s Religious Covenant, he will put an end to sacrifice and offering at the [rebuilt Jewish] temple and he will set up an abomination that causes desolation (Dan 9:27 NIV). Elsewhere in Daniel we read of this monumental spiritual event: His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation (Dan 11:31 NIV).

Daniel says at this time, He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods (11:36 NIV). The Apostle Paul says of the same incident: 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 (2 Thess 2:4 NIV). This text is why the more obscure abomination of desolation is referred to as Antichrist’s Claim to be God throughout the Endtimes Essentials. Because that is what this event will be.

It has been noted above that at the initial stages of Antichrist’s career it seems he will be assisted by and even indwelled with powerful demons. But Revelation 12 indicates that at the abomination that causes desolation (Matt 24:15), the Antichrist will be indwelled with Satan himself (cf. Rev 12:7-17). Antichrist’s Claim to be God will be discussed further in Endtimes Essentials book #4: The Greatest Persecution.

6) Antichrist’s Wrath against God’s people

Jesus said:

“So when you see [the Antichrist] standing in the holy place [Jewish Temple, causing] ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains…

Because then there will be the greatest persecution of God’s elect people. It will be greater than any persecution since the world began, and it will never be equaled again.

If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of God’s elect people those days will be shortened.” (Matt 24:15-16 NIV, 21-22 ^[15])

Antichrist’s Claim to be God in his abomination that causes desolation will trigger the greatest persecution of God’s elect people for 3.5 years. During Antichrist’s Wrath, he will use his absolute power over the World to persecute and kill God’s people in the Church and Israel.

Daniel describes The Greatest Persecution when he writes the Antichrist will be waging war against the saints and defeating them … for a time, times and half a time [3.5 years] (Dan 7:21, 25 NIV ^[16]). Revelation says that for forty-two months (3.5 years) the Antichrist will be given power to wage war against God’s saints and to conquer them (Rev 13:7-8 NIV). They will be slaughtered because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained (Rev 6:9), killed with the sword (Rev 13:10 NIV), and beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus (Rev 20:4). This will be The Greatest Persecution against all of God’s people, including the Church.

Antichrist’s Wrath and his Greatest Persecution will end with Christ’s Return and the Church’s Rescue (cf. Matt 24:29-31). The biblical reality that the Church will be subjected to The Greatest Persecution was demonstrated in Endtimes Essentials book #1: Christ’s Endtimes Teaching. The great challenges and biblical promises experienced by Christians in the Last Generation Church will be discussed further in Endtimes Essentials book #4: The Greatest Persecution.

7) Antichrist’s Defeat at the Battle of Armageddon

God will be sovereign in Antichrist’s final destruction. In Daniel we read:

He [the Antichrist] will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time [3.5 years]. But the court [in Heaven] will sit, and his [Antichrist’s] power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. (7:25-26 NIV)

The time of Antichrist’s destruction is described in Revelation 19. At the end of the Trumpet and Bowl Punishments, Christ’s Wrath will be consummated in the Battle of Armageddon. At this place, the ten kings and the beast Antichrist, will wage war against the Lamb [Christ], and the Lamb will triumph over them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings (Rev 17:12, 14 NIV). This will be when the Lord Jesus will overthrow the Antichrist with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming (2 Thess 2:8 NIV; cf. Dan 7:11). At this time, he will be thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur (Rev 19:20 NIV; cf. Dan 7:11). This is where the Antichrist will be tormented day and night for ever and ever (Rev 20:10 NIV).

Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the saints of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.’ (Dan 7:27 NIV) because the real Christ’s 1000-year Reign will begin.

Antichrist’s 7 primary activities can be summarized in the following table:

Table: Antichrist’s 7 Primary Activities

Activities	Ref.
❶ Antichrist’s Rise He will emerge as a little horn and leader of a minor country who, nonetheless, will be supernaturally successful and admired worldwide (cf. Dan 7:8, 24; 8:9, 24). He will be assisted by demonic powers.	BBP chs. 8-9
❷ Antichrist’s Resurrection He will be undeniably killed and miraculously raised from the dead, resulting in his worldwide worship (cf. Rev 13:1-14; 2 Thess 2:9, 11). He will be indwelled by demonic beings.	BBP chs. 11-13, 15-17
❸ Antichrist’s Religious Covenant His Resurrection will persuade many to make a religious covenant with him, resulting in a formalized Antichrist Religion and world peace (cf. Dan 9:27; Rev 13:14). This begins a 7 year count-down to Christ’s Return and the Church’s Rescue.	BBP ch. 14
❹ Antichrist’s Attack on Endtime Babylon He will make an alliance with the 10-nation Endtime Coalition and annihilate by fire in one hour the people, and the economic, military, and political power of Babylon the Great so that the Antichrist will have no rivals on Earth (cf. Rev 17-18).	EE book #3 Endtime Babylon
❺ Antichrist’s Claim to be God He will commit the abomination of desolation when he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God (Dan 9:27; Matt 24:15; 2 Thess 2:4)	EE book #4 The Greatest Persecu- tion
❻ Antichrist’s Wrath against God’s People He will demand absolute worship by everyone on Earth, and enforce the imprisonment or execution of all Jews and Christians who will refuse to do so (cf. Dan 7:21, 25; Matt 24:9, 15-28; Rev 6:9; 13:7-17)
❼ Antichrist’s Defeat at the Battle of Armageddon This will result in him being thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur where he will be tormented day and night for ever and ever (Rev 17:12, 14; 19:20; 20:10; 2 Thess 2:8; Dan 7:11, 25-26).

1. 
   There are arguments to suggest that Gog is a reference to the Antichrist. Many Bible scholars understand Ezekiel 38-39 to be describing the Battle of Armageddon, led by Gog, of the land of Magog (Ezek 38:2; cf. Rev 16:16). Revelation makes it clear that the Antichrist is leading this battle against Christ (cf. 16:13-16; 19:19-21). Therefore, Gog in Ezekiel is describing the activities of the Antichrist. Accordingly, Block writes of Revelation 19:17-21: “Although the passage [in Revelation] never mentions Gog by name, the beast certainly represents him” (491).

    

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2. 
   For more on the application of Daniel 11 to the Antichrist, see Additional Studies on the Endtimes, ch. 16, “The Relationship of Daniel 11 to the Endtimes.” ↑

3. Detailed studies of Antichrist have been lacking in modern theology. In 1923 the influential Bible teacher A.W. Pink wrote The Antichrist (Kregel, 1988). This is perhaps the most comprehensive Christian study available on the topic. When it was more widely published in the 1980’s, Dr. Cyril Barber wrote in the foreword that the Church lacked an in-depth study of the topic. Indeed, Pink’s work is rather exhaustive. However, it is less than helpful for at least a couple of reasons.

   
   First, Pink seems to find the Antichrist almost everywhere in Scripture. For example, he writes: “In Psalm 55 much is said of the Antichrist in his relation to Israel” (52). This is doubtful. Likewise, OT prophecies concerning Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, are assumed by Pink to be talking about the Antichrist. Secondly, Pink was a Pre-Tribulationist and did not even believe the Church would be subjected to the Antichrist.

   Robert Van Kampen in a more recent book (The Sign) accurately portrays the place of the Antichrist in the Endtimes. However, his approach is flawed by spending a great deal of ink trying to prove that the Antichrist will be a resurrected Adolf Hitler.

   Amillennialist Kim Riddlebarger has written The Man of Sin (Baker, 2006). Unfortunately, it only emphasizes past and present examples of antichrists as Amillennialism seems eager to do, but says hardly anything about the future Antichrist. For more commentary on Riddlebarger’s book, see CET ch. 16, sec. E. ↑

4. As noted in the endnote above, a recent example of emphasizing the metaphorical meaning of the Antichrist is Kim Riddlebarger, The Man of Sin (Baker, 2006). ↑

5. The survey of Protestant Pastors on the Endtimes can be found online at https://news.lifeway.com/2016/04/26/pastors-the-end-of-the-world-is-complicated/ ↑

6. Unfortunately, Hippolytus simply quotes large passages of scripture from Dan and Rev but makes very little comment. One of his primary purposes was supporting his claim that “For as Christ springs from the tribe of Judah, so Antichrist is to spring from the tribe of Dan” (On Christ and Antichrist, 14). In addition, he uses several obscure passages from Isaiah and Jeremiah that he believes refer to the Antichrist. The greatest value of his treatise is it demonstrates a belief in the Early Church that the Church would encounter the Antichrist. ↑

7. For quotes from early Church leaders regarding Antichrist’s future persecution of the Church see Christ’s Endtimes Teaching, ch. 8, sec. C. ↑

8. See “Antichrist” in M&S for a list of references to over a dozen other prominent Church Fathers who wrote that Scripture teaches the coming of a personal and literal Antichrist. ↑

9. Vine’s states: “Antichristos can mean either ‘against Christ’ or ‘instead of Christ,’ or perhaps, combining the two, ‘one who, assuming the guise of Christ, opposes Christ’ (Westcott)” (30). ↑

10. Hippolytus, On Christ and Antichrist, 6.1. ↑

11. For an explanation of the suggested translation of Rev 17:16 see Endtime Babylon ch. 1, sec. A. ↑

12. International businessmen translates emporoi which means: “one who travels by ship for business reasons … denotes wholesale dealer in contrast to kapēlos ‘retailer’” (BDAG). For more on this translation see Endtime Babylon, ch. 4, sec. A. ↑

13. MacArthur, Rev II, 36, 44-45. ↑

14. For an explanation of the suggested translation of Rev 13:3 see BBP ch. 13, sec. A.1. ↑

15. For an explanation of the suggested translation of Matt 24:21-22 see CET, ch. 4, sec. C.3. ↑

16. The NIV 1984 version is used throughout quotes of Daniel and Revelation to preserve the word saints in the translation. ↑