Who Is The Antichrist?

The major religions of the world are all waiting for their messiah to appear. Christians should understand, the Bible records one individual who comes disguised, who comes to deceive, who comes before Christ, and that is the Antichrist.

In this study, we prove Satan is the Antichrist who will appear displaying signs and lying wonders, all in an attempt to substitute himself in place of God. We explain why this will occur, and how it will end.

We should be careful to note, while John said anyone who does not accept Christ and our Father is an antichrist, he warned us in the Last Days, the Antichrist shall come, (1 John 2:18, Mark 13:22).

Defining The Antichrist

In order to properly understand this subject, we must first define the word “Antichrist” which means,

An opponent of the Messiah”.

Now we all know Jesus Christ is our Messiah, in fact, “Christ” means, “the anointed Messiah”.

By definition then, the Antichrist is the opponent of Jesus Christ.

We also know Satan is the opponent of Jesus Christ. Satan is the ultimate enemy of God and His children. Satan is our “adversary”, our “opponent” who is “as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”, (1 Peter 5:8).

If we break down the word “Antichrist” further, we learn “anti” means,

“Opposite, instead, substitution”.

The “opposite”, “instead” or “substitution” of who?

Jesus Christ.

When we put this all together, the Antichrist is “the opponent of the Messiah” who comes in “substitution” of the Messiah.

The Antichrist Appears Before Jesus

Turn your Bible with me to,

2 Thessalonians 2:1
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him.

The subject is the Return of Jesus Christ and how we gather back to Him. We are going to learn, before Jesus Christ appears, the Antichrist must appear claiming to be God.

2 Thessalonians 2:3
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.

That means, the return of Jesus Christ will not occur until there is a “Falling Away”, and the “man of sin” who is the “son of perdition” is revealed. 2 Thessalonians 2 will completely document these beings are one and the same, being Satan, the opponent of Christ.

Now the “Falling Away” we read of means,

Defection from truth, apostasy, forsake”.

“The Great Apostasy” is being described here. The moment when Christians “defect” from the True Jesus Christ, and unknowingly accept and worship the false messiah, the Antichrist. The people will “forsake” Jesus as they will believe He is already on earth.

I want to make it clear, the Antichrist will not claim to be the Devil. Remember, the Antichrist is “the opponent of the Messiah” who comes to “substitute” himself as the Messiah. Satan will accomplish that by claiming to be God and displaying miraculous signs and wonders before the people of the earth as we will explain.

Let us continue.

Man Of Sin

The “man of sin” described in this verse is a supernatural being, not a literal man of flesh and blood. That is only symbology, a figure of speech. For example, Jesus Christ is called the “son of man”, while the Angels are called “men” and “sons of God”, though they are all supernatural.

In Isaiah 14:12-16 we have the Fall of Satan, there Satan is called Lucifer. Then in verse 16, God calls Satan a “man”. So do not become confused and picture the “man of sin” as a literal man of flesh and blood. The “man of sin” is the individual who brought about sin, and that was Satan in The World That Was, far before the present age we now reside in.

Satan’s sinned in that former age by attempting to place himself above God. Satan wanted to be God, and Satan will claim to be God when he is finally cast from Heaven to earth where he will reign as the Antichrist. The moment Satan substitutes himself in place of God.

Son Of Perdition

In 2 Thessalonians 2:3 we also have the title “son of perdition”. The word “perdition” quite literally means, “destruction, die, perish”, (John 17:12; Revelation 17:8, 11, 20:10). So we are looking for a “son” of God who is sentenced to “perish”.

Satan is the only individual that fits this categorization. God condemned Satan to death in Ezekiel 28:18-19 even indicting he was in the Garden of Eden, which identifies him as the serpent.

God told Satan, I will,

“Bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.”

The death sentence God issued for Satan will be executed after the Millennium, (John 16:11, Revelation 20:10).

These simple facts help us understand, Satan is the Antichrist, the “man of sin,” the “son of perdition,” the “man of lawlessness” who causes the “Falling Away”. Do not be confused, Satan has many other names and titles in the Bible.

2 Thessalonians 2 still has more evidence for us to consider.

The Antichrist Claims To Be God

2 Thessalonians 2:4
Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Notice, this verse ties the “man of sin”, the “son of perdition” to the one “substituting” himself in place of God. By definition, the Antichrist.

These are the actions of Satan who wanted God’s Throne in The World That Was. Satan will finally have the opportunity to “substitute” himself in place of God by claiming to be Him. This event initiates the Tribulation, bringing about the “Falling Away”, The Great Apostasy which is a global “defection from truth”.

While many expect the Antichrist to appear bringing literal war and destruction with him, nothing could be further from the truth as we just read.

Remember, Jesus Christ is not coming to destroy the world and wreak havoc. Christ is coming to restore order, to “smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron”, (Revelation 19:15). So that will be Satan’s message as well. Satan will claim he is God, who has brought his kingdom to earth to restore order.

Further, in the book of Daniel, we are told the Antichrist comes in peace, and through “peace he shall destroy many”, (Daniel 8:24-25, 11:21). Satan will “destroy many” as they will believe his lies, signs, and miracles which convince the people he is God, (Revelation 13:13). This will fulfill the “Falling Away” we read about, and unless these souls repent and come out of confusion, their soul will perish, (Revelation 14:9-11).

We should understand, only the Saints who are Sealed will recognize Satan as the Antichrist when he appears on earth, (Daniel 7:21, Revelation 7:1-4, 9, 13:7). As the Saints begin to speak against Satan, he will wage a spiritual war against them, all without revealing his true identity to the world.

The world will perceive Satan as God, and the Saints as outcasts and troublemakers for refusing the Mark of the Beast, and for standing against the perceived Messiah.

2 Thessalonians 2:7
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

Iniquity” means “wickedness”, and we know this was brought about by Satan. He is the iniquity that has worked for thousands of years. In fact, Satan was crowned prince of this world centuries ago, he is the god of this world, and will soon be crowned king, (2 Corinthians 4:4, John 12:31).

To understand the second part of this verse, we need to remember it is Michael who holds Satan in Heaven, and Michael will be the one who casts Satan out, (Revelation 12:7-9). That is what we are talking about here, and this is a description of the War in Heaven.

The Antichrist Is Revealed By Jesus’ Appearance

2 Thessalonians 2:8
And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.

Who is the Wicked one?

The ‘worker of iniquity’, the “man of sin”, the “son of perdition” who causes the “Falling Away”. We are talking about Satan, the Antichrist, the opponent of Jesus Christ, the individual who must appear on earth before Christ appears on earth as explained in verse 1.

Notice, the Antichrist is not revealed to the world until the appearance of Jesus Christ. Then Satan will be “revealed” which means to “take off the cover”. Simply meaning, at the appearance of Jesus Christ, His brightness “with power and great glory” will remove the veil Satan placed over himself, (Matthew 24:30). It will remove Satan’s symbolic appearance as a lamb, and reveal the Dragon inside.

This will be the moment when the people of the earth, from the great to the least say to the mountains and rocks,

“Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.”

Revelation 6:16

The people say this in order to hide their shame for worshipping and serving the Devil instead of Jesus, and for those who never believed at all, (Luke 13:28).

Remember, only the Saints who are Sealed with the Word of God will recognize Satan as the false messiah when he appears on earth, (1 Thessalonians 5:4, Revelation 7:1-4, 9).

2 Thessalonians 2:9
Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.

This verse brings it all together.

“Even him” has been added to the Bible which adds confusion to the Scripture.

God’s Word is telling us, Jesus Christ will appear on earth after the workings of Satan. This verse connects Satan as the “Wicked”, the “man of sin”, the “son of perdition” who causes the “Falling Away”.

This proves, Satan appears on earth, before Christ appears on earth. This makes Satan “the opponent of Christ”, the one who “substitutes” himself as God by claiming to be Him, which defines and means, Satan is the Antichrist.

The “signs and lying wonders” we just read of are those spoken of in Revelation 13:13-14 that are brought about by the Dragon who is Satan, (Mark 13:22, Revelation 12:9).

Do not be confused by the various titles Satan possesses. Satan has numerous names and titles all throughout the Bible. So does Jesus Christ, even our Heavenly Father. Names and titles are descriptions. They provide us with clarification as to who the individual is, letting us know their position, purpose, and they even help us understand a subject at times.

Satan Is Disguised As An Angel Of Light

None of this should surprise us.

Turn your Bible with me to,

2 Corinthians 11:14
And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

Satan is not “transformed” into an angel of light, Satan has already been condemned to death. This word “transformed” means “disguised”.

Satan will be “disguised” as an Angel of light, “disguised” as God, “disguised” as the very Lamb of God, (Revelation 13:11-13). These additional indicators help us understand, Satan is the Antichrist. That “Wicked” who displays “signs and lying wonders” to “seduce” which means “to stray from truth” even the Elect, if it were possible, (Mark 13:22).

While the world will “stray from truth” and partake in The Great Apostasy, only the Saints who are the Elect are Sealed against Satan’s lies and deception.

The Antichrist Is Cast From Heaven

We will now learn how the Antichrist appears.

Revelation 12:7-8
7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels.

8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

God’s Word just explained, Satan is in Heaven, as startling as that may be to some. This verse also documents what we learned in 2 Thessalonians 2:7.

We are reading about the Great Shaking, the War in Heaven. This will not be a literal war as we think of war. The word “fought” can even be used in a figurative sense.

In fact, in the book of Revelation 12:13 we are told, “When the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child, (Revelation 12:13)”. The word “saw” can mean “to know, be aware”.

In one moment, Satan and his angels will suddenly become “aware” of the fact they are no longer in Heaven, but on earth. This is why in Revelation 12:12 states, “Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.”

Satan and his angels do not want to leave Heaven as they know it initiates the countdown to their death. Yet, they do not have a choice. They will fulfill the Word of God appearing on earth where they will claim to be God and His Angels who have come to save us all.

Revelation 12:9
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

God provides us with several of Satan’s names so we are not confused. The Dragon is Satan, the same individual from Revelation 13 that is “disguised” as the Lamb of God. This verse even identifies Satan as the serpent from the Garden of Eden.

Satan and his angels are now officially cast from Heaven to earth. This begins the Hour of Temptation, the Tribulation, which is a time of trial. A test to see who can identify and stand against “the opponent of Christ” who is Satan.

Once Satan appears on earth, he will heal the Deadly Wound to the sixth kingdom, a catastrophic event on earth. Satan’s miraculous appearance and healing of this Deadly Wound will immediately signify to the world that Satan is the Savior.

Together, Satan and his angels will bring about the “Falling Away” we discussed through “signs and lying wonders”. Their goal is to deceive the whole world, to make the inhabitants of the earth believe that Satan and his angels are Jesus Christ and His Angels who have come to restore the Kingdom of God.

The Antichrist Deceives Through Miracles

Revelation 13:11
And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

This is the second symbolic beast of Revelation who is Satan, remember, he is the Dragon of Revelation 12:9. We are told he has two horns like a lamb, but speaks like a Dragon.

This is simply Satan’s “disguise” that we learned about earlier. Satan appears “disguised” as an Angel of light, “disguised” as the Lamb of God. Do not be confused, Satan will not look like a beast, rather he is perfect in beauty, (Ezekiel 28:12-13).

Revelation 13:13-14
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,

14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

These are not the works of a literal man, these are the works of a supernatural being.

These are the works of that “Wicked”, the “man of sin”, the “son of perdition” who appears instead of Christ, in “substitution” of Christ claiming to be God. The one we learned about in 2 Thessalonians 2:2 that displays “signs and wonders”. We are simply provided with another witness so we understand that Satan is the Antichrist.

Through these supernatural miracles, Satan is able to bring about the Great Apostasy. The same event we have been told about over and over again to warn us so we are not deceived.

In fact,

  • Deceiveth” means, “roam from truth
  • Just as “Falling Away” means “defection from truth
  • Just as “seduce” means “stray from truth

Satan, the Antichrist brings this about through “signs and lying wonders”, we are talking about miraculous and supernatural events the likes of which no one has ever witnessed before. All in an attempt to sway us from the truth, to convince us Satan is God.

I cannot stress this enough, Satan will not claim to be Satan, Satan will claim to be God, Satan will act as God, not as the Devil. This will be the moment Satan has sought since The World That Was. The moment when Satan “substitutes” himself in place of God and rules over the entire world.

Due to Satan healing the Deadly Wound, these miracles, a lack of faith and Biblical understanding, good people will “stray from truth” and accept and worship Satan unknowing that he is the Devil. That is how the people forsake God, by accepting the false messiah.

For the sake of being complete, we must document one of Satan’s other titles which will also help us understand his destruction.

Satan Is The False Prophet

Please turn your Bible with me to,

Revelation 19:20
And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

Our time frame is just after the Tribulation, we know that as Jesus Returns in Revelation 19:1.

The beast is primarily symbolic of the governmental structures of men which are controlled by Satan. These structures have been in place for thousands of years, and will include the seventh kingdom Satan will establish on earth, (see: The Scarlet Beast, Matthew 4:8-9).

The false prophet is the individual who “wrought miracles” which deceived the people, even convincing them to accept the Mark of the Beast and worship the image. The only individual who did this in Scripture, displaying “signs and lying wonders” is the Dragon who is Satan which occurs during the Tribulation. This conclusively proves, Satan is the false prophet.

What is occurring in this verse, is these titles and positions of power that Satan has used are now cast into the Lake of Fire at the beginning of the Millennium. They can no longer be used by Satan moving forward.

  • Satan will never be able to manipulate the governments of men, as governments of men will never exist again, so the beast is cast into the Lake of Fire.
  • Satan will never be able to deceive the people with “miracles”, as Christ will be with us on earth during the Millennium, so the false prophet is cast into the Lake of Fire.

Satan Is Destroyed By Christ’s Appearance

Further, this is the destruction of Satan that 2 Thessalonians 2:8-9 discussed. This is not a literal destruction of Satan’s spirit, that comes after the Millennium, (Revelation 20:10). Instead, this is the destruction of Satan’s position, authority, and influence.

To draw the point, I must recall our attention back to 2 Thessalonians 2:8.

And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.

The word “destroy” is used 31 times in the New Testament. However, this Greek word for “destroy” is “katargeō” (used 3 times) which means,

“To render entirely idle useless”.

Upon Christ’s appearance, Satan’s authority and kingdom on earth will be utterly destroyed by Christ’s “brightness”, which simply means His “manifestation”.

Meaning, the appearance of the True Christ will instantly “reveal” to the world that Satan is the imposter, the one who “substituted” himself in place of God. This will render Satan “entirely useless”, and at that point, Satan will be placed into the bottomless pit where he will remain “idle” for the entire Millennium, (Revelation 20:1-3).

Now we can understand why those who are deceived by Satan will wish for rocks and mountains to cover them… To hide their shame and embarrassment for being deceived by the Antichrist, and forsaking Jesus Christ, and for others, for never believing in Him at all.

Summary

I hope it is now clear, the Antichrist is supernatural, not a literal man of flesh and blood. The Antichrist is Satan who will “substitute” himself in place of God. Once Satan and his angels are cast from Heaven, they will appear on earth to heal the Deadly Wound, and they will instantly be hailed as the Savior of the world.

This miraculous humanity-saving event, along with Satan’s “signs and lying wonders” will convince the world he and his angels are God and His Angels who have come to restore order. Convinced Satan is God, mankind will hand over power to Satan at the Midst of the Week, a time when Satan will wage war against the Saints of Almighty God.

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