In Christian eschatology, the Antichrist has come to mean a person, image of a person, or other entity that is the embodiment of evil and utterly opposed to truth, while convincingly disguised as wholly good and a bringer of truth.

Origin and meaning

The English word Antichrist is taken from the Greek αντίχριστος antíkhristos (modern Greek pronunciation andichristos), which literally means "instead of Christ".

The New Testament

Contrary to a popular misconception and to the surprise of many Christians and non-Christians, the actual words "Antichrist" or "Antichrists" do not appear in the entire text of the Book of Revelation (e.g. in relation to the Tribulation, Beast, Dragon, Whore of Babylon, False Prophet, etc.), the Book of Daniel (e.g. in relation to the Abomination of Desolation or the Beasts/Empires) or Paul's passages on the "Man of Sin" in 2 Thessalonians 2. The words "Antichrist" or "Antichrists" are never used by Christ during his ministry, including his discussion about the signs of the "End of the Age" in . While the word "Antichrist" does not appear in these sources, the concept has been recognized in that "scripture warns against a false Christ image that becomes a living icon, and an object of worship (). Satan's plan is to be worshiped as God and Savior (; ; " (excerpt from Norbert H. Kox's artist's statement at )

The words "Antichrist" and "Antichrists" appear only five times in the Bible - in two of the Apostle John's three letters in the New Testament, 1 John and 2 John:

Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. (, ESV)

Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. (, ESV)

and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. (, ESV)

Many deceivers have gone out into the world; they do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist (, ESV.)

In these contexts, "Antichrist" seems to describe any false teacher, false prophet or corrupter of the Christian faith, but sometimes also seems to indicate a specific person or single spirit of deception that motivates false teaching and whose presence is a sign of the end times. However, in popular understanding, many Christians identify this particular Antichrist with the "man of sin" or "son of perdition" mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2, and with several figures in the Book of Revelation including the Dragon, the Beast, the False Prophet, and the Whore of Babylon. The Antichrist is variously understood to be a group or organization, such as a consummately evil system of government or a false religion, or more commonly as an individual, such as an evil government leader, a religious leader who sets up false worship in place of the worship of Christ, the incarnation of Satan, a son of Satan, or a human being under the dominion of Satan.

The understanding of one person being 'the' Antichrist appears to be combined in 1 John with the idea of a class of persons. There John speaks of "many antichrists" who typify the "spirit of the antichrist" that was both present in the first century ("is in the world already" ) and continues to exist down to this day. As John wrote, such an antichrist (or opponent of Christ) is anyone who "denies that Jesus is the Christ;" "denies the Father and the Son;" "does not confess Jesus;" and does "not confess the coming of Jesus."

Matthew 24 warns of "false Christs" in several places, and of deceivers who would appear claiming falsely to be the returned Christ. ()

In the "small apocalypse" of Saint Paul, in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, a "man of sin", "the son of perdition" is expected to set himself up in the temple of God, on the false pretense that he is God himself. This portrait of the Antichrist is reminiscent of the acts of Antiochus Epiphanes, who around 170 BC commanded Jews to sacrifice pigs on the altar, four times a year on the Shabbat, in tribute to him as the supreme god of the Seleucids. Paul appears to be warning his readers, by alluding to events in the past, to anticipate similar trouble in the future. Some Christians believe that the events warned of in this passage took place soon after Paul warned of them, but many others believe that the Antichrist has yet to appear.

Related ideas and references appear in many other places in the Bible and various apocrypha, and a more complete portrait of the Antichrist has been built up gradually by Christian theologians and folk-religionists.

Later texts and apocrypha

One such apocryphal text is the apocalyptic pseudo-prophecy falsely attributed to the Tiburtine Sibyl. It purports to prophesy (although written after the fact—see vaticinium ex eventu) the arrival of the Christian emperor, Constantine, beginning:

Then will arise a king of the Greeks whose name is Constans. He will be king of the Romans and the Greeks. He will be tall of stature, of handsome appearance with shining face, and well



put together in all parts of his body..

Millenialists and anti-Semites have relished the document's suggestion that the Antichrist will be a Jew:

At that time the Prince of Iniquity who will be called Antichrist will arise from the tribe of Dan.

The expected role of the Antichrist

Christian denominations disagree on what will happen in the end times, and the role that Satan and the Antichrist will play. Among those who understand that the Antichrists of whom John was writing are instead a single individual and expect this one to arise in the future, there is a general consensus that sometime prior to the expected return of Jesus, there will be a period of "trials and tribulations" during which the Antichrist, inspired by Satan, will attempt to win supporters, and will silence anyone or make enemies of any country that refuses to approve of him. This metaphor is written as "receive his mark". Some Christians believe that the Antichrist will be assassinated half way through the Tribulation, being revived and indwelt by Satan. The Antichrist will continue on for three and a half years following this.]

In this view, an event popularly termed the "White Throne Judgment" will take place, at which time both the living and the dead will be resurrected, some for everlasting life, and some for everlasting death. All those who worship God and Jesus will be admitted to the presence of God; but everyone who would not repent of the Antichrist will be sent to an outer darkness. Finally, the "Dragon" (often interpreted as Satan), the "Beast" (often interpreted as the Antichrist) and the "false prophet" (interpreted in many ways) who compels the world to worship the Beast (lie), and all who received his mark (cast their lot with him), will be thrown into a lake of fire together with death and Hades. These views are based on controversial passages in the Apocalypse of John, more commonly known as the Book of Revelation.

In other views, the role is far less dramatic - the Antichrist is simply understood to be a group of individuals as well as organizations, who, for their history of trying to deceive and stifle the faithful, are finally destroyed for all time by God on the day of Armageddon.

Characteristics of the Antichrist

Based on the interpretations of the specific passages from the books of Daniel and Revelation, the Antichrist is commonly expected to meet certain characteristics.

In Daniel chapter 7, a description of four beasts is narrated by an angel:

23. "Thus he said: 'The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from the other kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, trample it and break it in pieces.

24. the ten horns are ten kings who shall rise from this kingdom. And another shall arise after them, he shall be different from the first ones, and shall subdue three kings.

25. He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hands for a time and times and half a time."

(Daniel 7:23-25)

Daniel chapter 11 also details more information about exploits frequently assigned to the antichrist (verses 31-45).

The Bible also describes a beast-like creature, but over the years these characteristics have been interpreted as being metaphorical, or symbolic as the book itself indicates, since in we are told of a ram like beast, and then explains that "the ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia." Also in we are told of a goat like beast with a "notable horn" and in we are told "the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king." So a beast represents a kingdom and the horns or heads represent some aspect of its political leadership. So the antichrist is a religious kingdom and its heads represent its political leadership which tells us that the seven heads "..are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space."

For example, the beast is supposed to have "ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns upon its horns" () which is sometimes interpreted to mean the Antichrist will lead 27 or 17 countries. They will follow in his battles that he will declare boldly and without humility are for a purpose which is untrue. Likewise the fact that the beast is described as being "worshipped" is taken as a sign that the Antichrist will be a popular figure among those who are deceived by him. According to the book of Revelation the Antichrist can be identified by the number of the Beast.

Some believe that the Antichrist will be of Jewish decent, basing their claims on . This verse says "Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all," which matches Jewish tradition of faith in God]. This may also indicate that the Antichrist is a homosexual]. Also, the Antichrist, some believe because of , may be accepted as Israel's Messiah.

The most common interpretations continue to be that the Antichrist will be some sort of high-ranking political leader, who will initially do very good, popular things, which will win him many followers. It is said that the Antichrist will recreate the miracles of the first century alluding to the miracles rendered by Jesus Christ. These may include, but are not limited to, raising the dead, curing the blind, alleviating hunger, transmuting water to wine, and so forth.

In the end, however he is supposed to become increasingly totalitarian and elicit more and more sacrifices from his followers until eventually his evil ways become known,

In the Muslim traditions quoting from Hadith (the sayings of Muhammad), the Antichrist is a man who will come near the end times and is called Dajjal, and will command great powers (he is not directly mentioned in the Qur'an, only in the Hadith), and will be well known and feared in his time. He will cause havoc on humanity and will spread terror around the world. His main charactiristics according to many confirmed Hadith: he has a blurry nail shaped thing in his left eye, has no children, has a unique way of walking, has red hair and fair colored face. His command will be between the seas. He will initially claim to be a prophet of God but will finally declare himself God. His terror will travel with the wind. In his time the sun will rise from the west, and one of the days of his time will last a whole year. Signs of his immenent coming are: A new comet will appear before his coming. The Moon will become red for some time, and The smoke will cover the whole earth. schatology%29" title="Futurism (Christian eschatology)">Futurism (Christian eschatology), a product of the Counter-Reformation, was advanced beginning in the 16th Century. This theory was developed by a Jesuit priest named Francisco Ribera in his 1585 treatise on the Apocalypse of John entitled In Sacrum Beati Ioannis Apostoli, & Evangelistiae Apocalypsin Commentarij. This view was then codified by St. Bellarmine, who gives in full the Catholic theory set forth by the Greek and Latin Fathers, of a personal Antichrist to come just before the end of the world and to be accepted by the Jews and enthroned in the temple at Jerusalem—thus endeavoring to dispose of the Protestant exposition which saw Antichrist in the pope. Bellarmine's interpretation, in modified form, is now accepted by most premillennial dispensationalists.

Friedrich Nietzsche wrote that the only true Christian was Jesus; writers and artists such as Robert Anton Wilson and Norbert H. Kox have expounded on this belief by arguing that inaccurate translations have led to irreversible transformations of what once was the probable Messiah into an anti-Christ, specifically from 1940 onward with the mass-distribution of allegedly false-iconography and graven images of Christ as seen in the famous USAF distribution of Sallman's portrait of Christ.

Contemporary identifications

Identifying the Antichrist has returned as a task in the Internet age, and has created a body of literature in its own right.

Since the Bible indicates that the antichrist beast may be identified by a number, "the number of the beast" which "is the number of a man" (). Various numerological methods of calculating the number of the name of the Beast ("666" in most manuscript sources, "616" in a minority), and other methods are used to identify the Antichrist before he has the chance to lead astray. The oldest historical example is in Latin where each letter has an equivalent numerical value. Also "VV IL DVCE" ("Long Live Il Duce", a phrase chanted for Mussolini).

In English, another example is the case of Adolf Hitler, where numbering the letters A=100, B=101, etc, produces H+I+T+L+E+R=666. Another numerological candidate is Henry Kissinger. Letting A=6, B=12, C=18, etc, produces K+I+S+S+I+N+G+E+R=666. Many people can be proved to be the Antichrist using this method. For example, Jesus himself is the Antichrist by letting A=9, B=18, C=27, D=36, and so forth: J+E+S+U+S = 90 + 45 + 171 + 189 + 171 = 666. In fact, getting someone's name to add up to 666 involves solving a very simple linear diophantine equation.

In Hebrew numerology, Adolf Hitler Austria adds up to 666.

Candidates for the Antichrist have been men in virtually all positions of public influence. The choices made probably say more about the political prejudices of the people making them than anything else. Among the modern candidates, one may find Charles Prince of Wales,George W. Bush Sam Walton, Bill Gates, Michael Jackson, Adolf Hitler, George Steinbrenner, Joseph Stalin, John Lennon, Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, Tom Cruise, Nelson Mandela, Stephen Tong, William Hung, Alexander Ovechkin various Popes or the Roman Catholic Church, the World Council of Churches, Justin Timberlake, and recent Presidents of the United States. Since the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attack, theories about Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, Condoleezza Rice, Hillary Clinton, or Dick Cheney being the Antichrist have been put forward. In addition, apocalyptic Christians such as Herb Peters and Constance E. Cumbey point to Javier Solana. Other Christians believe that the Antichrist will arise from the European Union].

In 1798, General Berthier marched against Rome and took Pope Pius VI captive. The pope died in 1799, making the world believe that the papacy was dead. The papacy grew and became the most influential political and religious power in the world.

It has been claimed (in the book "Cracking the Apocalypse Code" by Gerard Bodson) that this line refers to the defeat of Germany in World War 1 and its recovery under the Nazis. Germany is named as one of the heads of the beast (the other heads representing the other members of the Axis Powers: Italy, Japan, Finland, Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary).

Claims about world leaders echo the plot of the Left Behind series of novels (by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins) that the Antichrist may be the Secretary-General of the United Nations. LaHaye and Thomas Ice publish a newsletter that speculates about these matters, and they have also suggested that the rise of militant Islam in the 21st Century is a possible sign of the End Times, as being the false religion of the Antichrist and his partner, the False Prophet. The Mahdi, an Islamic eschatological figure who resembles a latter-day Muhammad, has similarly been equated with the Antichrist, typically by futurist dispensational Christians.

In addition certain occultists and Satanists have proclaimed themselves to be the Antichrist, including John Whiteside Parsons.

The Antichrist is a popular archetype for villains in fictional works. Many antagonists are written to have Antichrist-esque personalities, such as Alex Rosewater and Final Fantasy VII's Sephiroth.

The number 666 is often correlated in a popular urban legend to the Papacy by the Latin name for the seat of the Pope. Vicarius Filii Dei, of which the letters which are also Roman numerals would add up to 666. This title is, according to the urban legend, used widely for the papal seat and is said to be found on the famous "triple crown" worn by the Pope. This is however not true, as can be read in the main article.

Prophetic Identification

By all accounts found in Christian literature, God revealed to the Apostle John of things to come. Although it's possible that John may not have fully understood the vision, he summarized what he saw as best as he could. Even though the term "antichrist" does not appear once in his book of Revelation, the last book of the Holy Bible, it is widely believed that the antichrist, (or little horn) is described in the 12th chapter.

"And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

According to , the sea (in prophecy) refers to nationalities and kingdoms According to , the horns are kings, or rulers. According to , blasphemy is claiming to be God.

And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

The beast is a conglomerate of the first four beasts from . The dragon is Satan.According to :

And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.

And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?

And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, and His tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

If any man have an ear, let him hear.

He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the FIRST beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.

And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six." According to recent research by Biblical archaeologists, however, this section may have been mistranslated, and the actual number may be 616.

See also

• Der Antichrist by Nietzsche
• Armageddon
• Great Apostasy
• End times
• Biblical Historicism, the Reformation viewpoint: Pope as Antichrist
• Dajjal, the Muslim Antichrist
• Millennialism
• Nostradamus
• Number of the Beast
• Satan
• Qiyamah, the Muslim Day of Judgment
• List of fictional Antichrists
• Summary of Christian eschatological differences
• Whore of Babylon
• The Wicked One
• Armilus, a Jewish anti-Messiah

References

• Boyer, Paul. 1992. When Time Shall Be No More: Prophecy Belief in Modern American Culture. Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap/Harvard University Press. ISBN 067495128X
• Fuller, Robert C. 1995. Naming the Antichrist: The History of an American Obsession. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195082443
• McGinn, Bernard. 1994. Antichrist: 200 Years of the Human Fascination with Evil. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-11977-1
• Bodson, Gerard. 2000. Cracking the Apocalypse Code: The Shocking Secrets of the Book of Revelation Decoded. Element Books. ISBN 1862047308
• Bunker, Michael. 2001. Swarms of Locusts: The Jesuit Attack on the Faith Writers Club Press. ISBN 0595252974

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