Antichrist

In Christian eschatology, Antichrist (or in broader eschatology, Anti-Messiah) refers to a kind of entity prophesied by the Bible to oppose Jesus Christ and falsely substitute themselves as a savior in Christ's place before the Second Coming.[1] The term Antichrist (including one plural form)[2] is found four times in the New Testament, solely in the First and Second Epistle of John.[2] Antichrist is announced as one "who denies the Father and the Son."[2]

The similar term pseudokhristos or "false Christ" is also found in the Gospels.[3] In Matthew (chapter 24) and Mark (chapter 13), Jesus alerts his disciples not to be deceived by the false prophets, who will claim themselves to be the Christ, performing "great signs and wonders".[4][5][6] Three other images often associated with Antichrist are the "little horn" in Daniel's final vision, the "man of sin" in Paul the Apostle's Second Epistle to the Thessalonians, and the Beast of the Sea in the Book of Revelation.[7][8][9]

In the New Testament, particularly in the Johannine epistles, the term does not refer to a single individual but rather to a category of people opposing Christ, often called deceivers or false teachers. Early Church Fathers like Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Hippolytus expanded on the idea, sometimes linking the Antichrist to the Roman Empire, the tribe of Dan, or the eschatological “man of lawlessness” described in 2 Thessalonians. Over time, interpretations varied, including figurative, historical, and personal applications of the concept.

During the Reformation, many Protestant leaders identified the Papacy as the Antichrist, viewing it as a present manifestation rather than a future individual. This historicist interpretation was shared by figures like Martin Luther, John Calvin, and John Knox, who associated the Pope with the “man of sin” and other biblical symbols of opposition to Christ. Catholic, Orthodox, and other Christian traditions generally see the Antichrist as a future deceiver or a manifestation of evil, sometimes inhabited by Satan, whose deception challenges human allegiance to God. Non-Christian traditions, such as Judaism and Islam, have analogous figures—like Armilus in Jewish eschatology or the Dajjal in Islamic thought—representing ultimate evil opposing divine will.

  1. ^ Lietaert Peerbolte, Bert Jan (2018). "Antichrist". In Hunter, David G.; van Geest, Paul J. J.; Lietaert Peerbolte, Bert Jan (eds.). Brill Encyclopedia of Early Christianity Online. Leiden, Netherlands and Boston, Massachusetts: Brill Publishers. doi:10.1163/2589-7993_EECO_SIM_00000194. ISSN 2589-7993. S2CID 239226039.
  2. ^ a b c 1 John 2:18–22; 4:1–6. 2 John 1:7–11.
  3. ^ Strong, James (1890). "G5580 – pseudochristos". Strong's Concordance. Blue Letter Bible. Retrieved 27 December 2021. ψευδόχριστος pseudóchristos, psyoo-dokh'-ris-tos; [...] a spurious Messiah:—false Christ. ψευδόχριστος, ψευδοχριστου, ὁ (ψευδής and χριστός), a false Christ (or Messiah) (one who falsely lays claim to the name and office of the Messiah): Matthew 24:24; Mark 13:22.
  4. ^ Aune, David E. (1983). "The Prophecies of Jesus: Unmasking False Prophets". Prophecy in Early Christianity and the Ancient Mediterranean World. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans. pp. 222–229. ISBN 978-0-8028-0635-2. OCLC 9555379.
  5. ^ Chae, Young S. (2006). "Matthew 7:15: False Prophets in Sheep's Clothing". Jesus as the Eschatological Davidic Shepherd: Studies in the Old Testament, Second Temple Judaism, and in the Gospel of Matthew. Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament 2. Reihe. Vol. 216. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck. pp. 234–236. ISBN 978-3-16-148876-4. ISSN 0340-9570.
  6. ^ France, Richard T. (2007). "Scene 2: False Prophets". The Gospel of Matthew. Grand Rapids, Michigan and Cambridge, U.K.: Wm. B. Eerdmans. pp. 289–291. ISBN 978-0-8028-2501-8. LCCN 2007013488.
  7. ^ Lietaert Peerbolte, Bert Jan (2013). "How Antichrist Defeated Death: The Development of Christian Apocalyptic Eschatology in the Early Church". In Krans, Jan; Lietaert Peerbolte, L. J.; Smit, Peter-Ben; Zwiep, Arie W. (eds.). Paul, John, and Apocalyptic Eschatology: Studies in Honour of Martinus C. de Boer. Novum Testamentum: Supplements. Vol. 149. Leiden: Brill Publishers. pp. 238–255. doi:10.1163/9789004250369_016. ISBN 978-90-04-25026-0. ISSN 0167-9732. S2CID 191738355.
  8. ^ Rowland, Christopher (2010) [2007]. "Part I: Historical Eschatology – The Eschatology of the New Testament Church". In Walls, Jerry L. (ed.). The Oxford Handbook of Eschatology. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 56–73. doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780195170498.001.0001. ISBN 978-0195170498. LCCN 2006032576. S2CID 171574084.
  9. ^ Chrysostom, John. "Homily 4 on Second Thessalonians". Translated by John A. Broadus. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 13. Edited by Philip Schaff. (Buffalo, New York: Christian Literature Publishing Company, 1889.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight.
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