As Christians, we are in a spiritual battle against all that is impure. Evil seeks to corrupt that which is holy, which makes it even more important for us to know the enemy. The Antichrist embodies evil in Christianity and is the polar opposite of Christ. According to the Christian tradition, the Antichrist will come to rule during the events of the Last Judgment.
But how much do we really know about the Antichrist?
In this blog, we will examine the origins, purpose, and convictions of the Antichrist as described in the Bible.
Interpretations
The Christian perspective of the Antichrist initially stemmed from the Jewish tradition and beliefs. The Book of Daniel in the Hebrew Bible mentions one who will oppose the Most High, seeking to change the laws and times.
He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time.
—Daniel 7:25
Christians interpreted him as a persecutor and often applied this ideology upon the Roman emperors, dishing out acts of tyranny toward the early Christians. But the most popular excerpts that made Christians aware of the Antichrist came from the first two epistles of John, the Revelation to John, alongside the Second Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians.
The first epistle of John distinguishes the key differences between the Antichrist and all the other antichrists that loom large, wreaking havoc upon the world. This interpretation saw the Antichrist as an entire society, not just one individual, allowing Christians to identify the “body of the Antichrist.”
In the Book of Revelations, we see the Antichrist being referred to as “the Beast from the Abyss.”
When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the abyss* will wage war against them and conquer them and kill them.
—Revelations 11:7
Doings and The Great Tribulation
In the Book of Revelations, the Antichrist plays a major role in the world’s end game with The Great Tribulation. It will be an event that will succeed the second coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
The Antichrist is said to reign for seven years before being cast into the Lake of Fire by Jesus. In those seven years, the persecutor will be behind many counterfeit miracles, wonders, and deceptive acts of evil.
He will be in power on Earth during the Tribulation, causing unending wars and famine. This begs the question: how close are we to the calamity so that we can prepare for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and save ourselves from the adversities that will follow?
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