The Antichrist and God's Promise of Hope for Believers

The Antichrist and the Final Rebellion

Christians and non-Christians alike are familiar with the term Antichrist. For centuries people have speculated that one or the other individual was that person. Since Christ has not yet returned, those speculations were mistaken.

Let's examine Scripture concerning the Antichrist and God’s hope for believers, showing how God provides guidance, protection, and encouragement even in times of great deception. The true Antichrist will usher in events that lead to a final rebellion on the earth, then Jesus will return as the warrior king coming to righteously judge a fallen world.

Many Antichrists, But One True Enemy of God

Jesus warned us there would be many people who would rise up and be antichrists but only one final Antichrist would rise up against God’s people to utterly destroy them. What power will this figure possess? How will he "deceive the nations"?

The Great Tribulation and the Covenant with Israel

The period known as the Great Tribulation, or the Day of the Lord, will begin when the Antichrist makes a covenant peace treaty with Israel. This seven year period is described in Zephaniah 1:15-16, “That day will be a day of wrath— a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness— a day of trumpet and battle cry.”

Many terrible judgments will befall the earth during this time period. No matter how bad things are though the majority of people will refuse to turn to Christ and repent. In fact, they will almost certainly blame God for these events and not see them as just consequences for their rejection of Jesus.

Jesus describes events leading up to the Tribulation as the "beginning of birth pains" (Matthew 24:8). He describes these days as unequal to anything that has happened since the beginning of the world and if those days weren't shortened everyone would die (Mark 13:19-20). The latter portion of the Tribulation will be the worst. This is when the Antichrist will set himself up in the Temple in Jerusalem as God. These horrors will lead many in Israel to repentance and to the recognition that Jesus is the true Messiah, fulfilling prophecies such as Zechariah 12:10 and Romans 11:26.

The Antichrist and God's Hope

Many people read these warnings and become fearful, to the point that they refuse to even read the book of Revelation. But Revelation was written by John to give hope to the early church, which was under severe persecution. How did the book give hope? By showing us the victory of Christ over His enemies and ours, and by giving us a glimpse of the Heavenly City, the New Jerusalem, and all the wondrous blessings that await us. How does it make you feel: frightened, sober, or hopeful?

The Antichrist as a Counterfeit Christ

The Antichrist will literally be a counterfeit Christ. He will do signs and wonders, but not to glorify God, but rather to glorify himself. He will deceive through lies, just as Satan, who will possess him, always has. Just as in the garden so long ago, the Antichrist will cause people to doubt what God has said. Then after doubt has been introduced, he will twist Scripture and convincingly lie to people about God and who He is. We have a description of his actions in Daniel chapter 7.

Daniel 7: 25 tells us, "He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time." This is usually interpreted as Christian persecution lasting for 3 and 1/2 years of the 7 years of Tribulation prior to Christ's triumphant return.

Similarly, in Revelation 13:5 he is described as speaking "great things and blasphemies" against God. And in 2 Thessalonians 2:9 we are told, "The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders." If we are not firmly rooted in God's word and seeking His truth it will be easy to be deceived.

We are also told in Revelation 13:7 that the Antichrist will wage war against the saints and that he will overcome them (Daniel 7:21; 25). But who are these saints if the church has already been taken out of the world? If you accept a Pre-Tribulation Rapture, they are the people who come to Christ during the Tribulation. At the midpoint of the Tribulation, 2 Thessalonians 2:4 explains that the Antichrist will pretend to be God and will be worshipped by the world as God.

Interpreting 2 Thessalonians 2:4 About the Antichrist

Interpretations vary on this passage with some believing:

• the Antichrist will be worshipped in a literal, newly rebuilt temple;

• others say this verse points to corrupt power within the church;

• still others point to a historical interpretation with figures like Nero or Caligula;

• finally, others believe it refers to a recurring spirit of rebellion against God, climaxing in a final Antichrist.

The earliest interpretations of the church were that it would be a literal temple.

The False Prophet, the Mark of the Beast, and 666

The Antichrist will have a "right hand man" as it were, the False Prophet. The task of the False Prophet will be to cause people to worship the Antichrist as God. He will erect an image of him and cause people to worship it. They will be willing to because the image will speak in such a convincing way people will not doubt the Antichrist is God (Revelation 13:14-15). He will be able to mimic miracles, such as calling fire down from Heaven like the prophet Elijah (Revelation 13:13)

To ensure people all over the world worship the Antichrist, the Lawless One as he is also known, a mark will be introduced that will be placed on the hand or the forehead. Without this mark people will neither be able to buy or sell anything (Revelation 13:16-18). God's people will, however, have a seal that identifies them as Christ's own. Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30 refer to our seal as that of the Holy Spirit, "the guarantee of our inheritance."

Those who choose to worship the Antichrist have sealed their fate as well. They will have no part in the life that Christ offered. The Bible even says God will send them a "strong delusion" so they believe the lies of the Antichrist (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12).

Some might say that is unfair, as if they had no choice. But Scripture makes clear they first rejected the truth, and in judgment God gave them over to the lies they had already embraced in their hearts (Romans 1:24–28). Much like when the Israelites tried to flee Pharoah and God hardened his heart. Pharaoh was simply given over to the fate he had already chosen. A fate opposed to God. In both cases, God “gave them over” (Romans 1:24-28).

This mark the doomed will receive is the "number of a man" or "666". There has been much speculation as to what this means. What we can know about this is that 7 is God's number, a symbol of completion, while 6 is man's number, and a symbol of incompletion. Early Christians often saw it as symbolizing human rebellion against God.

Can we discover who the Antichrist is by some sort of name/number manipulation? We can almost certainly not. With what we currently know all we can do is guess. What we do know is the Antichrist deceives, persecutes, and ultimately divides people into those sealed by God and those marked by him.

The Return of Christ and Our Readiness

There are various interpretations as to when Jesus will return for His Church. Many people believe in a pre-Tribulation (Pre-Trib) return, known as the Rapture, others believe His return for His people will be in the middle of the Tribulation (Mid-Trib) and still others believe His Church will be taken at the very end of the Tribulation (Post-Trib) when He comes in judgment on the earth.

The most important point is not so much when He takes His Church but our readiness for His return. Although we have waited almost 2,000 years for Him to come back, we know that His return could be at any moment. As persecution of Christians increases around the world, are we ready to be counted as His if we could lose our life for our faith?

It's often easy to nod our heads and say "Yes" I would never deny Him but we need to understand what that really means. It isn't just our own death or persecution we must consider but also the effects it might have on our families, our children, and those we love.

This can be a hard road that we have chosen, but thankfully we are not alone. The Holy Spirit who has sealed us lives within us, strengthens us, and calls us to not be afraid. As we face challenges in these times, the story of the Antichrist and God’s hope reminds us even amid deception and persecution, God provides protection, guidance, and eternal assurance.

My prayer is that those I love are also covered by the blood of Christ and sealed with the Holy Spirit, but most especially in times of persecution. Join with me in praying:

Dear Father,

We thank you and we praise You for the love you have shown us.

We love you Father and seek your will in all things.

Protect us and give us strength for the challenges ahead.

Guide our families to walk always with You.

We give you the honor and the glory,

In Jesus' name,

Amen