|
THE ANTICHRIST
****** W A R N I N G *****
This text is prepared in response to a belief which arose in
the APOLOGETICS section that the Antichrist was not a real
person. It is the contention of this paper that indeed he is
real and he will appear in human history as just that. This is
not a discourse in apologetics, but an interpretation of
scripture taken in its literal sense. It is for information
addressed to those who have a desire to know about this person.
Its "proof" is in the scripture.
*************************
INTRODUCTION
The Antichrist is the name of a future personage who will
influence the world in an a masterful and pernicious way. Some
have said that the biblical references to him refer to an
institution, a spiritual environment, or to a financial system.
While the Bible is full of symbols, even a cursory examination of
the scriptures applicable to the Antichrist will reveal that he
is a man, not a symbol of an evil to come. The Bible gives a
clear outline of this inauspicious person - something it would
not do if he were anything other than a flesh and blood human
being.
THE PURPOSE OF THE ANTICHRIST
Why the Antichrist? What is his purpose in history? Why
does he arrive on the scene at this moment in human history? The
Bible is many things to many people, but one of its purposes is
to outline human history. God is not trapped within the realms
of time as He has always been the I AM of the Hebrew scriptures -
something which we cannot fathom, but must accept if we are to
believe He is who He says He is. To discuss why evil exists is
outside the scope of this paper, but if we are to read the Bible
with any degree of literalism it is obvious evil is a prominent
factor in mankind and in the Bible. A great spiritual battle
between Satan and God has raged since he fell from Heaven and
Earth has been designated as the battleground. We read in
Genesis of the beginning encounter in that battle as man moved
into the arena, and we see the promise of the coming One who
would eventually finish the war with victory (Genesis 3:15) -
"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between
your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will
strike his heel." The Antichrist is Satan's final attempt to win
the war. He is also used by God as a focal point around whom the
evil will rally as the world approaches Armageddon.
THE ORIGIN OF THE ANTICHRIST
There has been much speculation regarding the origin of the
|