In the minds of people, in mythology and religion, the existence of absolute good always implied the obligatory nature of universal evil. Therefore, if there are ministers of good, that is, the Lord, and the true church, then it means that there is also the army of the devil, “the synagogue of Satan”. The personification of world good is the image of Jesus, and evil is embodied in the image of antichrist. He is the antithesis of the first, "monkey of Christ." Who is the Antichrist will be discussed in the article.
In a broad sense
There are two answers to the question of who the Antichrist is. This is due to the fact that there are two ideas about it, general and particular.
In a general sense, it is one who:
- rejects the existence of Jesus Christ;
- does not confess it, come in the flesh;
- rejects the Father with the Son.
This is the story of the Antichrist by John the Evangelist, the Evangelist, in one of his epistles. At the same time, he adds that there are many of them and there will be many more. But these are only the predecessors of the coming of the Antichrist, understood in the strict sense of the word. John the Theologian also writes about him, calling him the last and great. It is precisely about him that they most often speak when they talk about the coming to earth of the Antichrist.
In strict understanding
The word in question is written in Greek as ό αντί-χριςτος. Its meaning is the enemy, the adversary of Christ, who by deceit pretends to be him. The preposition αντί, when added to another word, usually means “against”. But he also has a second meaning - “instead of”. The prophecies about the coming of the Antichrist in the Holy Scriptures testify to the fact that he is understood both as his adversary, enemy, and as a false Christ, that is, his replacement.
The apostle Paul speaks of him as a man of sin, exalted above everything, called God, impersonating him, who sits in the temple of God. He resists the Almighty and Jesus.
In the Gospel of John, Christ told the Jews that he came to them in the name of his Father, but they do not accept him, and if another comes in his name, he will be accepted by them. By this is meant the coming of Antichrist. This is also indicated in the Gospel of Matthew, when Jesus prophesies the end of the world.
Other names
The scriptures give other names for the Antichrist. This is about:
- unholy;
- devastator;
- man of sin;
- a man of lawlessness;
- the son of perdition;
- the lawless;
- the small horn of a terrible beast;
- red beast;
- a beast emerging from the sea.
Thus, the prophet Daniel speaks of the small horn that grew among ten others of a terrible, strong beast, implying the arrival of the Antichrist.
The Apocalypse speaks of a beast with ten horns and seven heads, emerging from the sea, at the same time resembling a bear, a lion and a leopard. The scarlet beast, the eighth of seven, is also described there. He comes out of the abyss.
Name Number
All of the above names are either common or descriptive. How common is the antichrist. In the scripture, his own name does not appear, it is unknown. Irenaeus of Lyons explains this by the fact that it is not worthy to be sanctified from the Holy Spirit.
In the Apocalypse, only the number 666 is indicated, referring to the name of the beast, that is, the Antichrist. Therefore, it is called the bestial number. The language of the Apocalypse is Greek, and in it, as in Slavic, each of the letters of the alphabet denotes a number. Therefore, theologians believe that the name of the beast consists of numbers, which in total will give the number 666.
Antichrist is a man
The fact that this is a person, a certain person, says the Holy Scripture. Through the mouths of the holy fathers and teachers, the ancient Ecumenical Church has always preached the doctrine, according to which it is the only person. And even heretics did not reject this doctrine, did not doubt its truth. Subsequently, it gained recognition in the Eastern Orthodox Church, and in Roman Latin.
As for the point of view of the Protestants, as well as Russian schismatics, they see the Antichrist as a collective person, meaning a lot of people. Or, by it they mean the spirit of evil, which is manifested in these persons and in people in general.
This teaching was proclaimed by Martin Luther. Nowadays, some Protestant scholars do not adhere to it. The orthodox church considers it false, heretical. Just like the teachings of Bretschneider, a Protestant rationalist, that the Antichrist is the personification of evil.
From whom does he come from?
According to theologians, by nature he will be the same person as all people. And he will be born just like all of them. Holy Scripture, like Church Tradition, does not contain information that the incarnated devil will be the antichrist. As well as the fact that its origin will be associated with a mixture of evil spirit and woman.
Answers to questions about who the Antichrist will come from and where he will be born are not unambiguous. It is widely believed that he will be a native of the Jews, from the tribe of Dan. There is an assumption that he will be from a pagan environment. There is an opinion that he comes from perverted Christianity.
Since ancient times, there was an idea that he would be born from an illegal connection. Some consider Babylon the place of his birth, others Rome.
The Legend of Nero
In the days of the ancient Christians, a legend developed about Emperor Nero as the Antichrist. She had two versions. According to one of them, he was not killed, and he went to the Parthians, where he lives secretly. Once he appears under the guise of the antipode of Christ. And then the Romans will be severely punished. Another version says that Nero really died, but in the future he will be resurrected, and the resurrected emperor will be the expected beast.
When is his arrival expected? Antichrist will appear just before the next coming of Christ. It is coming before the end of the world. This is stated in sources such as:
- Book of the Prophet Daniel
- Apocalypse.
- The gospel.
- Second Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians.
But since the date of Christ's coming and the end of the world is unknown, it is also unknown when the Antichrist will come.
Biblical predictions
However, the Bible still indicates events that should indicate the coming of Antichrist. It will be prepared over a long period. The apostle Paul described this preparation as "the secret of lawlessness already in force."
By this, he probably meant the actions of Satan, who for the time being sowed evil secretly, and under the Antichrist he would openly and fiercely fight on earth against Christ and the Kingdom of God. This is also said in the Apocalypse.
In the Gospel of Matthew there is a parable about wheat and tares, which teaches that good and evil grow and develop together, and this will continue until the end of the world. Growth choked, like evil, and is a sign of the coming of Antichrist.
Forerunners
In particular, the preparations for this event are its predecessors or forerunners. These include people who are wicked and hostile to God. Those called antichrists in the broad sense of the word. John the Theologian says that the spirit of the beast already exists in the world. This is the spirit of opposition to the Almighty and the incarnating Son of Him.
Some of these antichrist are seen as prototypes of the latter. Such in the Old Testament was Antiochus IV or Antiochus Epiphanes. This king of Syria brutally persecuted the Jews and their faith, striving for their complete eradication.
Other types are seen in Balaam and Goliath, who were opponents of Moses and David. The latter two were considered as types of Christ. The prototypes of the Antichrist are also seen in the kings of Tire and Babylon. All of them are remote preparations for the coming of the beast.
In recent times
More obvious signs of the coming of Antichrist will appear at the time of his immediate approach. Then the growth of evil will especially intensify. This, in particular, is stated:
- In a speech by Jesus on the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the world.
- In the epistles of the Apostle Paul addressed to Timothy.
- John the Evangelist in the Apocalypse.
In these sources there are predictions that in recent times all kinds of vices, unbelief and wickedness will especially spread and multiply. Faith will fade, and love will fade. The religious and moral decline will entail the inevitable decline of the established family system, and after it the society and the state.
In connection with the decline of morality and religion, with a disorder in public relations, human disasters will also multiply. Partly this will result from increased viciousness, and partly - God's punishment for it.
From this very abyss of evil and calamity, the Antichrist will arise. Therefore, John the Evangelist saw him in the form of a beast - either emerging from the abyss, or from the sea. Saint Irenaeus says that he will lead all wickedness and treachery, concentrating in himself all the apostate power.
Two witnesses
People will take different faces for the beast, but when he does appear, then true believers will recognize him using the signs indicated in the scripture. This is stated by Ephraim the Syrian. And also two more of his witnesses will appear. They will be sent by God and will prophesy for 1260 days. And after that they will be killed by the Antichrist. This is also indicated by the Apocalypse.
These are Enoch and Elijah. The first of these is a character from the Old Testament who was the seventh patriarch, starting with Adam. He was a descendant of Seth and great-grandfather of Noah. Enoch lived four thousand years BC. e. At the age of 365, the Creator took him alive to heaven.
The second is the prophet Elijah, who lived in the kingdom of Israel in the 9th century. BC e. The Bible also says of him that he was taken alive to heaven. According to the Book of Kings, a chariot of fire and horses of fire suddenly appeared, and Ilya rushed into the sky in a whirlwind.
According to Orthodox theologians, Enoch and Elijah are not in heaven, but in some secret place, where they expect the Apocalypse. Their coming is expected before the second coming of Jesus. They will be witnesses of the appearance of the Antichrist, and they will be killed by the beast that emerged from the abyss.
The Beast Comes
Having come to the world, he will destroy people by seduction and violence. He is called the son of perdition because he will destroy others and perish himself. He will sow evil and eradicate good. Antichrist will be exalted above God himself and will abolish his service. He will blaspheme, rejecting all religions and Christianity in particular.
He will attract people to himself with flattery, miracles and deception. And whoever these funds do not work on, he will force him to worship himself by persecution and deprivation. It will be impossible to either buy or sell anything unless the name of the beast or its number is imposed on a person’s hand or brow. And those who persevere will be killed.
All human beings will be trampled upon and destroyed, all the institutions of God will be violated, the structure of human society will be violated, marriage and family will be violated. The beast will mock the Divine and human laws. Judging by some of these signs, some preachers believe that the coming of Antichrist has already begun.
The reign of the beast, destructive and godless will last three and a half years. After that, Jesus will kill him, having destroyed the appearance of his coming. The Apocalypse says that the beast will be captured along with his false prophet, and both of them will be thrown alive into the lake of fire burning with sulfur. There they will be tormented forever and ever.