The end times and Anti-Christ are two things that are often talked about and brought into conversations when new leaders are elected and disasters across the world happen. So what should we expect? What does the Bible and scholars have to say about this? Below I have enclosed a paper I wrote on the Anti-Christ for Freshman English Composition.
Throughout the bible, there are many different places and passages where the Anti-Christ is talked about. Although rarely stated plainly using the word Anti-Christ, going back into the original text in which the Scriptures were written, the root words were the same, giving the same meaning for whichever translation was chosen. The idea and thought of the end times and the Anti-Christ not only came about once Jesus Christ was on this earth, but also in the Old Testament, as God inspired words of prophecy (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The Anti-Christ is described in the Old Testament and New Testament of the Bible, and also is closely connected and intertwined with Islam and the Mahdi. The main section of the Old Testament where the Anti-Christ is talked about is in the book of Daniel. The Anti-Christ is mentioned more heavily in the New Testament, from apostles warning emerging churches and believers everywhere about this inherent danger that has the capacity and likelihood to cause great harm. Also, regarding that danger is one of intriguing information regarding Islam, and how Islam in facts relates to the Anti-Christ through the Mahdi.
The book of Daniel was written by a man named Daniel and was recorded around 500 B.C. Daniel was captured into slavery by the kingdom of Babylon and King Nebuchadnezzar after the Babylonians had come and taken over the land of Judah. The prophecies he gives about the Anti-Christ are interpreted from dreams that he received and wrote down once he had awoken (Bible 802). This background is to help with the understanding of the presented material in hopes that it can be grasped and used to further overall knowledge of the Anti-Christ and the context for which it is found.
One of the several verses in the Book of Daniel that depicts information about the Anti-Christ is in chapter seven. In verse twenty Daniel states,
“This was the horn that seemed greater than the others and had human eyes and a mouth that was boasting arrogantly. As I watched, this horn was waging war against the holy people and was defeating them, until the Ancient One came and judged in favor of the holy people of the Most High. Then the time arrived for the holy people to take over the kingdom.”(Daniel 20-22)
These verses can seem quite complicated if it is not clarified. The horn is interpreted as the Anti-Christ who in the dream went out and waged war against the Israelites (holy people), defeating them. In verse twenty five of chapter seven, it says that “He [the Anti-Christ] will defy the Most High and wear down the holy people of the Most High. He will try to change their sacred festivals and laws, and they will be placed under his control for a time, times, and half a time.” The Anti-Christ will try with all of his power and might to try and turn people from God and destroy all that He stands for. The word time in this passage scholars have deduced to be a year, so the time, times, and half a time would be three and a half years (time, times (two times) and half a time)
This also is echoed again in chapter eight verses twenty three through twenty five. It lays out that when sin is at its greatest, a fierce king will come to power and cause a great amount of destruction and will succeed in all that he does, destroying leaders and devastating the holy people. It describes this man as a master of deception who destroys without warning and will even take on the Prince of Princes (Jesus) in battle, but will be broken. This passage is from another dream that Daniel has, given to him by God, confirming and validating his earlier dream. Also, in chapter nine verses twenty six and twenty seven from the book of Daniel it explains that the Anti-Christ will destroy the city (Jerusalem) and the Temple, and will be followed by a flood and a great war, in which the great ruler (Anti-Christ) will make a treaty with the people with a length of seven years. Half way through the treaty’s duration he will end all sacrifices and offerings before setting up a great sacrilegious object until the second coming of the Savior Jesus Christ comes.
Finishing up the verses in Daniel that talk about the attributes, characteristics, and actions of the Anti-Christ is chapter eleven verses thirty six through forty five. In these verses Daniel shares about how the Anti-Christ will claim to be greater than all gods, including God himself, and blaspheme him greatly without remorse. All people who submit to him he will honor by appointing them to positions of authority and dividing his land among them. He will go out in conquest to conquer Israel and all of the surrounding areas, and will succeed, but his time in power will run out, and he will be left on his own to face the all powerful and mighty God.
Moving into the New Testament of the Bible, there are several passages that also talk about the Anti-Christ. In 2nd Thessalonians chapter two, the Anti-Christ is discussed and described. It tells again, from a different author, about how the Anti-Christ will put himself above all else and defy any and all gods and tear down all objects of worship. He follows and does the work of Satan and will use fake power, signs, and miracles to deceive. He will use any kind of wicked deception possible to cause destruction and to oppose the truth.
Later on, in the books of John, the apostle John in verses eighteen through twenty two of the second chapter, and verses one through three in the fourth chapter of his first book and verse seven of the first chapter in his second book, warns others and describes the Anti-Christ to believers everywhere (Student’s Life Application Bible 1242). John describes how the Anti-Christ will deny Jesus is the Savior and also will deny God his place as the almighty being. In chapter four to start off the chapter, John shares that not all who claim to speak from the Spirit really is, and that those people should be tested to validate and verify their claim, for the Anti-Christ will make such claims, but will not be speaking from the Spirit at all. John’s third entry about the Anti-Christ in his second book, verse seven of chapter one, he re-iterates the notion that the Anti-Christ will try and deceive all people in hopes of clouding their minds and pulling them away from the Truth.
The final book of the Bible, Revelation, is mainly focused on the end times, when the Anti-Christ will appear. In verses one through eight and fifteen of chapter thirteen, the beast with horns is talked about again. This passage is similar to that found in Daniel and strengthens the validity of Daniel’s dream. These verses talk about the beast (Anti-Christ) who had ten horns whose names all blasphemed God. One of the heads had a mortal wound on it, but yet it had healed. Many were in awe of this and the beast used this to his advantage. The people worshipped him because there was nothing comparable to him visible to the people. The beast also spoke blasphemously against God, and was given authority over all for forty two months. During this time he slandered all that related to heaven, including all people who resided there. The beast then waged war against God’s holy people (Israelites) and was victorious, giving him rule over every tribe, nation, and tongue. All of the people whose names were not written in the Lamb’s (Jesus’) Book of Life worshipped the beast. The beast would threaten death upon all those who would not worship him and had the ability to perform wonders and supernatural things.
Unfortunately, there is a trick. The trick is with 1st John chapter two, verse eighteen. The world will not know when the Anti-Christ will come or who it will be, even if we think we do or say we do. There will be so much destruction and so many disasters that the emergence of any visible good and relief from these major problems will be welcomed and people’s visions will be blinded from the truth. One can only be sure not to have this by remaining firm in their walk with Jesus Christ and not falling for the lies and tricks of the Anti-Christ.
Islam is one avenue in fact that the Anti-Christ will use to try and deceive. This will be done through what Muslims refer to as the Mahdi. The Mahdi to Islam is like Jesus for Christians to some respect. They are not the same nor serve the same role as the other, but the Mahdi is considered as the Islamic messiah that will rise and fulfill his purpose
Along with being the messiah of Islam, the Mahdi will be a very powerful and influential military and political leader. He will be unparalleled by any others from throughout history, and will be the head of a world revolution fighting the forces of evil and set up a new order that is based firmly and justice and righteousness. He will also have control and rule over all of the earth and Islam will reign supreme and will triumph over all other religions
Along with being the world’s political and military leader, as described above the Mahdi will also be the spiritual world leader. He will head the spread and enforcement of Islam as the above all others religion, being able to enforce such a thing because he is the political and military world leader as well. The Mahdi will cause everyone who is not a follower of Islam to renounce their faith and bow down to Allah and worship him as supreme god
The greatest threat to this globalization of Islam would be the other two main world religions, Judaism and Christianity. That is why the Mahdi will focus intently on those two groups and make them specific targets for conversion
Hopefully the descriptions of the Anti-Christ and the Biblical support for his attributes and actions, coupled with the description of Islam’s messiah the Mahdi, have allowed for the connection of the two to be quite evident. The Anti-Christ and the Mahdi are not two different people but in fact one in the same. The description of the Anti-Christ from Scriptures of him being a powerful world leader (not only politically but militaristically and spiritually) by basing his pitch on justice and righteousness, the description of how he will be renowned and awed by all, will deny Jesus as the Risen Savior and the Son of God, and sign a seven year treaty with Israel of peace in a time of war, coincide exactly with the description of the Mahdi. To deny this comparison and brush it off as mere coincidence is not only ill-based and rooted with no arguments, but is also plain ignorance and foolishness.
In conclusion, religion and religious discussions have always been a hot button issue no matter what it is regarding or when it was discussed. Not knowing absolute truth and having to trust in a power greater than yourself is one thing that human kind has struggled with since the dawn of creation. Hopefully this topic regarding the Anti-Christ, the biblical background in the Old and New Testament, and its comparison with Islam will help to stir up thoughts and cause more questions to arise. For without questions, truth cannot be sought after and cannot be deduced. Do not take these words lightly, for it is possible that eternal life is at stake.
Works Cited
Richardson, Joel. Anti-Christ Islam's Awaited Messiah. Enumclaw: Pleasant Word, 2006.
Scheifler, Michael. Times, Time, And A Half. 2 December 2008
Student's Life Application Bible. Wheaton: Tyndale House, 1997.
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