When one thinks about the anti-Christ, the image that come to mind is often far from a biblical understanding of anti-Christ. So often we think of a smooth-talking man named Dameon whose eyes turn red with a tattooed 666 on his forehead traveling door-to-door selling the latest version of micro-chip implants, which are conveniently placed inside the right hand. It is this imagery that has caused people to be afraid of every new technology from the credit card to computers. 

I remember as a kid when the Kroger card came out hearing pastors preach, “See, that is just one more way the anti-Christ can keep track of you.”  I never could figure out why the anti-Christ cared about my grocery list?  I suppose he wanted to make sure we bought “deviled” eggs (I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist).  These things, some claim, are just many ways the anti-Christ can take over the world and enslave humanity.

While your imagination may not have run as wild as others concerning the anti-Christ, if you are like me you have imagined the anti-Christ as something from a bad horror flick, rather than an actual human being who everyone likes and wants to follow. In this article, I hope to give you a better understanding of what the Scripture teaches concerning the anti-Christ.

On Sunday nights I have been teaching on “Seeing Christ in All of Scripture.” I have spent a great deal of time outlining the Old Testament “types” of Christ (Adam, Jonah, David, Israel, etc). If you do not understand how there were many christs (anointed ones of God) that ultimately point us to a final Christ (the true Son of God), you will not understand the anti-Christ either. You see, so often when we think of anti-Christ we think of one final person waiting to be revealed in the end. Yet, the Scripture is full of anti-Christs who have stood against the plan and purpose of God in order to deceive the people of God. So what constitutes an anti-Christ?

1) A Beast-like figure. The Bible portrays anti-Christ as a beast-like figure (Rev 11).  One must remember that the book of Revelation is apocalyptic literature and is symbolic. In other words, this figure is acting like a beast, not that he is actually an animal. Beasts throughout the Scriptures are uncontrolled and untamed. We get the imagery of one who does not want to be ruled by another, rather acts according to his desires and passions.

2) Rebellion against authority. This is very similar to the previous point. However, Paul points out in 2 Thes 2 that the anti-Christ opposes authority and seeks to place himself above all other idols and gods. He places himself as the central authority figure.

3) Claims of divinity. Paul goes on to add that he proclaims himself as a god and takes his seat in the temple. Dispensationalists misunderstand this to mean the rebuilding of the temple in the future. However, the New Testament clearly teaches that the temple is Jesus Christ along with those who are united with the true Temple, the church. Therefore, the anti-Christ is one who is seeking to be worshipped, even by those who are religious.

4) Deception through signs and wonders. The anti-Christ is one who is persuasive, does many great deeds, says things people want to hear, and performs things that draw attention to himself. Many are deceived because they do not hold fast to the truth.

5) The mark of 666. This is one that is very misunderstood. Once again, dispensationalists have gone too far in their literal interpretation and consequently many look for actual tattoos on the forehead. This number simple stands for a mark of imperfection. 777 is the number of perfection, and the Scripture speaks of 666 as symbolic imperfection. The fact that it is on the forehead is a sign of identification. In other words, you are either identified with the anti-Christ or identified with the True Christ.

These are a few “marks” of a biblical understanding of anti-Christ. These marks have been true for hundreds of years. The Bible is much more concerned with the spirit of anti-Christ than a final man. Take for example King Nebuchadnezzar in the book of Daniel. He is portrayed as a beast-like figure (Dan 4:32), he exalts himself as a god (Daniel 3), he demands the people of God to bow (identification) before the sound of his name (Daniel 3), and he exalts himself as a god. This is anti-Christ!!! Therefore, just as there are many types of Christ and then one final Christ, there are also many types of anti-Christ and then one final anti-Christ.

When the apostle John speaks of a beast and a spirit of anti-Christ (1 John 4, Rev 11) he is not speaking about some future figure waiting to be revealed hundreds of years from when he was writing, rather he was speaking to his listeners concerning the anti-Christ in their day, namely a Roman emperor (Caesar) who would persecute them if they did not deny Christ. John is not writing to comfort people in persecution regarding a beast-like figure who would not exist for hundreds of years. Rather, he warns them of this beast-like figure precisely because what was true in their day regarding anti-Christ, has been true in every figure (Hitler for example) of anti-Christ since the first spirit of anti-Christ in the garden of Eden (the serpent). 

While there will certainly be a final anti-Christ (2 Thes 2), the Bible teaches that we should be less concerned about who he will be and more concerned about the spirit of anti-Christ that we are facing in our day. While we search for tattooed foreheads, we are being deceived by politicians promising safety and legislating death. We are afraid of micro-chips, while churches are filled with individuals who love everything but the true gospel of Jesus Christ. We long to know who this final man of lawlessness will be, while we vote for politicians based on our wallets. We are drawn to prophecy messages and books about the end times, while more and more are being drawn by a spirit that offers a variety of ways to “god.”  We love to fill out our prophecy charts in order to figure out when the anti-Christ will come, when the spirit of anti-Christ can be found in a smug Southern Baptist who thinks he has earned his way to heaven. 

This is the spirit of anti-Christ and it is in our midst. Is there any wonder the apostle John says, “this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.”  This is why we must walk in discernment and hold fast to the gospel because the anti-Christ won’t be selling micro-chips and Kroger cards, he might be selling Bibles.

Pastor Wes