Soon..?

A man who has been waiting in the wings will come upon the world's stage and the final seven years of life as we know it will begin. This time is known as the "Great Tribulation". This man will at first seem to be the answer to all the world's problems. He will, virtually at a stroke, solve many of the dilemma's and troubling issues facing mankind , including doing what no other person could do: he will bring peace to the Middle-East, he will guarantee for a period of seven years a treaty between Israel and its neighbors. All will seem well, but exactly 3 1/2 years into this seven year treaty the door will open and reveal this man for what he truly is, the Antichrist.

"And the lawless one will be revealed who the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming, that is the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. And for this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness."     (2Thessalonians 2:9-12)

An·ti·christ
Pronunciation: 'an-ti-"krIst, -"tI-
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English anticrist, from Old English & Late Latin; Old English antecrist, from Late Latin Antichristus, from Greek Antichristos, from anti- + Christos Christ
Date: before 12th century
1 : one who denies or opposes Christ; specifically : a great antagonist expected to fill the world with wickedness but to be conquered forever by Christ at his second coming 
2 : a false Christ


As the Word of God is actually written in Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic, lets look at the original manuscript definition of antichrist in the Greek:

antichristos:  instead-of Christ, opposite of Christ

An examination of the Greek work 'antichristos' reveals that antichrist can be someone who is "instead-of" Christ, or a "substitute" for Christ.  By this definition, anyone who sets themselves up as a 'savior' type of man is a type of antichrist (i.e. Hitler, Napoleon, Alexander, etc.).  Therefore the correct English translation for antichristos should be 'instead-of-Christ' or 'play-Christ' (i.e. as a play-actor).  Someone who comes in the Holy name of Christ but instead does unchristian acts would fit the definition also as a 'instead of Christ'.  (i.e. Jim Jones, David Koresh, etc.)

The word "antichrist" appears in just three passages in the Bible (in the New Testament letters known as 1 John and 2 John); it does not appear at all in the Book of Revelation. Nevertheless, the idea of an Antichrist is central to the apocalyptic world view that sees human history as a struggle between God and Satan for the fate of mankind.

According to the Bible prophesies of the End Time, the Antichrist will act as Satan's chief agent on earth during this period. The Antichrist will forge a one-world government through promises of peace. But when Jesus Christ returns, he will expose the Antichrist as an impostor, defeat him in the battle of Armageddon, and reign with the Christian martyrs for a thousand years on earth.

This antichrist  will come on the scene appearing to have all the answers. He won't have horns and a pitch fork but instead he will probably be a very charismatic,  attractive world leader... at first anyway. But he has an agenda. Before he reveals his true colors he will deceive many.

Intelligent, Imposing and Boastful:

"Then I wanted to know the true meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others and most terrifying, with its iron teeth and bronze claws--the beast that crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left." Daniel 7:20

Exalts and Magnifies himself above all other gods:

"The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place." Daniel 11:36

No Respect for the God of his ancestors, nor have any affection or desire for women:

"He shall regard neither the God of his fathers nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself above them all." Daniel 11:37

Bestows great honors, wealth, precious gems and the finest indulgences upon a God his ancestors did not know, a God of 'Fortresses': 

"Instead of them, he will honor a god of fortresses; a god unknown to his fathers he will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts."           Daniel 11:38

Rules with great power and authority:

"Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority." Revelation 13:2

Promotes a sense of Peace and Security, while at the same time, through great Plotting, Trickery and Intrigue,  seizes Kingdoms:

"He will be succeeded by a contemptible person who has not been given the honor of royalty. He will invade the kingdom when its people feel secure, and he will seize it through intrigue."          Daniel 11:21

Cunning, Deceitful, and Powerful:

"Through his cunning He shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule; And he shall exalt himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in their prosperity. He shall even rise against the Prince of princes; But he shall be broken without human means."  Daniel 8:25

"Through his cunning He shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule; And he shall exalt himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in their prosperity. He shall even rise against the Prince of princes; But he shall be broken without human means." Revelation 13:17

"Here now is the man who did not make God his stronghold but trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by destroying others!"      Psalms 52:7

"By your wisdom and understanding you have gained wealth for yourself and amassed gold and silver in your treasuries. By your great skill in trading you have increased your wealth, and because of your wealth your heart has grown proud." Ezekiel 28:4-5

Strong and Forceful military leader:

"He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy the mighty men and the holy people." Daniel 8:24

"I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest." Revelation 6:2

"Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, "Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?"   Revelation 13:4

Powerful leader:

"For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled." Revelation 17:17

Becomes the ultimate religious leader, becomes all things to all religions and proclaim to be God himself:

"He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God."               2 Thessalonians 2:4

"One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast." Revelation 13:3

"Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed."           Revelation 13:14-15

The Antichrist has 33 titles in the Old Testament and 13 in the New Testament. One of these, The Prince That Shall Come, comes from Daniel 9:26-27 in which the people of the Prince that shall come would destroy the city and the sanctuary (Jerusalem). The fulfillment occurred in history when the Roman legions under Titus Vespasian destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 A.D.

This reflexive reference to the Romans in Daniel 9:26 is one of several reasons why most Bible scholars view the future Prince that shall come as a Roman, or European.

The Bible predicts two one world leaders or Antichrists who will rule the entire world (Rev 13, Dan 7:8, 11, 23). One will be the main leader, or the beast, while the other, the false prophet, will perform miracles and force the world to worship the beast and his image.

The false prophet, whose number is 666, will enforce the mark, which could be a tattoo or computer chip or some other new technology. It could even be enacted through some type of supernatural means, since they will be performing miracles.

The antichrist or beast as he will become to be known as, goes by many titles:

OLD TESTAMENT

Adversary (Psalm 74:8-10, Lam 4:11,12),
Man of Bloodshed and Deceit (Psalms 5:6),
Branch of the Terrible One (Isaiah 14:19),
Chief Prince (Ezekiel 38:2),
Crooked Serpent (Job 26:13, Isa 27:1),
Cruel One (Jeremiah 30:14, 28 & 34),
Destroyer of Nations (Jeremiah 4:7),
Enemy (Psalm 55:3, Jer 30:14),
Worthless Shepherd (Zechariah 11:16),
King of Princes (Hosea 8:10),
Little Horn (Daniel 7:8-11,21-26),
Mighty Man (Psalm 52:1),
Prince that Shall Come (Daniel 9:26),
Profane and Wicked Prince of Israel (Ezekiel 21:25-27),
Proud One (Habakkuk 2:5),
Rod of Gods Anger (Isaiah 10:5),
Seed of the Serpent (Genesis 3:15),
Son of the Dawn (Isaiah 14:12),
The Destroyer (Isaiah 16:4-5),
Vile and Despicable One (Daniel 11:21),
Wicked One (Psalm 9:17, Isa 11:4),
Willful King (Daniel 11:36)

NEW TESTAMENT

Man of Lawlessness - Son of Perdition (2 Thessalonians 2:3),
One Bringing Signs and Wonders (2 Thessalonians 2:9),
One Who Comes in His Own Name (John 5:43),
Antichrist - Pseudo Christ (1 John 2:22),
The Beast (Revelation 11:7,13),
Lawless One (2 Thessalonians 2:8 ),
Beast From the Sea (Revelation 13),
One Whose Fatal Wound Will Heal (Revelation 13:3,12),
Vine of the Earth (Revelation 14:18)

I've re-opened the polling. Please register a vote.

I believe the question is a valid one because the events of the world, as they relate to the fulfillment of prophecy, should cause everyone to keep watch. It is true that there has never been a time in history in which the world was as ready as it is now to usher in the end. Is the Antichrist alive today?
If you ask me

"Could the Antichrist be alive already?"

the answer must be

"Absolutely."

[Midnightblueowl]

I believe that this anti-Christ will be the Devil, so I could also add. What do others think?

- Satan
- The Devil
- Lucifer
- Iblis
- Shaytan

[Scotty]

Satan is omnipresent,...he was once a God. I don't think that Satan ever needed to pop up one day, and say 'Here I AM'...

Satan needs his right hand man, to do his bidding for him. I think he will be watching over the Antichrist and fulfill his rise to power.

[jordyn]

The Antichrist has 33 titles in the Old Testament and 13 in the New Testament. One of these, The Prince That Shall Come, comes from Daniel 9:26-27 in which the people of the Prince that shall come would destroy the city and the sanctuary (Jerusalem). The fulfillment occurred in history when the Roman legions under Titus Vespasian destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 A.D.

This reflexive reference to the Romans in Daniel 9:26 is one of several reasons why most Bible scholars view the future Prince that shall come as a Roman, or European.

The Bible predicts two one world leaders or Antichrists who will rule the entire world (Rev 13, Dan 7:8, 11, 23). One will be the main leader, or the beast, while the other, the false prophet, will perform miracles and force the world to worship the beast and his image.

The false prophet, whose number is 666, will enforce the mark, which could be a tattoo or computer chip or some other new technology. It could even be enacted through some type of supernatural means, since they will be performing miracles.

The antichrist or beast as he will become to be known as, goes by many titles:

OLD TESTAMENT

Adversary (Psalm 74:8-10, Lam 4:11,12),
Man of Bloodshed and Deceit (Psalms 5:6),
Branch of the Terrible One (Isaiah 14:19),
Chief Prince (Ezekiel 38:2),
Crooked Serpent (Job 26:13, Isa 27:1),
Cruel One (Jeremiah 30:14, 28 & 34),
Destroyer of Nations (Jeremiah 4:7),
Enemy (Psalm 55:3, Jer 30:14),
Worthless Shepherd (Zechariah 11:16),
King of Princes (Hosea 8:10),
Little Horn (Daniel 7:8-11,21-26),
Mighty Man (Psalm 52:1),
Prince that Shall Come (Daniel 9:26),
Profane and Wicked Prince of Israel (Ezekiel 21:25-27),
Proud One (Habakkuk 2:5),
Rod of Gods Anger (Isaiah 10:5),
Seed of the Serpent (Genesis 3:15),
Son of the Dawn (Isaiah 14:12),
The Destroyer (Isaiah 16:4-5),
Vile and Despicable One (Daniel 11:21),
Wicked One (Psalm 9:17, Isa 11:4),
Willful King (Daniel 11:36)

NEW TESTAMENT

Man of Lawlessness - Son of Perdition (2 Thessalonians 2:3),
One Bringing Signs and Wonders (2 Thessalonians 2:9),
One Who Comes in His Own Name (John 5:43),
Antichrist - Pseudo Christ (1 John 2:22),
The Beast (Revelation 11:7,13),
Lawless One (2 Thessalonians 2:8 ),
Beast From the Sea (Revelation 13),
One Whose Fatal Wound Will Heal (Revelation 13:3,12),
Vine of the Earth (Revelation 14:18)

i think it'll be computer chips, they already have them for pets, and in florida were trying to push it to have in children in case they get taken, you'll find them easily. i'm constantly going back and forth about the antichrist.  i had a day care provider tell me he'll be first seen in some item designating him as a man in blue?

how can anyone know he's the antichrist?

[Satan's Child]

Where'd Iblis come from?

Satan is omnipresent,...he was once a God. I don't think that Satan ever needed to pop up one day, and say 'Here I AM'...

Satan needs his right hand man, to do his bidding for him. I think he will be watching over the Antichrist and fulfill his rise to power.

Satan was never G-d, G-d created Satan and he was his most shiny angel until he decided that he should be G-d. Dont state things that are in no case truth.

And btw Satan is Lucifer.

[Mr. Maggot]

Actually, Lucifer was the name of the Roman god of fire and has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with Satan. I'm afraid some mediavel  Christian scholars took liberties with the names of certain proto-Christian deities when giving vent to their loathing for the Devil.

[Zak Roy Yoballa]

Actually, Lucifer was the name of the Roman god of fire and has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with Satan. I'm afraid some mediavel  Christian scholars took liberties with the names of certain proto-Christian deities when giving vent to their loathing for the Devil.

I'd have to disagree,

Isaiah 14:12 (King James Version)

 12How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!



ZRY

tnx 

[Mr. Maggot]

That passage refers to a toppled Baybolonian king that oppressed the Children Of Israel, and has nothing to do with the Devil. I'm afraid that this misconception has penetrated the minds of mainstream Christians so deeply that Lucifer is now synomnious with Satan.

[Zak Roy Yoballa]

You may be correct.  I'll do some digging and see what I come up with.