I watched a program on PBS about the Antichrist the other night. The program left me wondering who isn’t the Antichrist? The media, and the Internet especially, is full of tales that accuse just about every celebrity and world leader — from Taylor Swift to the Pope —of being the dark figure.
But from what I can tell, the Bible itself doesn’t have much to say on the subject — and what it does say, isn’t very definitive.
My extensive research found only three mentions of the word “Antichrist,” in the Bible and the picture the passages paint are murky at best. They say that the Antichrist comes at “the last hour” and denies the divinity of Jesus Christ. They also allude to multiple Antichrists who are said to have come already. And they suggest the end of the world should be expected at any moment.
A Benedictine monk named Adso of Montier-en-Der (920-92) wrote a treatise on the subject. According to him, the Antichrist would be a Jew from the tribe of Dan and born in Babylon. He would be brought up in all forms of wickedness by magicians and wizards. He would be accepted as the Messiah and ruler by the Jews in Jerusalem. Those Christians whom he could not convert to his cause, he would torture and kill. He would then rule for seven years before being defeated by the angel Gabriel or Christ and the divine armies, prior to the resurrection of the dead and the Final Judgement.
American evangelist Jerry Falwell, known for his controversial views on apartheid, homosexuality, Judaism, climate change and the Teletubbies once said: “The Antichrist will be a world leader, he’ll have supernatural powers.” Donald trump is gaining popularity as a worthy candidate — ethics scholar D. Stephen Long suggested he represents “not a single person but a political pattern that repeats itself by taking on power to oppress the poor and the just.”
So — as with most religious matters, there’s no definitive interpretation of the Antichrist. But it’s pretty apparent that the Antichrist is the opponent of God, and seen as an agent of Satan and there will be a final battle between good and evil and the Antichrist will be defeated —ushering in the era of the Kingdom of God on Earth.
It’s interesting to Google “Antichrist” and see the roundup of the usual suspects that are listed. If you’re at all interested in this subject, check out the list and see what you think. It’s obviously impossible to rule anyone out definitely, but I’m pretty sure that Taylor Swift is probably innocent of the charges.
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