ANTICHRIST IDENTIFIED

Anonymous

(Investigator 221, 2025 March)

INTRODUCTION

The biblical term "antichrist" refers to the greatest, most destructive opponent that Christianity and its worldwide ministry would encounter. The term refers to one main "the anti-Christ" of worldwide influence who was not yet present in the first century, and to many local ones.

The New Testament mentions "antichrist" five times but gives further information under other labels:

MANY ANTICHRISTS

The historical figure who served as a model for the Antichrist was Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the persecutor of the Jews, and he left a lasting impression upon the conception. Since then, ever-recurring characterizations of this figure are that he would appear as a mighty ruler at the head of gigantic armies, destroy three rulers (the three horns, Dan. 7:8, 24), persecute the saints (7:25), and devastate the Temple of God…  Preachers spread warning of the coming of Antichrist in order to call the people to repentance throughout the 14th and 15th centuries.

In medieval tradition Antichrist was to be a Jew, born in Babylon of the tribe of Dan. He will reign in Israel, rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, and persuade the Jews that he is the Messiah. He will also succeed in deceiving many Christians, though two witnesses will defend the faithful against him until Antichrist slays them. Three and a half years of terrible persecution will follow, until God finally destroys him on Mount Olivet. The millennium will then begin… Hippolytus (writing c. A.D. 202) and St. Cyril of Jerusalem (315-86) accept it… The legend was summed up by the tenth-century French monk Adso, and taken over by orthodox scholastics like Thomas Aquinas and Albertus Magnus. (p. 179)  

Archbishop Arnulf of Rheims seems the first to identify a pope as Antichrist doing so at the Council of Reims in A.D. 991, accusing Pope John XV. Waldenses and Albigenses took up the idea in the 12th century followed  by Martin Luther and many protestant writers.

The Lutheran book The Passionary of Christ and Antichrist (1521) has 13 pairs of pictures that contrast Christ and Antichrist, the latter being the Pope. The contrasting pairs of pictures are reprinted in Dau (1921) and include Christ's crown of thorns contrasted with the Pope's crowns of gold, Jesus washing his disciples' feet with the Pope getting his feet kissed, and Jesus living in humility with the Pope in worldly splendor.

16th century England during its wars with Spain regarded the Pope as Antichrist. In the 17th century each side in England's civil war denounced the other, especially its leaders Charles I and Oliver Cromwell, as antichrist:


In Russia Czar Peter the Great (1672-1725) was Antichrist:


Christians in SE Europe, threatened by the Ottoman Empire, believed  "the Turk" to be Antichrist. Christopher Angelus (1575-1638), a Greek severely mistreated by the Ottoman governor in Athens, claimed he had a vision revealing Muhammad as Antichrist.

Islamic eschatology includes "The Deceiving Messiah" an evil figure who pretends to be God before Judgment Day and deceives the world. But Isa (i.e. Jesus) will come down at Damascus and defeat and kill him. This is similar to II Thessalonians 2, which I'll discuss shortly.

Satanist and bi-sexual drug user Aleister Crowley (1875-1947) self identified as the "Great Beast" with the number 666 (Revelation 13) often interpreted as the Antichrist. In Australia Klotz (1999) reported: "A Satanist lesbian teenager who dubbed herself the 'Anti-Christ' and stalked and then unleashed a merciless attack on a New Zealand tourist has been jailed for 20 years." The tourist had her throat cut, was stabbed 22 times and thrown down a cliff, but survived.

Many 20th century Fundamentalists interpreted "the Antichrist" as a religious politician who will rule the world immediately prior to Jesus Christ's second coming. They link Antichrist with "the beast" (Revelation 13), the "king of the north" (Daniel 11), and a revived Roman Empire, and a final worldwide "great tribulation". Some regard the "Papacy" as the Antichrist. (Foster 1977; Jeffrey 1995) American prophetess Jeane Dixon claimed Antichrist was born February 5, 1962.



Antichrists under other labels are mentioned in Matthew 24:4-5, 24-26; Acts 20:29-30; Galatians 1:6-9; II Corinthians 11:3-4; 12-15; II Thessalonians 2:1-10. Jude writes about "ungodly", sexually promiscuous men who "deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ" (Jude 4) — words that echo John's words. So Jude too was writing about antichrists.

Wikipedia says: "Although the word "antichrist" (Greek antikhristos) is used only in the Epistles of John, the similar word "pseudochrist" (Greek pseudokhristos, meaning "false messiah") is used by Jesus in the gospels."

In summary the attributes of antichrists include:
•    They left Christian fellowship;
•    They are liars;
•    "Deny that Jesus is the Christ";
•    Intend to deceive Christians;
•    Sexually immoral.

To deny Jesus is "the Christ" is to deny he's the "Messiah" foretold in the Old Testament, and Son of God and savior. Theologians argue whether antichrist means "against Christ" or "instead of Christ". However, anyone who tries to replace Jesus, making himself "instead of Christ", is also against Christ. Antichrists are opposites of Christ in doctrines and ethics.



John wrote "you have heard that the antichrist is coming". The New Testament originally began as sermons and letters which were read aloud, therefore "heard".  II Thessalonians Chapter 2 describes a "lawless one" of global influence who puts himself above God, not labeled "Antichrist" but with all the attributes, and Christians heard about him:

3. Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for destruction [the Greek says "the son of destruction"]. 4. He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God. 5. Do you not remember that I used to tell you these things when I was still with you? 6. And you know what is now restraining him, so that he may be revealed when the time comes. 7. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but only until the one who now restrains it is removed. 8. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will destroy with the breath of his mouth, annihilating him with the manifestation of his coming. 9. The coming of the lawless one is apparent in the working of Satan, who uses all power, signs, lying wonders, 10. and every kind of wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refuse to love the truth and so be saved.

Verses 4, 9 and 10 imply that the "lawless one" is active worldwide similar to Christ who is preached in all nations. (Luke 24:45-47) We should therefore look for an ultimate Antichrist whose global influence rivals Jesus.

A Ranking Of The Most Important Persons In History (Hart 1981) has:


Hart ranked Mohammed first, Jesus third, because: "Christianity, unlike Islam, was not founded by a single person but by two people — Jesus and St. Paul — and the principal credit for its development must therefore be apportioned between those two figures." (p. 47)

Judging "importance" is subjective. Christianity includes the "father of modern physics" (Newton) and the founders of modern medical science. And scientific technology affects more people than Islam. Historian H.G. Wells could be correct: "This penniless preacher from Galilee is irresistibly the centre of history."



Verse 3
The "lawless one" will come with "rebellion" (= apostasy). The longest-lasting, most extensive, opposition to Christianity is Muhammad and Islam.

"Destined for destruction" is translated literally in other Bibles "the son of destruction". With "destruction" the father of  the "lawless one" it's a personification of destruction to portray the Antichrist as the ultimate destroyer. Judas who betrayed Jesus and tried to eradicate Christianity at its start was also called "son of destruction". (John 17:12

Verse 4
"Exalts himself above every god":
The goal of Muhammad and Islam was/is to replace every other religion and their gods.

Sits in the "temple of God":
Christians are "God's temple". (I Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:19; II Corinthians 6:16) Muhammad and Islam invaded numerous Christian areas and countries and suppressed Christian presence and influence.

The Quran's many references to the Bible and Christianity indicate Muhammad had considerable contact with Christians. The Quran even calls the Bible the "truth" although frequently contradicting it. In these ways Muhammad and Islam "went out from us" like the original 1st century antichrists. (I John 2:18-19)

Declares himself God:
Muslims prioritize Muhammad over Jesus, and the Quran over the Bible, whereas according to the Bible only God the Father is greater than Jesus. Jude's  words "The faith was once for all entrusted to the saints" (Jude 3) preclude the authenticity of future prophets who contradict the Bible.

Verse 7  Restraint on the Antichrist removed:
Some (e.g. Tertullian c.160-c.220 CE) interpret the restraint as being the Roman Empire. More likely the restraint was the Apostles including John, and their immediate successors like Timothy. (II Timothy 2:2, 15) This would also explain the meaning of "it is the last hour". (I John 2:18) It means that the restraint imposed on antichrists by living Apostles was almost ended. After the Apostles died Christianity diversified, apostasy flourished. When Muhammad arrived, Christianity or what Christianity had become was too divided to resist effectively.

Verse 8 Revealed and destroyed:
The Antichrist will still exist when Christ returns and is then exposed for what he is and annihilated.

Jude 4 Deny Jesus Christ:
Deny essential things about Christ such as "the Father sent his Son as the Savior of the world" (I John 4:14; 5:5) The Quran denies Jesus is God's son and that he was crucified, and much, much else. 



Jesus said "My kingdom is not of this world" and is known as the "prince of peace", but Islam seeks world rule by perpetual war:

9.29: Fight those who do not believe in Allah, nor in the latter day, nor do they prohibit what Allah and His Apostle have prohibited, nor follow the religion of truth, out of those who have been given the Book, until they pay the tax in acknowledgment of superiority and they are in a state of subjection. 9.30: And the Jews say: Uzair is the son of Allah; and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah; these are the words of their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before; may Allah destroy them; how they are turned away! 9.31: They have taken their doctors of law and their monks for lords besides Allah, and (also) the Messiah son of Marium and they were enjoined that they should serve one God only, there is no god but He; far from His glory be what they set up (with Him). 9.32: They desire to put out the light of Allah with their mouths, and Allah will not consent save to perfect His light, though the unbelievers are averse. 9.33: He it is Who sent His Apostle with guidance and the religion of  truth, that He might cause it to prevail over all religions, though the polytheists may be averse. (The Quran Chapter 9)

Truthfulness is one of the themes of the Bible, but in Islam "lying wonders and wicked deception" are integral strategies for world conversion. Peace treaties, for example, are not intended permanently, but to be abrogated (cancelled) when the balance of power becomes advantageous to Muslims. Treaties when weak and war resumed when strong is standard Islamic strategy toward making Earth a world for Allah.  (Robinson 2004)

Muslims distort, deny or ignore whatever history reflects poorly on Islam. The so-called "Andalusian paradise" (8th to 15th centuries) which refers to tolerance and justice in Spain under Muslim rule was really perpetual violence, discrimination and slavery, along with abductions, crucifixions and clitorectomies. (Fernandez-Merera 2016) The Crusades which Muslims condemn as unprovoked Christian aggression responded to a call for help by the Emperor of Constantinople. Jenkins (2008) reveals that: "From the eleventh century onward, the Christian landscape of Asia Minor was destroyed piecemeal..." (p. 117) Even in modern times when Turkey is more enlightened, genocide in 1915 liquidated 1½million Armenians. (Power 2003) But that too is denied.

Kidnapping is contrary to the Bible but Islam readily kidnaps for ransom or to force political concession or to get jailed Muslims released. Currently (February 2025) Israel is exchanging scores of Palestinian Arabs including murderers, bomb makers and rapists for each innocent Israeli kidnapped at a music festival or from their homes. Kidnapping for ransom, for slavery or for swapping is among the strategies instituted by Muhammad that have conquered 20% of the world for Islam. Stealing people for use as hostages condones criminals but condemns the innocent and contradicts the biblical principle: "One who justifies the wicked and one who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the LORD." (Proverbs 17:15; Ecclesiastes 8:14)

As regards Muhammad himself, a biography by Burleigh (2014) describes the beheadings, rapes, kidnappings, murders and devastations he wreaked across Arabia in stark contrast to the compassion and peace taught by Jesus. Burleigh's back cover summary says:

"Muhammad was a diseased genius, an epileptic psychopath with a clever tongue who believed God talked to him, a toxic mixture that transformed him over time into a mass murderer and a despot pushing a delusional cult about himself. What energized  him was the power of conviction from his epileptic experiences that he had a special mission. He was intolerant of all and sundry who opposed him and unleashed unending warfare again them. What he called the religion of submission to God's will was in effect submission to his will... Muhammad's diseased legacy continues unabated, and it threatens to consume the world of today."

Regarding antichrists being "sexually immoral" and "indulge their own lusts" as Jude describes them, think about Islamic polygamy; pre-teenage wives; women captured or kidnapped in war being distributed among the warriors as booty; and clerics mediating short marriages of hours or days followed by divorce.

Having taken 20% of the world by force Islam instituted ethics and standards that entrenched poverty and ignorance, degraded women, and made Islam miss out on much of Europe's scientific and economic revolution. As a consequence many countries from central Africa to Afghanistan are political and economic wastelands suffering from poverty-inducing policies and laws. In Yemen alone 200,000 children have reportedly died in recent years from malnutrition but militant Muslims don't criticize that.

British public commentator, Melanie Phillips, author of The Builder's Stone: How Jews and Christians Built the West and Why Only They Can Save It (2025) reported in 2010:


A group in Australia defends honor killings and wants Australia converted to Islam: "The maintenance of a separate identity within Australia will be a precursor... Then the Muslim community in Australia will become part of a global caliphate, governed not by Australian politicians but its own Muslim leaders, and answerable not to Australian law but to sharia." (Quoted by Penberthy, 2014) Penberthy comments: "…groups such as this use freedoms afforded to them under a liberal democracy to argue for a social order which despises those values and which in their mind can be rightly brought about by violence against civilians."

Terrorist atrocities worldwide now occur in thousands every year:


Lone-wolf terrorists accepted as refugees into Western countries, increasingly take it upon themselves to shoot, stab, bomb, or run down with trucks or cars innocent citizens of the country that gave them refuge! In Germany three incidents in recent months injured, maimed or killed hundreds.

Intimidation by threat and violence to facilitate submission and conversion are major differences between Muhammad and Jesus, the Quran and the Bible.



The Bible foretold the coming of many "antichrists", but also one great the Antichrist "exalted above every god", active until Christ returns. Hitler, Mussolini and others of Christian background were antichrists, despising Christ's example and denying his authority, but were not the Antichrist.

Sectarian belief that the Antichrist appears at a future, brief "great tribulation" has repeatedly lost credibility when predicted dates brought nothing.

Therefore, could the Antichrist of Scripture have arrived long ago and now lives representatively via his writings and supporters who copy his conduct and objectives — Muhammad and Islam? If so, then Western governments who accept millions of Muslim immigrants without requiring signed commitments to Western values and freedoms, facilitate the Antichrist's agenda.



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Dau, W.H.T. 1921 At The Tribunal Of Caesar, Concordia

Fernandez-Morera, D. 2016 The Myth of the Andalusian Paradise, ISI Books

Foster, T. 1977 The Antichrist, Hoskin & Son

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Penberthy, D. Sunday Mail, June 29, 2014, p. 63

Power, S. 2003 "A Problem From Hell" America and the Age of Genocide, Flamingo

Richardson, J. 2012 Mideast Beast: The Scriptural Case for an Islamic Antichrist, Kindle Edition

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