Bible Biography: Antichrist

SCRIPTURE: Daniel 7:8,21-26; 8:23-25; 9:26,27; 11:36-45; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12; Revelation 13:1-18; 17:16,17; 19:19,20.

BIOGRAPHY:

The Antichrist is the world ruler who will emerge as a violently anti-God despot, who will emerge after the removal of God's church. He comes from the gentile nations (the sea) in the last times. His power base will be a ten nation empire closely related to the old Roman Empire known as the Revived Roman Empire. The Antichrist is very clever and infiltrates by means of a peace campaign. He is, however, very hungry for power and once he wrests power from his subjects, he destroys the apostate religious system which has been working closely with him until then.

He makes a covenant with Israel, allowing them to sacrifice in the temple, but eventually sets himself up to be worshipped as God in the temple. His reign of almost seven years duration becomes increasingly and openly anti-God, involving signs and wonders. He has a close relationship with the false prophet, the leader of Israel at that time. At the end of his empire he moves on Jerusalem, which is being held by believers. Jesus Christ returns at the second advent to deliver those in Jerusalem and capture the Antichrist and false prophet, throwing them into the lake of fire.

SUMMARY:

a) The Antichrist arises out of the Gentile nations with the final empire of ten nations (Revelation 13:1).

b) The seven heads are seven mountains which speaks of Rome (Revelation 17:9).

c) There are seven kings: five are fallen, one is, and one is to come (Revelation 17:10). These are empires - the five that are fallen are Egypt, Assyria, Chaldea, Persia and Greece. The one in existence in 96 AD (when John wrote Revelation) was Rome, and the one to come is the Revived Roman Empire.

d) The ten horns are ten future kingdoms which receive power for a short time. (Revelation 17:12).

e) He rules empires (Revelation 13:2; cf. Daniel 7:4-6).

f) His power is from Satan (Revelation 13:2; cf. Revelation 20:2).

g) Satan gives Antichrist the world empire (Revelation 13:2).

h) Satanic worship is a key part of Antichrist's regime (Revelation 13:4,8).

i) He is a great orator. He is anti-God and has power for 3 1/2 years (Revelation 13:5).

j) His empire becomes a world empire (Revelation 13:7).

k) The dictator of Palestine who is demon possessed ("the false prophet") promotes him (Revelation 13:11).

l) Great wonders and miracles are a feature of this empire (Revelation 13:13).

m) A statue of the Antichrist is constructed. It has the ability to speak. Worship of it is compulsory on the pain of death (Revelation 13:14,15).

n) The Antichrist controls the world economy by marking members of the human race on the forehead or on the right hand (Revelation 13:16,17; cf. Revelation 14:9-1 1).

o) His number is 666, a number which represents "perfect man" or "perfect sin" (Revelation 13:18).

p) He will not be revealed until the restrainer is removed (2 Thessalonians 2:3-7)

q) The Antichrist's rule features power, signs and lying wonders from Satan himself (2 Thessalonians 2:9).

r) He deceives the unbeliever (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12).

s) The Antichrist is destroyed and thrown into the lake of fire at the second advent (Revelation 19:19,20).

LIFE LESSONS:

a) Satan is the ruler of this world (John 16:11).

b) World domination and internationalism is Satanic in origin (Genesis 11:6-9).

c) Miracles, signs and lying wonders are strategies employed by Satan to deceive (John 8:44).

d) Economic control of the individual enslaves that individual (Proverbs 22:7).

e) Ultimately vast power creates the delusion that the person in control is God (Genesis 3:5; Isaiah 14:13,14).

f) The antichrist will not be revealed until after the Rapture of the Church when the Holy Spirit who restrains him (and indwells all Christians) will be removed from the world (2 Thessalonians 2:3-7)

g) A few years of power is not worth an eternity of suffering.

h) Eventually man must account to Jesus Christ as his judge if he does not accept Jesus Christ as Savior (Revelation 20:12-15).

i) At a point, people become so hardened to God that God gives them over to their own delusions (2 Thessalonians 2:11, Romans 1:28).

j) The Antichrist is a person, not to be confused with the many antichrists of (1 John 2:18) or the "spirit of antichrist" of (1 John 4:3)


Study courtesy of the Evangelical Bible College Of Western Australia