Understanding Antichrist

By Stephen C. Kanski

Unless you have been living under a rock, you’ve heard of this character called antichrist.    Even if you are not a student of the Bible, you can hardly have escaped hearing about him from such Hollywood movies as The Omen, The Seventh Sign,  Bless The Child and others.   Or just type “antichrist” into YouTube or your favorite search engine or AI model and you are off to the races.  

The antichrist is a hot topic among end-times scripture enthusiasts with everyone offering up their opinion as to who this mysterious figure might be.   Some of the names offered up for this ignominious honor in the past decades have included Henry Kissinger, John F. Kennedy, Saddam Hussein, Pope John Paul II and many others, including Donald J. Trump.   (Ronald Wilson Reagan has been suggested because his name consisted of three six-letter names.)

Even though antichrist is a popular topic these days, the concept of this character is not new.   In fact, as every Bible student knows, his advent has been prophesied in scripture.  The apostle John mentions him several times in his epistles:

“And every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and is already in the world.”   (I John 4:3)

“For many deceivers who do not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh have gone out into the world. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.”  (2 John 1:7)

“Little children, it is the last hour. As you have heard that the antichrist is coming” (1 John 2:18)

Also, the apostle Paul has much to say regarding antichrist, calling him the “man of sin” and “the son of perdition”.

“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition”  (2 Thessalonians 2:3)

The book of Revelation mentions the antichrist calling him “The Beast from the Sea” – (Revelation 13:1-10).

The book of Daniel in the Old Testament describes events surrounding a future ruler called the “Little Horn” who ascends to power in the last days.  He is described as:

Speaking great words against God – Daniel 7:25

Wear out the saints of the Most High – Daniel 7:25

Attempt to change the times and laws – Daniel 7:25

Reigns for 3 ½ years (a time, times and half a time) – Daniel 7:25

His judgement will eventually be taken away, consumed and destroyed – Daniel 7:26

The greatness of the kingdom, an everlasting kingdom will be given to the saints – Daniel 7:27

Most biblical eschatology scholars attribute these Daniel scriptures to the rise and fall of the antichrist.     Likewise, scriptures in the New Testament speak more regarding his destruction:

“ …the wicked one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His presence.” (2 Thessalonians 2:8)

“Then I saw the beast (antichrist) and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to wage war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.” (Revelation 19:19)

“But the beast was captured and with him the false prophet who worked miracles before him, with which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into the lake of fire that burns with brimstone.” (Revelation 19:20)

We see that the scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, have much to say about this man of sin, the son of perdition, the antichrist.   But if we want to get a more thorough understanding, we must cast a much wider net and rise to an eagle-eye view.

So far in this article we have spoken of the rise and fall of the specific end-times character we call the antichrist.   But to understand the phenomena surrounding his ascent, we need to stand back a way and look at the grooming of the global cultural that has been underway to allow this evil character to be able to manifest himself on the world stage.

The ascent of evil will not be sudden.   It will result from a natural, gradual acceptance of evil in the world spanning many decades, even centuries of acquiescence.   Because of this, evil has been able to gain its advantage in the world, not with sudden immediate revolutionary clashes, but with steady, resolute, subtle subterfuge.

This slow and steady march toward darkness has not been random or accidental.  The world has been deliberately gaslighted, especially America.     Looking back over the years, we can see how the church has capitulated when the Ten Commandments and Bible reading were taken out of our schools.   We agreed to the demands of those among us who rose up in defiance regarding the manifestation of any Christian displays in public places, erroneously twisting the concept of the separation of church and state.   Over the years, we have witnessed these gradual cultural and behavioral modifications and have spoken out against them, but only feebly without much success.

As a result of our tepid response, we saw evil gain a foothold in our culture.  We are astounded to see some of the bizarre issues and movements that have lately been embraced by facets of our culture.  Just a few decades ago, such behavior would have been unthinkable.   Now we have been forced to accept same-sex marriage, abortion on demand, transexual gender modification, gays in the pulpit and other equally godless acts.

How has this come about?   The secular world would tell us that these forms of behavior are the normal unfolding of human expression, all the while claiming that it was the religious sector of our society that had hitherto suppressed such expression.     

But all of these deviant expressions have one element in common.   They are in direct defiance of the revealed Word of God and the Judeo-Christian mindset that has been the foundation of western civilization for the last several centuries.

These severe cultural and social changes have appeared rather suddenly in our midst.   Looking back only a few short decades ago, such things would have been unthinkable   The current culture has turned its back on the Christian gospel that had been strongly embraced by former generations.

How?  Why?  What explanation can be adequate to account for this migration away from truth? As Christians we realize that these things are a direct result of satanic deception.

Christ warned us that toward the end of this age, deception would be so great that even the elect would be deceived if possible.   (Matthew 24:24)

The rejection of the gospel by this culture is reflected by the apostle Paul’s declaration:

But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ… should shine unto them. (2 Corinthians 4:3-4)

This hinderance of the gospel is a direct result of demonic influence within our culture conveyed via Hollywood, TV, music. literature, internet, universities and all other forms of social involvement.    

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the llfe” (John 14:6).   When the culture rejects Christ, they are rejecting the Truth and embracing the darkness, which opens them up to all forms of deception.    Their hearts and minds become corrupted and morally compromised.

When speaking of the antichrist, the apostle Paul said “the spirit of iniquity doth already work” (2 Thessalonians 1:4).  

The apostle John wrote:

Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. (1 John 2:18)

And:

Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. (1 John 2:22)

And:

And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist… (1 John: 4:3)

And:

For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.  (2 John 1:7)

So we begin to see that whole concept of “antichrist” is much broader than that of a single end-time boogieman.   In fact, the concept of antichrist includes everyone who rejects Christ.

Jesus himself said, “He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.“ (Luke 11:23).

So who then is antichrist?    Look around you.