Antichrist

In apocalyptic literature, the antichrist is a figure who is prophesied to appear near the end of the world in opposition to Jesus Christ and the Christian church. The antichrist is most often associated with the New Testament's Book of Revelation. However, the term is not used in Revelation. In earlier New Testament works, antichrist is the name given to false prophets who denied the teachings of Jesus. The popular notion of the antichrist as the leader of the forces of evil in a war against God has been linked to the figure known as the beast from Revelation. Many scholars believe the beast is a reference to the Roman Emperor Nero, who persecuted Christians in the first century CE. Yet, some religious leaders and followers believe the antichrist has yet to appear. They view his arrival as a symbol of Earth's final days and a sign of the impending apocalypse.

Background

The concept of a final battle between the cosmic forces of good and evil is found in many ancient religions. In the first millennium BCE, the Zoroastrian religion of the Persians held that their supreme god, Ahura Mazda, would battle the evil god, Angra Mainyu, at the end of time. Ancient Babylonian mythology tells of the great god Marduk, who defeated the forces of Tiamat, the demonic "Dragon of Chaos."

The images and concepts from the Persia and Babylonian myths no doubt influenced other religious traditions, including that of the ancient Jews. In the sixth century BCE, Babylonian forces invaded Jerusalem, enslaved the Jewish people, and took them back to Babylon. After seventy years, the Jews returned to their homeland, but in the fourth century BCE, the people were again conquered by a foreign invader. Hellenistic forces under the command of Alexander the Great took control of Jerusalem and occupied the region for more than three centuries.

During this period, Jewish authors began developing a new style of writing that reflected their longing for a restored homeland. These works became known as apocalyptic literature, from the Greek word apokalypsis, meaning "something revealed" or "an unveiling." On the surface, they seemed to be predictions of future events, foretelling God's ultimate triumph over his enemies at the end of days. Their true meaning was hidden behind deeply symbolic images meant to preach perseverance and encourage the hope that the enemies of the Jewish people would soon be defeated.

Overview

One of the best-known examples of Jewish apocalyptic literature was the Bible's Old Testament Book of Daniel, written about 165 BCE. The prophetic visions described by the author would go on to influence later concepts of the antichrist. In the book, Daniel sees a series of four beasts rising from the ocean. The last of these creatures is a terrible beast with ten horns. As the beast rampages across the earth, another horn sprouts from its head. This smaller horn grows eyes and a mouth and begins boasting and blaspheming the Jewish God. After some time, the beast is defeated, judged by God, and cast into the fire. Biblical scholars interpret the beasts as four ancient kingdoms that, at one time, had conquered the Jews. The final beast was the Seleucid Empire and the small horn represented an antichrist-like figure named Antiochus Epiphanes, a Seleucid king who persecuted the Jews in the second century BCE.

The word antichrist itself appears in only four verses in the Bible. It is used exclusively in the two New Testament epistles of John to refer to people who spread false teachings about Jesus Christ or who deny his divine nature. John mentions the presence of many antichrists and views them as a sign the end of days is near. This view of the antichrist is reflected in the meaning of the term, which comes from the Greek anti, meaning "opposite," and the word for Christ, khristos, (anointed), meaning the "opposite of Christ."

The most influential biblical work in developing the concept of the antichrist is the Book of Revelation, an apocalyptic account written in the late first century CE. Revelation's prophetic imagery is similar to that of the Book of Daniel. In its vision of the end of days, a great red dragon with seven heads and ten horns emerges from the sea to challenge God and claim dominion over the earth. Following the dragon, rising from the land, comes a beast with two horns and the voice of a dragon. This beast is known as the false prophet and can perform miracles. The beast deceives humanity into worshiping the red dragon and forces the people of Earth to bear his mark on their bodies. According to Revelation, his mark is the number 666.

Among scholars, there is some debate about the representation of the antichrist in Revelation. Some see him as the dragon, while others see him as Satan himself. However, most equate the antichrist to the beast, the loyal servant of the dragon who commands the armies of evil and leads humanity away from God. Many experts believe the author of Revelation intended the beast to represent Roman Emperor Nero, who violently persecuted Christians about the time the book was written.

Because the letters of many ancient alphabets had corresponding numerical values, proponents of the argument see the number 666 as biblical code signifying "Nero Caesar." Detractors claim that spellings often varied by language and that the figure 666 may be a mistranslation. Archaeological evidence uncovered in 2005 suggests the true mark of the beast may have been 616. This could possibly shift the identity of the beast away from Nero and toward Emperor Caligula, who ruled Rome more than a decade earlier.

Some interpretations of Revelation view the antichrist as representing not one person but the entire Roman Empire. Medieval scholars believed the biblical antichrist was not a historical figure but a contemporary religious leader, such as a corrupt pope. To some modern Christians, the antichrist represents a future political leader, who will make a bid for world domination in the final days before God's Last Judgement. In some views, the number of the antichrist—the mark of the beast—is a literal mark that all people will be required to obtain. Others see the mark as symbolizing a numerical identification system or even the numbers used by modern credit cards.

Bibliography

"Antichrist." New Advent, www.newadvent.org/cathen/01559a.htm. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.

Hanegraaff, Hank. "What Is the Meaning of 666?" Christian Research Institute, 8 May 2024, www.equip.org/bible‗answers/what-is-the-meaning-of-666. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.

Hitchcock, Mark. 101 Answers to Questions about the Book of Revelation. Harvest House, 2012.

"Is Rome the Beast (Antichrist) in the Book of Revelation?" Bible.org, 1 Jan. 2001, bible.org/question/rome-beast-antichrist-book-revelation. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.

Kovacs, Joe. "666 Wrong Number of Prophetic Beast?" World Net Daily, www.wnd.com/2005/05/30211. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.

McKenzie, Duncan W. The Antichrist and the Second Coming: A Preterist Examination. Xulon Press, 2012.

Vicchio, Stephen J. The Legend of the Anti-Christ. Wipf & Stock, 2009.

White, L. Michael. "The Antichrist: A Historical Puzzle." PBS, www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/apocalypse/antichrist/white.html. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.